Effect of High-Temperature Heating on Chemical Changes in M₇C₃ Carbides of AISI D2 Tool Steel

Abstract

The paper presents the study results obtained on 16H12MF/NC11LV/D2 tool steel. The main purpose of the study was to establish the chemical composition of the coarse primary M 7 C 3 carbides occurring in that steel after a standard soft annealing. The effect of high-temperature annealing in the air atmosphere was investigated. The study was limited to the decarburized layer, on the distance of about 0.4 mm from the surface, of hardened steel after annealing and austenitizing at 1150 ºC in the air atmosphere for the periods of 30 and 90 minutes. It was found that the coarse primary M 7 C 3 carbides of the annealed D2 tool steel differ significantly as to the contents of Cr, Mo, and V, and in the most degree to the contents of chromium and molybdenum. The average concentration of chromium rises successively with the growth of austenitizing time. On the other hand, the concentrations of molybdenum and vanadium are lower after 30 minutes of austenitizing than their concentrations in the similar carbides of the annealed steel. Prolongation of the austenitizing time up to 90 minutes results in the increase of molybdenum and vanadium contents in the coarse carbides. It was found that austenitizing of AISI D2 tool steel at the temperature of 1150 ºC in the air atmosphere leads to precipitation of the second phase, brighter in the BSE_Z pictures, in relation to the matrix of carbides, with the amount and magnitude being higher with the annealing time.