A number of investigations have been performed on the strengthening mechanism of ausformed martensite, and the following mechanisms have been proposed:
(1) Direct transfer of work-hardening structure from austenite to martensite.
(2) Dispersion hardening due to micro carbide precipitation.
(3) Decrease of martensite-plate size.
(4) Decrease of residual austenite.
(5) Production of twined martensite.
In this investigation, 4340-steel is ausformed in the metastable austenite-temperature range at high strain rates (10
2∼10
3/sec) by a counterblow forging tester, and the flow stress of the ausformed austenite at the working condition and the hardness of the ausformed martensite are measured. The following relation is obtained:
M_H = M_H^0 + 3A σ, where
MH is Vickers’ hardness of the ausformed martensite,
Aσ is the flow stress of the ausformed austenite at the ausforming condition and
MH0 depends on both the chemical compositions and the prethermo-mechanical history of specimens. The factor, 3, of
Aσ represents that the work hardening is directly transferred from austenite to martensite. On the basis of detailed discussions, it is concluded that the strengthening mechanism of the ausformed martensite is a direct transfer of work hardening and the other mechanisms mentioned above have a secondary effects. Especially, the hardening due to micro-carbide precipitation does not contribute essentially to the ausform-strengthening of martensite.
View full abstract