Evaluation of Deep Criogenic Treatment at Microabrasive Wear of Aisi D2 Steel

Abstract

Wear resistance of tool steels can be increased with deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) application. Mechanisms related to DCT are still not completely understood. Microabrasive wear resistance of cryogenically treated samples of AISI D2 steel was evaluated in terms of austenitization temperature at heat treatment cycle and quenching steps related to DCT. X-ray difractometry, scanning and optical microscopy and quantitative evaluation of carbides with image analysis were carried out aiming material characterization. For samples subjected to higher austenitization temperatures, the DCT treatment does not increase abrasive wear resistance. For samples treated at lower austenitization temperature, the DCT treatment results on 44% increase at abrasive resistance. This effect is correlated to the increase of the amount of fine carbides distributed at samples matrices cryogenically treated.