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(1) Objective
(2) Introduction
Hardenability is an ability of an alloy to harden with the formation of martensite
when treated with quenching. Hardenability also determines the depth and the hardness
distribution that can be achieved by quenching. Hardenability is not only hardness (the
ability of a material to withstand plastic deformation such as indention, abrasion and
more), but it is a qualitative measurement of the rate at which force decreased with
distance from the surface to the interior of specimens with a reduction in martensite.
The differences of the hardness between the core and the surface can be explained
with the steel’s continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram. If the cooling curve
doesn’t cut the diagram, so the overall hardness will be produced.
The Jominy end-quench test measures the hardenability of steel which is the ability of the
steel to partially or to completely transform from austenite to martensite when cooled
from high temperature. This test also measures the effects of microstructure, such as
grain size, and alloying on the hardenability of steels. The main alloying elements that
affect hardenability are carbon. Carbon controls the hardness of the martensite. The
increasing carbon content increases the hardness of steels. Carbon also increases the
hardenability of steels by retarding the formation of pearlite and ferrite. Slowing down
this reaction encourages the formation of martensite at slower cooling rates.
(3) Apparatus
(a) A steel cylinder specimen 0.3% C with 10 mm diameter and 100mm length. (Jominy)
(b) Furnace
Figure 2 : A furnace
(c) Quenching apparatus
(4) Procedure
(e) Water was flowed constantly to the end of specimen for 30 minutes.
(f) As soon the specimen cooled, the specimen was filed to remove decarburised material
and to obtain smooth surface. This is important because it would affect the reading of
hardness test value.
(g) Using the Rockwell Hardness Tester, reading of each hardenability test is measured at
intervals from the quenched end started at 3mm until 51mm. The interval is typically
3mm.
(5) Observation
(a) While the specimen quickly removed from the furnace, the specimen was in an
extremely red-hot state. Thus, extra care and safety is needed for the handling of the
specimen from the furnace to the quenching machine.
(b) In the quenching process, the specimen’s quenched end was sprayed with water, there
was a scrap of carbon layer removed from the surface of the specimen.
(c) Filing is essential to remove decarburized material and to obtain smooth surface.
Thus, it is difficult to tell whether the decarburized material is fully removed or not.
So, we should file the specimen until we get at least 3mm width.
(6) Results
(a) Reading was taken and recorded in the table below.
(b) Graph of Vicker Hardness Number (HV) versus distance from the specimen’s
quenched end was plotted.
The HV can be obtained using the Hardness Conversion Table, but there are cases where
the value of Rockwell Hardness Number (HRC) obtained is different from the table. Thus
to obtain accurate Vicker Hardness Number (HV), interpolation was used.
Interpolation Equation:
x 2−x 1
y 2= y 1 +( y 3− y 1)( )
x 3−x 1
(7) Discussion
(a) Give explanation about obtained graph including experimental error (if exist).
As the graph was plotted, it is fluctuated and not as expected. There are some
decreases from 6 mm until 51 mm from the end of the specimen’s quenched end. The
graph also stated that the highest Vicker Hardness Number is 491.0 which at 3mm from
the specimen’s quenched end.
Graph plotation affected by other factors such as error and temperature. The
common and most affecting error is by human error. The Rockwell Hardness Tester is a
sensitive machine that requires smooth surface to obtain excellent result. Thus, uneven
filing does not remove decarburized material and caused unsmooth surface of the
specimen. As the filing is done by human effort, the result may be different depends on
the filing.
Furthermore, there are also other factors such as temperature. Temperature plays
the important role and for this experiment, the furnace’s temperature must be set up to
850⁰C. If the temperature is set lower than 850⁰C to heat the furnace, the specimen would
not became red-hot and the steel sample is not normalized to eliminate differences in
microstructure not austenitized thus, affecting its hardenability. But if it is higher than
850⁰C, the specimen might melt and the quenching will take a longer time and the graph
plotted will be different.
Other error affecting this experiment is time error. If the heating process is not set
to 30 minutes, the specimen way not me normalized and austinitized fully. For the
quenching process which is not quenched accurately to 30 minutes, this also may cause
the specimen to not fully cooled and it is not completely transform from austenite to
martensite to reach its required hardness.
(c) Predict the graph form if the specimen used has two times the size of diameter from
the current specimen. Explain why.
If the specimens have two times size of diameter from the current specimen, the
graph form would not be perfect. The curve position might be lower than from the graph
we obtained before. The sizes also play a role as well. The larger the sizes the more effort
to done this process. The surface’s microstructure of the specimen will take a lower time
to transform to martensite than the core of the specimen so that the core will have a
bainitic structure with some martensite. So the specimen’s surface will be harder than the
core. There would be modification needed in timing, cooling agent or the temperature so
we could obtain the excellent graph and the hardness needed.
(8) Conclusion
Last but not least, we can conclude that lower parts of the quenched end of specimen
gives the higher Vicker Hardness Number. Thus the nearer the distance of the specimen’s
part to water sprays the higher the cooling rate. There are also factors affecting the hardness
including time, size (diameter), cooling agent (medium), cooling rate and temperature. Errors
in this factors should be avoided if able.
Data from the Jominy end-quench test can be used to determine whether particular steel
can be sufficiently hardened in different quenching media, for different section diameters.
For example, the cooling rate at a distance of 10mm from the quenched end of a specimen is
equivalent to the cooling rate at the center of an oil-quenched 28mm diameter of a specimen.
Full transformation to martensite in the Jominy specimen at this position indicates that a
28mm diameter specimen can be through hardened, that is hardened through its full
thickness. Slow quenching speeds often are selected to reduce distortion and residual stress in
components
A high hardenability is required for through hardening of large components. This data
can be presented using CCT diagrams (continuous cooling transformation), which are used to
select steels to suit the component size and quenching media.
Quenching is one of the methods to refine microstructure of steel so the properties would
be repaired. It does depend on the industrial needs and the uses as well. Quenching helps in
increasing the rate of hardenability of steel and contributes a lot to industrial development
and technologies these days.
Also to remind us, extra care and precautions should been taken as the process of this
experiment was not easy and dangerous.
(9) References