Influence of austempering temperature on carbide free bainite development, a critical review

Abstract

In this review paper, it is well established that high carbon high silicon steels on austempering result in carbide free bainite (CFB) which exhibits enhanced mechanical and tribological properties without adding any heavy alloying elements. Most of the research has been pointed out regarding the improvement of CFB steels that consists of the fine structure of bainitic ferrite laths and retained austenite (RA). In some cases, it was observed that the tensile strength of CFB steels was found similar to the commercial quenched and tempered steel alloys. Regarding other properties, it is estimated that out of the various failures that take place due to wear, 50% are caused by abrasive wear. To improve the lifetime of components, the selection of material and optimized processing techniques plays a pivotal role.