材料期刊网

The thermal stability of an ADI has been studied by isothermal aging at 350℃ for 150 hours, measuring the amount of retained austenite and its carbon content by X-ray diffractometry. The influence of different austempering treatments, carried out at temperatures between 300 and 450℃ (300, 330, 360, 410 and 450℃) and holding times between15 and 60 minutes (15, 30, 45, 60), was considered. Thermal stability depends on whether austempering temperature is higher or lower than the ageing one. Thermal stability increases by increasing austempering temperatures, from 300° to410℃. Samples treated at 410° and 450° show a lower austenite decomposition than samples at 300-330-360℃. A drop in stability is shown by increasing the austempering temperature from 410° to 450℃. The results have been interpreted on the basis of the austenite stability out of the processing window, which in turn depends on the austempering parameters.