Study on the Mechanical Properties of Mo Series High Speed Tool Steel Austempered

Mo계 고속도 공구강의 오스템퍼렁에 따른 기계적 성질에 관한 연구

This study has been performed to find out the effect of austenitizing temperature, austempering temperature and its holding time, and tempering cycle on the mechanical properties such as impact resistance, hardness etc. of AISI $M_2$ Mo series high speed tool steel austempered or tempered after austempering treatment. The results obtained from the experiment are as follows ; (1) Optical micrograph has revealed that the transformation rate of bainite is delayed as the austenitizing temperature increases and that bainite is most apparently transformed at an austempering temperature of $290^{\circ}C$. (2) The amount of retained austenite during austempering has been analysed to be increased by the X-ray diffraction technique as the transformation product of bainite is increased. It has also been shown that the longer the holding time of austempering, the more the transformation quantity of bainite is formed, exhibiting, however, that the rate of bainitic transformation is considerably retarded after a certain period of holding time elapses. (3) Hardness measurement has shown that hardness values obtained after austempering increase with decreasing the amount of retained austenite. (4) The austempering and then tempering cycle has been formed to give hardness values which are more greatly improved as austenitizing temperature is increased. (5) The mechanical property of the specimen primary-tempered for 1 hour at $550^{\circ}C$ after austempering for 2 hours at $290^{\circ}C$ from the austenitizing temperature range of $1180^{\circ}C$ to $1210^{\circ}C$ have been estimated to be good values.