Dilatometric Study of High Strength Steels Hardenability

The effect of low-alloy additions on low-C steels hardenability is reported. Various as-quenched materials with microstructures consisting of low-C (granular) bainitic (B), mixed bainitic (B)/martensitic (M) and fully martensitic microstructures were produced. Results show that for a given cooling rate, an increase of austenite grain size (AGS) and of Mo and Cr contents decreases the transformation temperatures and promotes martensite formation