Abstract
In this study, we investigate the effects of austempering heat treatment on the processing window and mechanical properties in cast and hot-rolled Fe-0.7 C-2.3 Si-0.3 Mn steel. Each specimens were austenitised at $900^{\circ}C$ for 7 min, and austempered at $260^{\circ}C,\;320^{\circ}C$, and $380^{\circ}C$ for the various periods of time from 2 min to 240 min. After heat treatment, the evaluation of stage I and stage II as performed by optical metallography, XRD, hardness test. Both cast and hot rolled specimens had similar processing window. So grain size effect is not important to the austempered high carbon high silicon cast steel. When the austempering temperature was $260^{\circ}C$, the microstructure consisted of the lower ausferrite while the upper ausferrite structure was formed at $380^{\circ}C$. As the austempering temperature increases from 260 to $380^{\circ}C$, the strength and hardness decreased, elongaton and volume fraction of austenite increased. In addition, there was no change of mechanical properties between cast and hot-rolled specimens.
