Quantification and Identification of the Carbides in Tool Steel AISI/SAE M2

ABSTRACT

The mechanical properties of tools made with high speed steel are closely linked to the characteristics of carbides dispersed in the microstructure of these materials. In this work the effect of commercial cycle heat treatment of austenitization and tempering on samples of steel AISI / SAE M2 produced by conventional metal, powder metallurgy and spray formed. To carry out this study were developed methods for the selective extraction of the MC and M6C carbides, where M equals: vanadium, chromium, iron, molybdenum and tungsten, using techniques of chemical and electrolytic dissolution. These methods allow for the quantification by mass difference the M6C and MC carbides. The selective extraction showed the existence of an MC-type carbide with composition has not yet reported in the literature. The crystallographic parameters of carbide were determined using the method of Rietveld. The crystal structure was refined from data obtained by X-ray diffraction, using energy near the edge of absorption of the metal of the carbides, through the use of synchrotron radiation light. The results obtained by Rietveld method allowed to determine the space group F m -3 m for this material, and that the cell parameter and composition are related to the microstructure and the carbon content of the material before the cycle of heat treatment. But indicating a strong convergence to a common composition. All the results showed that the commercial heat treatment cycle, used in this work, leads to significant increase in the fraction of carbides when compared with the conventional heat treatment cycle described in the literature. The fraction of carbides MC is the type most significant increase, that's the type M6C carbide, as a result of changes in the composition of carbide-type MC.

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