Investigation of Heat Treatment and Quenching Cycles on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Hadfield Steel

Hadfield steel is a material used in different industrial application, when a good resistance to severe impact loads and abrasion is expected. Its high ductility, high toughness, good work hardening capacity and high fatigue resistance make it especially suitable for theses conditions. But in order to reach those high mechanical properties, Hadfield steel must undergo a heat treatment. This step is considered as a crucial, because the as cast material contains different types of carbides, some beneficial, and some detrimental to the mechanical properties. Therefore, there is a strong interest in understanding the effect of HT parameters on the properties of Hadfield Steel. The goal of the project is to study the HT and quenching parameters used for the manufacturing of Hadfield steel, such as HT temperatures, holding time and quenching media. The microstructure such as: grain size and grain boundaries will be analyzed using an optical microscope (OM) and a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) before and after HT and quenching. A hardness tester will be used to measure the impact of the HT on the mechanical properties