Mechanical characterization of a steel AISI 43100 submitted to different routes of heat treatments

Abstract

The present study aimed to explore possible thermal processing conditions of a steel AISI 43100, seeking the best combination of properties, especially strength and ductility. Different routes of heat treatments for continuous cooling were applied to the material, and the mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile and hardness tests. The microstructure and fracture micromechanisms were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was observed a strong influence of cooling rate on the formation of microstructure, reflecting directly in mechanical properties.