Influence of Heat Treatment Process on Microstructure and Properties of NM600 Wear-resistant Steel Plate
Heat treatment processes can be divided into three categories: quenching and tempering, normalizing, and annealing. Quenching and tempering processes are used to improve the strength of the steel by increasing the hardness of its surface. The process involves heating the steel at a critical temperature and then quenching it rapidly in a bath of oil or water. This process increases the hardness of the steel by forming martensitic or bainitic microstructure, which has high strength and wear resistance. Normalizing basically involves heating the steel to a temperature above the austenitizing temperature followed by cooling in air. The process increases the strength of the steel by eliminating the stresses in the microstructure. Annealing involves heating the steel to a temperature above the austenitizing temperature followed by a cooling process which is slower than the cooling process used in normalizing. This process increases the toughness of the steel by forming a homogenous microstructure.
Heat treatment processes affect the properties of NM600 wear-resistant steel in different ways. Quenching and tempering increases the strength, hardness and wear resistance of the steel. Normalizing increases the strength and toughness of the steel, while annealing increases its toughness. The microstructural transformations resulting from these treatments significantly influence the properties of the steel. With quenching and tempering, a martensitic or bainitic microstructure is formed, which has high strength and wear resistance. Normalizing results in a microstructure of austenite, which is harder and more resistant to wear than the microstructure formed after annealing.
The microstructure of NM600 wear-resistant steel plate is also affected by its heat treatment processes. After quenching and tempering, the steel plate has a microstructure of a combination of martensite and carbides, which has a grain size of 10-20 μm. After normalizing, a homogenous grain size of 5-10 μm is achieved, while after annealing, the grain size increases to 20-50 μm. The microstructure of the steel affects its mechanical properties such as hardness, strength and wear resistance.
In conclusion, the heat treatment process has a significant influence on the properties of the NM600 wear-resistant steel plate. Quenching and tempering processes can increase the strength, hardness and wear resistance of the steel. Normalizing improves the strength and toughness of the steel and annealing increases its toughness. Heat treatment also modifies the microstructure of the steel, which affects its properties. Therefore, proper heat treatment is important to obtain the best performance of NM600 wear-resistant steel plate.
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