EFFECTS OF VARIOUS QUENCHING MEDIA ON THE MECHANICAL

PROPERTIES OF INTERCRITICALLY ANNEALED 0.15W t%C –

0.43Wt%Mn STEEL

P. O. Offor, C.C. Daniel, D. O. N. Obikwelu

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
peterjoyoffor@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
Effects of various quenching media on the mechanical properties of intercritically annealed
0.15wt%C – 0.43wt%Mn were studied. Prequenching of a hot rolled low carbon steel was
previously done from 900 o C (within the full austenitic range) using SAE 4 0 engine oil as
quenchant. Sets of steel samples made from the previously quenched steel samples were
intercritically heat treated from 750 o C to 810 o C at intervals of 10 o C for 1 hr in a laboratory
muffle furnace and quenched in SAE 40 engine oil, water and brine quenchants respectively.
The effects of quenching media used and the intercritical annealing temperatures on tensile,
hardness, ductility and notch impact toughness properties are disc ussed. The quenching media
increased the strength and hardness properties but decreased the ductility and notch impact
properties of the original hot-rolled steel. Steel quenched in brine had the highest strength
(708.02N/mm 2 at 810  C) and hardness values (233 BHN at 810  C) followed by those quenched
in water (666.73 N/mm 2 at 810  C and 226 BHN at 810  C respectively) while those quenched in
oil had the least values (618.56 N/mm 2 at 810  C and 215 BHN at 810  C respectively). Steel
quenched in oil had highest d uctility and notch impact toughness values (24.07% at 750  C and
22.8 J/cm 2 at 750  C respectively), followed by those quenched in water (20.33% at 750  C and
18.14 J/cm 2 at 750  C respectively) while those quenched in brine had the least values (16.49%
at 750  C and 13.96 J/cm 2 at 750  C respectively). Higher intercritical annealing temperatures
gave higher strength and hardness values (from 445.94 N/mm 2 at 750  C to 708 N/mm 2 at
810  C and from 165 BHN at 750  C to 233BHN at 810  C respectively), but lower ductility and
notch impact toughness values (from 10.71% at 810  C to 16.49% at 750  C and from 7.38J/cm 2
at 810  C to 13.96J/cm 2 at 750  C).

Keywords: intercritical, mechanical properties, temperature, quenching media.

Symbol notation:
σ y = yield strength, σ t = tensile strength, = ductility, H = Hardness, BHN = Brinnel hardness
number, a n = notch impact toughness.

1.0 INTRODUCTION content, quenched and tempered microalloyed

Applications of steels for engineering steel exhibit good combination of strength
components require a complete understanding and toughness [1-6].
of material properties and design Traditionally, quenched and tempered
requirements. Through the last few decades a steel sheets are employed in automotive
category of steels known as high strength industry in the areas of structural members,
steels have undergone constant research [ 1, power transmission and impact resistance
2]. As a result, quenched and tempered systems. With the advent of dual – phase (DP)
microalloyed steels are most likely candidate heat treatment, the possibility of introducing
materials for the next generation of high – dual – phase treated sheets is becoming
strength steel sheets. For a given alloy attractive proposition in those areas. Dual –

76
 EFFECTS OF VARIOUS QUENCHING MEDIA ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF … 77

phase microalloyed steel consists of the mechanical properties of prequenched

martensitic islands in a ductile ferrite matrix 0.15wt% C - 0.43wt%Mn steel.
[1, 7, 8]. Their potential as superior strength
and formability substitutes for current 3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS
automotive steels was recognized and has
provided an incentive for their rapid 3.1 Materials
development and acceptance in this role [9]. The experimental material was a prequenched
It is necessary for an engineer engaged in low carbon steel rod with a diameter of
testing work to have a general understanding 16mm. The chemical composition ( wt %) and
of the common methods of testing properties the Critical temperatures of the steel materials
of the metals. Mechanical properties are the are shown in table 1.
most important requirements of the metals
from the engineering point of view in Table 1. The chemical composition ( wt %) of
selecting them for design purposes. the steel used, with its critical temperatures
Mechanical properties and microstructures of (calculated)
metals describe their behaviour under C Mn Si Cr Ti P AC1 AC3
mechanical and physical usage [10 – 13]. The 0.15 0.43 0.37 0.17 0.02 0.001 732 839
required mechanical properties can be altered
by method of manufacturing process and heat The mechanical properties of the steel in its
treatment [14]. original state and after prequenching from
900 o C are shown in table 2.
2.0 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the present work were to
investigate the effects of quenching media
and intercritical annealing temperatures on

Table 2. The mechanical properties of the steel in its original state and after prequenching from
900 o C
Mechanical properties σy σt H an
- N/mm2 N/mm2 % BHN J/cm2
Original 242.13 426.28 36.58 141 72.64
After prequench - 570.00 13.56 225 24.32

