Authors:
Amir Hadian (Empa, Switzerland),
Mir Mohammad Reza Hosseini Nia (University of Tehran, Iran),
Mahdiar Salimi (Politecnico di Milano, Italy),
Ali Mohammad Hadian (University of Tehran, Iran),
Frank Clemens (Empa, Switzerland)
Abstract:
In this work, the effect of post-heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of M2 high-speed steel (HSS) bonded NbC cemented carbides was studied. Heat treatment cycles consisting of austenitizing and tempering steps were performed under inert atmosphere on as-sintered NbC-M2 HSS specimens. While Vickers hardness remained almost stable, the fracture resistance could be improved compared to untreated cemented carbides. An optimal combination of hardness and fracture resistance was achieved by double tempering at 600 °C. Based on microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscope (SEM), the transformation of retained austenite to martensite and martensite to tempered martensite within the M2 HSS metallic binder during multiple tempering process were found to be responsible for improved fracture resistance toughness of NbC-M2 HSS cemented carbides.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59499/WP225372088