One-Step Quenching and Partitioning Heat Treatment of Medium Carbon Low Alloy Steel

This paper presents the results of novel one-step quenching and partitioning (Q&P) heat treatment conducted on medium carbon low alloy steel sheet. Samples were austenitised at 1193 K followed by interrupted quenching at 473 K for different partitioning times and finally they were quenched in water. Dilatometry was employed for selection of treatment temperatures. Optical and scanning electron microscopy was carried out to examine the microstructural changes. Volume fraction of retained austenite was measured by x-ray diffraction technique. Resulting microstructures were correlated with the mechanical properties such hardness, tensile strength, elongation, impact absorbed energy, etc. The notch tensile and fracture toughness properties of Q&P steels are still lacking therefore notch tensile strength and plain strain fracture toughness tests were conducted and results are reported here. Results of Q&P treatments were also compared with the properties obtained by conventional Quenching and Tempering (Q&T) and normalizing treatments. Optimum strength-ductility balance of about 2000 MPa tensile strength with 11% elongation was achieved in samples quenched at 473 K and isothermally partitioned for 100 s. Higher ductility of Q&P steel was attributed to the presence of 6.8% film-type interlath retained austenite. Fine-grained martensitic structure with high density of interphase boundaries imparted ultrahigh strength. It was further noted that the impact toughness, notch tensile strength and fracture toughness of 1000 s partitioned samples was higher than 100 s partitioned samples. Possible reasons for high toughness are synergetic effect of recovery of dislocations, partial loss of martensite tetragonality and precipitation of fine transition carbides.