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Understanding Microstructural Evolution During Rapid Heat Treatment of Microalloyed Steels Through Computational Modeling, Advanced Physical Simulation, and Multiscale Characterization Techniques

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Abstract

An AISI 1045 steel modified with vanadium (V) and niobium (Nb) was studied to evaluate microstructural conditioning prior to and throughout a rapid heat treat process. In order to accomplish this, both computational and physical simulation techniques have been employed with the goal of assessing the microstructural evolution in a medium-carbon bar steel during the rapid austenitization and quenching procedures involved in an induction hardening process. The appropriate thermal profiles for induction hardening were obtained through finite element modeling using Flux 2D software. Physical simulations of the induction hardening process were carried out using a Gleeble® 3500. Analysis of prior austenite grain size is complemented by observation of nanoscale carbonitride precipitation via transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and high-energy synchrotron small-angle x-ray scattering. Through a combination of characterization techniques, this study presents a deeper understanding of nano- and microstructural changes occurring in a microalloyed steel during an induction hardening process.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support of the corporate sponsors of the Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center, an industry/university cooperative research center at the Colorado School of Mines. Additionally, special thanks are given to Cody Miller and Trevor Ballard for their technical contributions. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under contract no. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

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  1. Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO, 80401, USA

    B. M. Whitley, J. G. Speer, R. Cryderman & J. Klemm-Toole

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  1. B. M. Whitley
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  2. J. G. Speer
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  3. R. Cryderman
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  4. J. Klemm-Toole
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Correspondence to B. M. Whitley.

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This paper is the 2018 HTS-Bodycote Best Paper in Heat Treating. The ASM Heat Treating Society established the Best Paper in Heat Treating Award in 1997 to recognize a paper that represents advancement in heat treating technology, promotes heat treating in a substantial way, or represents a clear advancement in managing the business of heat treating. The award, endowed by Bodycote Thermal Process, North America, is open to all students, in full-time or part-time education, at universities (or their equivalent) or colleges. It also is open to those students who have graduated within the past 3 years and whose paper describes work completed while they are an undergraduate or postgraduate student. The subject matter of the paper is required to cover any aspect of research or development applied to the fields of heat treatment, surface engineering, hot isostatic pressing (HIP), metallurgical coatings, testing, or materials processing, including any production process, information technology, or relevant management or business issues.

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Whitley, B.M., Speer, J.G., Cryderman, R. et al. Understanding Microstructural Evolution During Rapid Heat Treatment of Microalloyed Steels Through Computational Modeling, Advanced Physical Simulation, and Multiscale Characterization Techniques. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 28, 1293–1300 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-019-03903-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-019-03903-9

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