Microstructural evolution in 4340 steel after Quenching and tempering

A. J. Clarke; D. R. Coughlin; M. K. Miller; R. D. Field; K. D. Clarke; K. A. Powers; P. J. Gibbs; P. A. Papin; V. K. Judge; D. T. Pierce; D. J. Alexander; E. De Moor; J. G. Speer; G. Krauss

Microstructural evolution in 4340 steel after Quenching and tempering

A. J. Clarke, D. R. Coughlin, M. K. Miller, R. D. Field, K. D. Clarke, K. A. Powers, P. J. Gibbs, P. A. Papin, V. K. Judge, D. T. Pierce, D. J. Alexander, E. De Moor, J. G. Speer, G. Krauss

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Quenching and tempering (Q&T) of medium carbon (C) low-alloyed steel martensite produces a wide range of useful mechanical property combinations. Although martensite in steels has been studied extensively over the last century, opportunity still exists to further understand the subtle microstructural changes (e.g., C redistribution, transition carbide and/or cementite formation, and retained austenite decomposition) that occur during tempering with advanced characterization techniques. The location and distribution of C and other alloying elements and the microstructural changes that occur in 4340 steel after Q&T from 100 to 575 °C were characterized with atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). C supersaturation in the martensite was relieved by the formation of η transition carbides after tempering below 325 °C, and APT revealed C-containing features with a variety of carbon levels. Apart from instances of M₂₃C₆ carbide that likely remained undissolved during austenitizing and quenching, no unambiguous alloy element partitioning between C-containing features and the matrix was observed as a result of Q&T below 325 °C. After tempering above 325 °C, cementite formed. Silicon (Si) was clearly rejected from the cementite, and higher temperature tempering yielded additional alloy element partitioning.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015
Editors	Long-Qing Chen, Matthias Militzer, Gianluigi Botton, James Howe, Chadwick Sinclair, Hatem Zurob
Publisher	International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015
Pages	1107-1114
Number of pages	8
ISBN (Electronic)	9780692437360
State	Published - 2015
Externally published	Yes
Event	International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015, PTM 2015 - Whistler, Canada Duration: Jun 28 2015 → Jul 3 2015

Publication series

Name	PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015

Conference

Conference	International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015, PTM 2015
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Whistler
Period	06/28/15 → 07/3/15

Funding

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Innovative Manufacturing Initiative of the Office of Advanced Manufacturing (Award No. DE-EE0005765). AJC, DRC, RDF, KDC, PJG, PAP, VKJ, and DJA gratefully acknowledge support from Los Alamos National Laboratory, operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC52-06NA25396 for the U.S. Department of Energy. DTP, EDM, JGS, and GK gratefully acknowledge the support from the sponsors of the Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center (ASPPRC), an industry/university cooperative research center. Atom probe tomography research (MKM and KAP) was supported through a user project supported by ORNL's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), which is sponsored by the Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy.

Funders	Funder number
Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center
ORNL's
Office of Basic Energy Sciences
Scientific User Facilities Division
U.S. Department of Energy Innovative Manufacturing Initiative of the Office of Advanced Manufacturing	DE-EE0005765
U.S. Department of Energy
Diabetes Research Center
Los Alamos National Laboratory	DE-AC52-06NA25396

Keywords

Martensite
Quenching and tempering (Q&T)
Steel

Cite this

Clarke, A. J., Coughlin, D. R., Miller, M. K., Field, R. D., Clarke, K. D., Powers, K. A., Gibbs, P. J., Papin, P. A., Judge, V. K., Pierce, D. T., Alexander, D. J., De Moor, E., Speer, J. G., & Krauss, G. (2015). Microstructural evolution in 4340 steel after Quenching and tempering. In L.-Q. Chen, M. Militzer, G. Botton, J. Howe, C. Sinclair, & H. Zurob (Eds.), PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015 (pp. 1107-1114). (PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015). International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015.

Clarke, A. J. ; Coughlin, D. R. ; Miller, M. K. et al. / Microstructural evolution in 4340 steel after Quenching and tempering. PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015. editor / Long-Qing Chen ; Matthias Militzer ; Gianluigi Botton ; James Howe ; Chadwick Sinclair ; Hatem Zurob. International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015, 2015. pp. 1107-1114 (PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015).

@inproceedings{5cb9032855424784a47678372e81a6db,

title = "Microstructural evolution in 4340 steel after Quenching and tempering",

abstract = "Quenching and tempering (Q&T) of medium carbon (C) low-alloyed steel martensite produces a wide range of useful mechanical property combinations. Although martensite in steels has been studied extensively over the last century, opportunity still exists to further understand the subtle microstructural changes (e.g., C redistribution, transition carbide and/or cementite formation, and retained austenite decomposition) that occur during tempering with advanced characterization techniques. The location and distribution of C and other alloying elements and the microstructural changes that occur in 4340 steel after Q&T from 100 to 575 °C were characterized with atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). C supersaturation in the martensite was relieved by the formation of η transition carbides after tempering below 325 °C, and APT revealed C-containing features with a variety of carbon levels. Apart from instances of M23C6 carbide that likely remained undissolved during austenitizing and quenching, no unambiguous alloy element partitioning between C-containing features and the matrix was observed as a result of Q&T below 325 °C. After tempering above 325 °C, cementite formed. Silicon (Si) was clearly rejected from the cementite, and higher temperature tempering yielded additional alloy element partitioning.",