3 . 2 M et h o d s q u e n c h a n t . T h r e e q u e n c h a n t s we r e u s e d
Test samples we r e p r e p ar e d fr o m S AE 4 0 e n g i n e o i l, wa t e r a n d b r i n e . T h e
previously prequenched heat -treated c r i ti c a l t e mp e r a t u r e s A C 1 a n d A C 3 , wh i c h
s t e e l , g r o u p e d i n t o s e t s a n d c l e ar l y d e fi n e t h e fe r r it e + a u s t e n i t e r e g i o n , we r e
marked. The prequenched heat -treated c a l c u l a t e d u s i n g e m p ir i c a l e q u a t i o n s
s t e e l wa s p r o d u c e d b y h e a t i n g t h e developed by A n d r e ws [15, 16].
original as hot-rolled 16mm diameter P r o p e rt i e s i n v e s t i g a t e d we r e t h e yi e l d
s t e e l ro d s t o 9 0 0  C i n a l a b o r a to r y a n d t e n s i l e s t r e n g t h s , n o t c h i mp a c t
m u f fl e f u r n a c e a n d q u e n c h e d t o r o o m toughness and hardness properties. A 10
t e mp e r a t u r e i n S A E 4 0 e n g i n e o i l . E a c h t o n u n i v e r s a l t e s t i n g m a c h i n e wa s u s e d
s e t o f s t e e l s a mp l e s wa s i n t e r c r i t i c a l l y fo r t e n s i l e t e s t i n g , C h a rp y i mp a c t t e s t i n g
heat treated from 750C to 810C at m a c h i n e fo r n o t c h i m p a c t t o u g h n e s s
intervals of 10C for 1 hour in a testing and the Brin nel hardness method
laboratory muffle furnace and quenched fo r h a r d n e s s t e s t i n g .
t o r o o m t e m p e r a t u r e i n a p r e p a r ed

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78 P. O. OFFOR, C.C. DANIEL, D. O. N. OBIKWELU

4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS The results of the various measurements

are tabulated in tables 2 , 3 and 4.

Table 3. Mechanical properties of sets of steel samples quenched in oil, water and brine after intercritical
annealing heat treatment
T σy oil σy water σy brine σt oil σt water σt brine δ oil % δ water % δ brine %
N/mm2 N/mm2 N/mm2 N/mm2 N/mm2 N/mm2
750C - - - 410.74 438.17 445.94 24.07 20.33 16.49
760C - - - 435.79 461.32 470.01 23.82 19.88 15.25
770C - - - 466.83 500.04 512.31 22.48 18.28 14.69
780C - - - 502.16 533.59 555.08 21.4 17.13 13.74
790C - - - 535.91 580.72 610.49 20.64 16.98 12.08
800C - - - 568.2 613.61 647.88 19.76 15.37 11.87
810C - - - 618.56 666.73 708.02 18.04 14.22 10.71

Table 4. Mechanical properties of sets of steel samples quenched in oil, water and brine after intercritical
annealing heat treatment.
T H oil H H an oil an water an brine
BHN water brine J/cm2 J/cm2 J/cm2
BHN BHN
750C 150 157 165 23.41 18.14 13.96
760C 160 165 174 22.81 17.85 12.04
770C 170 175 183 21.43 16.33 11.36
780C 180 185 198 20.76 14.36 9.75
790C 190 200 210 19.16 13.14 9.09
800C 204 215 222 17.23 11.67 8.47
810C 215 226 233 16.33 10.04 7.38

σt oil
σt water
σt brine

Figure 1. Strength and ductility – temperature relationships of sets

of steel samples quenched in oil, water and brine.

Tables 2, 3 and 4 show that quenching in increased the tensile strength and hardness
different media eliminated the yielding point, properties but decreased the ductility and

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 EFFECTS OF VARIOUS QUENCHING MEDIA ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF … 79

notch impact toughness properties of the steel samples quenched in oil had the highest
original hot-rolled steel sample. ductility values (24.07% at 750C) followed
Figure (1) shows the strength and by those quenched in water (20.33% at
ductility – temperature relationship of the 750C) while those quenched in brine had the
three groups of steel samples intercritically least ductility values (16.49% at 750C).
heat treated from 750C to 810C at intervals Generally, higher intercritical annealing
of 10C quenched in oil, water and brine. temperature gave higher strength (from
Table (3) and figure (1) clearly show that 445.94 N/mm 2 at 750C to 708.02N/mm 2 at
intercritical annealing temperatures and the 810C) but lower ductility values (from
quenching media had significant effect on the 10.71% at 810C to 16.49% at 750C). The
strength and ductility properties. Sets of steel mechanical properties improvement especially
samples quenched in brine had the highest strength is (in compliance with Hall – Petch
strength values (708.02 N/mm 2 at 810C) equation [13]) a function of the grain size of
followed by those quenched in water the transient phase (austenite), which depends
(666.73N/mm 2 at 810C) while those on the heating and transforming rate and a
quenched in oil had the least strength values function of the quality of the final structure,
(618.56N/mm 2 at 810C). Reversely, sets of which depends on the cooling rate [17].

an oil
an water
an brine

Figure 2. Hardness and notch impact toughnesss – temperature relationships of sets of steel samples
quenched in oil, water and brine.

Figure (2) shows the hardness and notch properties. Sets of steel samples quenched in
impact toughness temperature relationship s of brine had the highest hardness values (233
the three groups of steel samples BHN at 810C) followed by those quenched
intercritically heat treated from 750C to in water (226 BHN at 810C) while those
810C at intervals of 10C and quenched quenched in oil had the least hardness values
appropriately in oil, water and brine. Table (215 BHN at 810C). Reversely, sets of steel
(4) and figure (2) clearly show that samples quenched in oil had the highest notch
intercritical annealing temperatures and the impact toughness values (23.41 J/cm 2 at
quenching media had significant effect on the 750C) followed by those quenched in water,
hardness and notch impact toughness (18.14 J/cm 2 at 750C) while those quenched

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80 P. O. OFFOR, C.C. DANIEL, D. O. N. OBIKWELU

in brine had the least notch impact toughness hardness values but lower ductility and
values (13.96 J/cm 2 at 750 o C). A close notch impact toughness values.
observation showed that higher intercritical
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