EFFECT OF TEMPERING HEAT ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND HARDNESS OF NITROGEN-CONTAINING MARTENSITE STAINLESS STEEL

Vũ Đình Toại; Trần Thị Xuân

doi:10.34238/tnu-jst.12844

EFFECT OF TEMPERING HEAT ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND HARDNESS OF NITROGEN-CONTAINING MARTENSITE STAINLESS STEEL

About this article

Received: 20/05/25 Revised: 06/11/25 Published: 07/11/25

Authors

1. Vu Dinh Toai, School of Mechanical Engineering - Hanoi University of Science and Technology
2. Tran Thi Xuan , School of Materials Science and Engineering - Hanoi University of Science and Technology

Abstract

The tempering process has a great influence on the structure and mechanical properties of steel. In this study, 12CrMn1 martensite stainless steel sample with several amounts of nitrogen (0.03 and 0.05% wt.) were tempered at different temperatures. The hardness and microstructure of the steel after tempering were measured and analyzed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The distribution of Cr, C, and N elements was analyzed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) integrated with the SEM. The results showed that the hardness of the steel after tempering increased as the tempering temperature increased from 300 °C to 400 °C reaching its highest value at 400 °C, and then decreased sharply when tempering at 600 °C. The structure of the steel after tempering was composed mainly of carbonitride and carbide phases. These phases exhibited agglomeration and coarsening when the tempering temperature increased to 600 °C. The results have verified that, the addition of nitrogen contents into 12CrMn1 martensite stainless steel affects the hardening phase and creates a second hardness when tempering the steel.

Keywords

Heat treatment; Stainless steel; Carbonitride; Carbide; Hardness

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34238/tnu-jst.12844

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