keywords = "Martensite, Quenching and tempering (Q&T), Steel",

author = "Clarke, {A. J.} and Coughlin, {D. R.} and Miller, {M. K.} and Field, {R. D.} and Clarke, {K. D.} and Powers, {K. A.} and Gibbs, {P. J.} and Papin, {P. A.} and Judge, {V. K.} and Pierce, {D. T.} and Alexander, {D. J.} and {De Moor}, E. and Speer, {J. G.} and G. Krauss",

year = "2015",

language = "English",

series = "PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015",

publisher = "International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015",

pages = "1107--1114",

editor = "Long-Qing Chen and Matthias Militzer and Gianluigi Botton and James Howe and Chadwick Sinclair and Hatem Zurob",

booktitle = "PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015",

note = "International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015, PTM 2015 ; Conference date: 28-06-2015 Through 03-07-2015",

}

Clarke, AJ, Coughlin, DR, Miller, MK, Field, RD, Clarke, KD, Powers, KA, Gibbs, PJ, Papin, PA, Judge, VK, Pierce, DT, Alexander, DJ, De Moor, E, Speer, JG & Krauss, G 2015, Microstructural evolution in 4340 steel after Quenching and tempering. in L-Q Chen, M Militzer, G Botton, J Howe, C Sinclair & H Zurob (eds), PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015. PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015, International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015, pp. 1107-1114, International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015, PTM 2015, Whistler, Canada, 06/28/15.

Microstructural evolution in 4340 steel after Quenching and tempering. / Clarke, A. J.; Coughlin, D. R.; Miller, M. K. et al.
PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015. ed. / Long-Qing Chen; Matthias Militzer; Gianluigi Botton; James Howe; Chadwick Sinclair; Hatem Zurob. International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015, 2015. p. 1107-1114 (PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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AU - Clarke, A. J.

AU - Coughlin, D. R.

AU - Miller, M. K.

AU - Field, R. D.

AU - Clarke, K. D.

AU - Powers, K. A.

AU - Gibbs, P. J.

AU - Papin, P. A.

AU - Judge, V. K.

AU - Pierce, D. T.

AU - Alexander, D. J.

AU - De Moor, E.

AU - Speer, J. G.

AU - Krauss, G.

PY - 2015

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N2 - Quenching and tempering (Q&T) of medium carbon (C) low-alloyed steel martensite produces a wide range of useful mechanical property combinations. Although martensite in steels has been studied extensively over the last century, opportunity still exists to further understand the subtle microstructural changes (e.g., C redistribution, transition carbide and/or cementite formation, and retained austenite decomposition) that occur during tempering with advanced characterization techniques. The location and distribution of C and other alloying elements and the microstructural changes that occur in 4340 steel after Q&T from 100 to 575 °C were characterized with atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). C supersaturation in the martensite was relieved by the formation of η transition carbides after tempering below 325 °C, and APT revealed C-containing features with a variety of carbon levels. Apart from instances of M23C6 carbide that likely remained undissolved during austenitizing and quenching, no unambiguous alloy element partitioning between C-containing features and the matrix was observed as a result of Q&T below 325 °C. After tempering above 325 °C, cementite formed. Silicon (Si) was clearly rejected from the cementite, and higher temperature tempering yielded additional alloy element partitioning.

AB - Quenching and tempering (Q&T) of medium carbon (C) low-alloyed steel martensite produces a wide range of useful mechanical property combinations. Although martensite in steels has been studied extensively over the last century, opportunity still exists to further understand the subtle microstructural changes (e.g., C redistribution, transition carbide and/or cementite formation, and retained austenite decomposition) that occur during tempering with advanced characterization techniques. The location and distribution of C and other alloying elements and the microstructural changes that occur in 4340 steel after Q&T from 100 to 575 °C were characterized with atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). C supersaturation in the martensite was relieved by the formation of η transition carbides after tempering below 325 °C, and APT revealed C-containing features with a variety of carbon levels. Apart from instances of M23C6 carbide that likely remained undissolved during austenitizing and quenching, no unambiguous alloy element partitioning between C-containing features and the matrix was observed as a result of Q&T below 325 °C. After tempering above 325 °C, cementite formed. Silicon (Si) was clearly rejected from the cementite, and higher temperature tempering yielded additional alloy element partitioning.

KW - Martensite

KW - Quenching and tempering (Q&T)

KW - Steel

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M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:84962654969

T3 - PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015

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BT - PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015

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PB - International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015

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ER -

Clarke AJ, Coughlin DR, Miller MK, Field RD, Clarke KD, Powers KA et al. Microstructural evolution in 4340 steel after Quenching and tempering. In Chen LQ, Militzer M, Botton G, Howe J, Sinclair C, Zurob H, editors, PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015. International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015. 2015. p. 1107-1114. (PTM 2015 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid-Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 2015).

Microstructural evolution in 4340 steel after Quenching and tempering

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