ME 2151E Lab Report Cooling Rate Effect

by

LIN SHAODUN
Lab Group Date

A0066078X
6 16th Sept 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I NTRODUCTION

E XP E R IM E N T P RO C E D U R E

R ESULTS

D ISCUSSION

C ONLCUSION

R EFERENCE

INTRODUCTION Mechanical properties of steels are strongly connected to their microstructure obtained after the heat treatment processes that are generally performed to achieve a good hardness and tensile strength. [1] Hence it is essential to understand how the cooling rate affects the microstructure and hardness of commercial steels. Objective To investigate the effects of cooling rate on the microstructure and hardness of plain carbon steel (1045). To understand how to use Rockwell Hardness Tester (Model: Mitutoyo AR-10) perform hardness measurement on specimen. To understand how to convert Rockwell B Hardness (HRB) and Rockwell C Hardness (HRC) to Vickers Hardness (HV). Background In their simplest form, steels are alloys of Iron (Fe) and Carbon (C). The Fe-Fe3C phase diagram is shown below (Figure 1) [2], up to 6.70 % Carbon. This is a fairly complex phase diagram but we are only interested in the steels part of the diagram.

Figure 1

The Phases in FeFe3C Phase Diagram includes: [3] Description -ferrite - solid solution of C in BCC Fe -austenite - solid solution of C in FCC Fe Properties Stable form of iron at room temperature. The maximum solubility of C is 0.022 wt.% Transforms to FCC -austenite at 912 C The maximum solubility of C is 2.14 wt. %. Transforms to BCC -ferrite at 1395 C Is not stable below the eutectic temperature (727 C) unless cooled rapidly -ferrite - solid solution of C in BCC Fe The same structure as -ferrite Stable only at high T, above 1394 C Melts at 1538 C Fe3C - (iron carbide or This intermetallic compound is metastable, it remains as a compound cementite) Fe-C liquid solutions indefinitely at room temperature, but decomposes (very slowly, within several years) into -Fe and C (graphite) at 650 - 700 C

Transformations Composition Eutectic Eutectoid 4.30 wt.% C, 0.76 wt%C Temperature 1147 C 727 C Reaction L -austenite + Fe3C -austenite -ferrite + Fe3C

EXPERIMENT PROCEDURE Measurement of Hardness

[4]

(Using Mitutoyo Model AR-10)

1) Place the specimen on the plane anvil. 2) Raise the anvil by rotating the handle slowly until tip of the indenter touches the specimen. 3) Further elevate the anvil gently until the two indicators in the dial gauge aligns at 0 position, then push the start button to apply the major load. 4) Read the hardness number while the minor load is still being applied. For HRB number, read the inner ring of dial gauge (Red color), for HRC number, read the outer ring of dial gauge (Black color). 5) Turn the capstan in the reverse direction to lower the anvil and remove the specimen. 6) Measure three times on difference locations of specimen.

Precautions

Ensure that both surfaces of the specimens are flat and positioned securely on the anvil. Ensure the tip of indenter is away from the indentation created from previous measurement and try to perform the measurement at the center of specimen. Observe the microstructures

1) Observe the microstructures under the optical microscope, as high magnification as possible. 2) Compare the commons and difference of each specimen and identify the microstructures. RESULTS Microstructure of samples 1. Furnace-cooled sample Photo taken from microscope -ferrite Fe3C

-ferrite

Pearlite

Pearlite 2. Air-cooled sample Photo taken from TV monitor Compare with the Furnace-cooled sample, the amount of -ferrite is reduced and more Pearlite is formed, hence the tensile strength and hardness of this sample is greater than the Furnace-cooled sample.

-ferrite Pearlite

3. Fan-cooled sample Photo taken from TV monitor Photo taken from microscope -ferrite

Pearlite Pearlite

Compare with air-cooled sample, most of the microstructure shown here is Pearlite, and only very little -ferrite is found in the boundary of Pearlite microstructure. 4. Water-cooled (quenched) sample Photo taken from microscope Martensite Needle like structure

Martensite

Pearlite

With a very rapid cooling rate, insufficient time is allowed for the carbon atoms to diffuse out of solution, and although some movement of the iron atoms takes place, the structure cannot become BCC while the carbon is trapped in solution thus transform austenite into a metastable phase known as Martensite which is a single-phase, supersaturated solution of carbon in ferrite with carbon atoms located interstitially in a body-centered tetragonal lattice; i.e., the excessive supersaturation distorts the normal BCC structure to bodycentered tetragonal. The lattice distortion is reflected in mechanical properties of high strength and hardness and low ductility.

