EXAMINATION OF THE PROPERTIES AND STRUCTURE OF TOOL STEEL EN 1.2379 DUE TO DIFFERENT HEAT TREATMENTS

The hardness, microstructure and wear behavior of EN 1.2379 cold work tool steel were investigated in different heat treatment condition. In metal forming industry tools can be exposed to very complex and surface demanding conditions, which are the result of different mechanical, thermal, chemical or tribological effects and require well defined properties. The aim of present work was to investigate the properties after conventional treatment, plasma nitriding and cryogenic treatment. The results show that it is an effective way to improve the properties of the tool steels modifying the microstructures and the surface through heat and chemical treatments. Using different heat treatment processes and parameters, the microstructure of a tool steel can be modified and optimized for a selected application