Technical Notes - Effect of a Prequench on the Martensite Reaction in Tool Steel

RECENT experiments have shown that the mar-tensite reaction in a standard tool steel is influenced by the history of the reacting austenite. The martensite reaction proceeds to a given extent at a higher temperature in austenite formed from an annealed spheroidal structure than it does in austenite formed from tempered martensite: that is to say, a prequench lowers the temperature range of the martensite reaction in this steel. Furthermore, a prequench alters the appearance of the martensite as compared to martensite formed from "virgin" austenite. The steel used for this work was a manganese nondeforming tool steel of the following composition: C, 0.85 pct; Mn, 1.43; Si, 0.23; Ni, 0.12; Cr, 0.59; and W, 0.59. A piece from a rolled bar was forged to Vz in. sq and annealed to a spheroidal structure. Disks 1/8 in. thick were used in the experiments. Several sets of the specimens were prepared and austenitized in lead at 1475°F. Three sets were held at 1475°F for 15 min, quenched in water, and immediately reheated to 1475°F. After this quench the three sets were held for 5 min, 30 min, and 3 hr, respectively, at 1475°F and then the individual specimens in each set were quenched in molten baths to 325", 300°, and 275ºF, respectively, and held for 15 sec. Immediately after the quenching treatments? the specimens were tempered at 600°F for 30 sec to darken the martensite and then were quenched in water. The holding times were short enough to avoid isothermal transformation. Three other sets of specimens were given the same final quenching treatments as the first three, but they were austenitized at 1475°F for 20 min, 35 min, and 3 hr and 15 min, respectively, without an intermediate water quench. The two individual specimens from each set were quenched together in order to eliminate quenching errors. Several experiments were run in this way but only the six sets referred to are described in detail because they all yielded essentially the same results. By means of the stated heat treatments the martensite reaction was investigated for: 1—austenite formed from an annealed structure, and 2— austenite formed from tempered martensite. The martensite reactions of the two types of austenite differed significantly. This is shown by Figs. 1 and 2. Comparison of the photographs on the left in Figs. 1 and 2 with those on the right shows that less martensite was formed by a quench to a given temperature from prequenched austenite than from austenite formed from an annealed structure, that is, the prequench suppressed the martensite reaction. The effect was observed for specimens austenitized 20 min, 35 min, and 3 hr and 15 min. A comparison of Figs. 1 and 2 shows that the martensite reactions in both sets of specimens occurred at lower temperatures with increased austenitization time. This was caused by the increased dissolution of residual carbides with time at 1475°F. However, the difference in amount of martensite formed in prequenched austenite as compared to virgin austenite was approximately the same for all three austenitization times. One further observation should be noted. The needles of the martensite formed from virgin austenite are somewhat longer on the average and show less of a tendency to cluster than those of martensite formed from prequenched austenite. This causes the martensite on the right in Figs. 1 and 2 to have a more acicular appearance than the martensite on the left. Since the sets of specimens used in this work were austenitized for identical total lengths of time and the effect of a prequench on the martensite reaction existed for specimens held at the austenitizing tem-