Large-size welded chains made of low carbon structure steel are sometimes quenched and tempered after manufactured for the purpose of increasing in their strength. This low carbon steel contains C 0.12-0.18% and Mn 0.8-1.0%. It is often observed that if the tension test is made on the quenched low carbon steel without tempering, the values of its tensile strength scatter to a great extent. As a cause of this wide scattering is presumed that this sort of steel is much influenced by the slight differences of heating or cooling conditions in the heat treatment.
This experiment designated to investigate the scattering states of tensile strength and to pursue its causes, is made in two stages from the practical point of view. The test pieces used in the first stage, 120 in all, are made of the C 0.17%, Mn 0.85% low carbon steel of one and the same charge; and those used in the second, 920 in all, of the same sort of steel of the other 92 charges, -e.g. ten pieces out of each charge, -to some of which boron is added. In the second stage, the experiment is made in the same way, but with less accuracy for the purpose of merely getting more general conclusions.
Although the values of tensile strength scatter in a fairly wider range, they can be put on a normal curve. An example is given for the non-tempered test pieces as shown in Fig. 1.
For quenching, the following methods were applied: the agitated, the normal, the gradual, and the oil quenching. Investigation was carried out. On the test pieces quenched in those methods to know what kind of influences the cooling rate has on their mean tensile strength, how much the size of their diameters effect the mean tensile strength and the scattering states of tensile strength. Non-tempered test pieces as well as those of different hardenability were used for this purpose. The effect of tempering on these test pieces were also examined.
Among the reasons of the scattering of tensile strength, the difference of the size of test pieces and that of tempering conditions are taken into consideration, but the most influencial one is the dynamical behavior of cooling water for hardening the test pieces.
We come to the conclusion: in the case of quenching such a low carborn steel as is used in this experiment, the scatterng of tensile strength is inevitable.
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