bainitic heat treatment of 1045
bainitic heat treatment of 1045
(OP)
Hello,
in our manufacturing process we use 19mm high by 3mm thick heat treated 1045 steel cutting knifes. These knifes have been harden to 36-38 HRc using bainitic hardening process. Recently we'd received a material batch where one side of the knife measured 35 HRc and the other 28 HRc, but when we had cross sectional micro hardness test done, we did not see this large gradient. In fact the hardness barely changed from one side to the other. What could be causing this discrepancy between the two tests and why would the surface hardness for such a thin material be so different.
Thanks
Pete
in our manufacturing process we use 19mm high by 3mm thick heat treated 1045 steel cutting knifes. These knifes have been harden to 36-38 HRc using bainitic hardening process. Recently we'd received a material batch where one side of the knife measured 35 HRc and the other 28 HRc, but when we had cross sectional micro hardness test done, we did not see this large gradient. In fact the hardness barely changed from one side to the other. What could be causing this discrepancy between the two tests and why would the surface hardness for such a thin material be so different.
Thanks
Pete





RE: bainitic heat treatment of 1045
Further than this, you would have to do some metallography to compare the surface with the core, but you have already done this. A frequent cause of low surface hardness is decarburization, which you would have spotted by metallography.
RE: bainitic heat treatment of 1045
RE: bainitic heat treatment of 1045