Charpy notch toughness and hardness of reheated martensite and lower bainite

• Published in: Metalurgija
• Main Authors: F. Vodopivec, B. Šuštaršič, J. Vojvodič-Tuma, G. Kosec
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Croatian Society for Materials Protection 2010-07-01
• Subjects: HSLA steel; martensite; lower bainite; reheating; Charpy notch toughness; hardness
• Online Access: http://public.carnet.hr/metalurg/Metalurgija/2010_vol_49/No_3/MET_49_3_149_154_Vodopivec.pdf

A high strength low alloyed (HSLA) V-Nb steel was heat treated to martensite and lower bainite with different grain size, reheated for 3 seconds at 750 °C and air cooled. Charpy notch tests were performed from -100 °C to 60 °C and the hardness assessed at room temperature. For as delivered steel and lower bainite, the upper shelf toughness was above 200 J and the transition temperature low, while, for martensite the upper shelf toughness threshold was aproximateky at 0 °C. After reheating, notch toughness was decreased moderatly for martensite and strongly for lower bainite. Independently on grain size, lower bainite was more propensive than martensite to embritlement after short reheating in the (α + β) range. For martensite, the change of notch toughness was not related to change of hardness, as by lower hardness lower, also toughness was lower.