1979 Volume 65 Issue 9 Pages 1440-1447
The present study was undertaketn to clarify the compressive yield strength and fracture of high-carbon, high-vanadium iron alloys. Compressive testing and microscopic examination were carried out on high-carbon, high-vanadium iron alloys prepared by melting and by welding-overlay-methods, in order to study the effect of size and distribution of vanadium-carbide on the compressive strength of the alloy. Vanadium-carbide in the materials was controlled from 21 to 55% in volume and from 26μm to 100μm in diameter. The measurement of the mechanical properties was performed using a specially designed apparatus on specimens tempered at various temperatures.
The results obtained were as follows:
(1) On the compressive state, cracks in large carbides are not propagated to matrix whereas shear cracks are initiated in matrix and grow up to the fracture.
(2) Yield strength is a little influenced by the amount of vanadium-carbide.
(3) Compressive yield strength does not depend upon the carbide size, even if the carbide size varied from 26μm to 100μm.
(4) Yield strength is increased linearly with increase in the hardness of specimen and maximum strength is increased in proportion to the amount of vanasium-carbide.