Effect of Homogenization &Quenching Media on the Mechanical Properties of Sintered Hot Forged AISI 9250 P/MSteel Preforms

摘要

Present investigation is an attempt to generate experimental data in order to establish the influence of homogenization and cooling media on the mechanical properties of hot forged AISI 9250 sintered P/M steel to square cross-section bars produced using elemental powders. The elemental powders corresponding to final AISI 9250 composition ofFe-0.5%C-0.75%Mn-2.0%Si were taken in an appropriate proportion and blended in a pot mill for a period of 32 hours while maintaining the powder to ball ratio by weight as 1.1:1. Compacts of 28mm diameter and 36mm height were prepa red on a 1.0 MN capacity Universal Testing Machine (UTM) and using suitable die, punch and bottom insert assembly in the density range of 85±1 percent of theoretical by applying the pressure in the range of 550±10 MPa and by taking pre-weighed powder blend. In all 36 compacts were prepared. These green compacts were coated using the indigenously developed ceramic coating and the same was allowed to dry under the ambient conditions for a period of 14-16 hours. These ceramic coated compacts were re-coated 90° to the previous coating and re-dried under the aforementioned conditions for the same length of time. Ceramic coated compacts were sintered in a n electric muffle fu rnace at 1120±10°C for a period of 120 minutes and subsequently hot forged to square cross-section bars of approximate dimensions of 14mm X 14mm X 95 -100mm on a friction screw press of 1.00MN capacity at the sintering temperature itself. Nine forged specimens were oil quenched and remaining 27 forged bars were homogenized at the sintering temperature for a period of 60 minutes followed by quenching nine of them in oil, nine specimens in air and remaining nine were cooled in the furnace itself. Standard tensile specimens were prepared from each set and tested for evaluation of mechanical properties followed by SEM Fractography on the fractured specimen surfaces. Tensile tests results have established that the homogenization step followed by cooling them in different media has improved the values of toughness as the per cent elongation and per cent area red uction, both, have gone up though the strength values have gone down.