Hardness Data Reading 1 Samples

Rockwell Scale Vickers Number

Reading 2
Rockwell Scale Vickers Number

Reading 3
Rockwell Scale Vickers Number Average

Standard Deviation

D1 D2 D3 D4

HRB 84.0 HRB 95.2 HRB 98.2 HRC 58.9

HV 167.0 HV 221.2 HV 240.7 HV 672.5

HRB 85.4 HRB 96.0 HRB 99.5 HRC 59.0

HV 171.9 HRB 85.6 HV 225.9 HRB 97.0 HV 250.0 HRB 98.5 HV 675.0 HRC 59.3

HV 172.9 HV 232.1 HV 242.9 HV 682.0

170.6 226.4 244.5 676.5

2.58 4.49 3.97 4.02

Sample calculation ( ( ) )

Vickers Hardness vs. Cooling Rate

HV vs. Cooling Rate

700 600

Vickers (HV)

500 400 300 200

Cooling Rate
100

Furnace

Air

Fan

Water

DISCUSSION Cooling Rate vs. Hardness From above diagram we can see the hardness of low carbon steel (1045) is slightly improved from HV170.6 to HV226.4~244.5 when the cooling method changed from furnace-cooling to air-cooling, and the hardness is significantly improved to HV676.5 when the specimen is watercooled ( quenching ). In summary, the data shows higher cooling rate results in higher hardness. Here is a table compares the effects of cooling rate on steel [5]: Cooling Method Furnacecooled Air-cooled Fan-cooled Water-cooled Cooling Rate 38 per hour C 38 per minute C ? 140 per second C Microstructure formed Coarse pearlite structure Fine pearlite structure Fine pearlite structure Martensitic structure Mechanical properties Soft and ductile, with no internal stresses, Higher strength than annealed steel Higher strength than annealed steel Extremely hard but brittle Known as Full annealing Normalizing Normalizing Quenching

Below is a typical figure shows [6] how the cooling rate affects the microstructure with CCT (continuous cooling transformation) diagram:

Figure 2

Microstructure vs. Hardness The strength and hardness of the different microstructures is inversely related to the size of the microstructures as fine structures have more phase boundaries inhibiting dislocation motion. According to Hall-Petch strengthening theorem, [7] decreasing grain size decreases the amount of possible pile up at the boundary, increasing the amount of applied stress necessary to move a dislocation across a grain boundary. The higher the applied stress to move the dislocation, the higher the yield strength and hardness. Thus, there is then an inverse relationship between grain size and yield strength, as demonstrated by the Hall-Petch equation. By observing the metallographic of different samples, it is obvious to identify the grain size of each sample is significantly reduced with higher cooling rate.

Grain size significantly reduced.

Thus, fine Pearlite is stronger than coarse Pearlite, Bainite is stronger than Pearlite and Martensite is the strongest of all. Of the various microstructures in steel alloys, Martensite is the hardest, strongest and the most brittle .But the strength of Martensite is not purely related to microstructure, rather, it is related to the interstitial carbon atoms hindering dislocation motion (Solid solution strengthening) and to the small number of slip systems. [8]

CONCLUSION In conclusion, differences in the cooling rate appear to provide dramatic effects on the microstructure and the hardness of steels, depending on the carbon content of steels. With this experiment, I am able to differentiate the various Fe-Fe3C phases like -ferrite, pearlite and Martensite and have better understanding on the TTT and CCT diagram.

REFERENCE 1) Adnan alik, Effect of cooling rate on hardness and microstructure of AISI 1020, AISI 1040 and AISI 1060 Steels, International Journal of Physical Sciences Vol. 4 (9), September, 2009 2) Iva TKALCEC, Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of a High Carbon Steel, http://biblion.epfl.ch/EPFL/theses/2004/3089/EPFL_TH3089.pdf, 3) Philip D. Rack, Iron-Carbon Phase Diagram (a review), http://web.utk.edu/~prack/MSE%20300/FeC.pdf , pp.3 pp.11 4) Dept. of Mechanical Engineering ,NUS , ME 2151-1 Cooling Rate Effect, http://serve.me.nus.edu.sg/labman/1112_sem3/ME2151-1.doc, 5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_steel 6) Donald R. Askeland , Pradeep P. Fulay and Wendelin J. Wright , The Science and Engineering of Materials, Sixth Edition, Cengage Learning , 2011, 7) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grain_boundary_strengthening 8) http://www.synl.ac.cn/org/non/zu1/knowledge/phase.pdf, pp.14 pp.508 pp.15 pp. 514-518,