Effect of Alloying Elements and Heat Treatment on the Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Medium Carbon High Manganese Steels

Mechanical properties and microstructures of medium carbon high manganese steels were investigated in terms of alloying elements such as Mn, C contents, and heat treatment condition. Austenite volume fraction was increased with increasing Mn content, leading to hardness decrease in the range of Mn content of above 10% after quenching and tempering. Such results are also supported by microstructural analysis and X-ray diffraction in that the increase in mangaese content results in the increase in austenite fraction. Studies on tempering condition indicated that not only hardness and tensile strength but also charpy impact values were reduced as tempering temperature were raised in the range of $250^{\circ}C$ to $600^{\circ}C$. It was also observed that fracture mode was changed from dimple to intergranular fracture. Such results are thought to be due to very fine carbide precipitation or impurity segreagation at grain boundaries as tempering temperature goes up. Heat treatment of Fe-5Mn-2Si-1Al-0.4C can be optimized by austenitizing at $850^{\circ}C$, air cooling and tempering at $250^{\circ}C$, resulting in 1950 MPa in Tensile strength, 17% in elongation and 23.3 $J/cm^2$ in charpy impact energy with high work hardening characteristics.

중탄소 고망간강의 합금원소와 열처리 조건이 미세조직과 기계적 특성에 미치는 영향