| Effects of the Mo and W additions to Si-Cr spring steels on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties in spring steels were investigated. It was found that the Mo and/or W addition does not change the behavior of tempered carbide at low temperatures, such as the precipitation of ε-carbide and the conversion of ε-carbide to cementite, via dilatometry tests and the observation of microstructure using TEM. However, it would reduce the coarsening rate of cementite at high temperatures above 450℃, resulting in the smaller size of cementite particles due to the lower diffusion rate. Since the sag resistance depends on the distribution and the size of precipitates, steel C(0.2% W) showed the strongest sag resistance whereas steel A showed the weakest sag resistance, when tempered at 450℃. Also, an abundance of precipitates at 350℃ tempering exhibits the maximum loop area, i.e., the sag resistance for all the tested steels. The Mo and W additions to Si-Cr spring steels raised the ratio of loop area/tensile strength. Therefore, the Mo and W additions would be effective method to increase the sag resistance as well as strength in Si-Cr spring steels. |
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