Q.P3.

15
Stabilization of retained austenite in the AISI D2 tool steel
Edward G. A. Rodriguez1, Freddy A. F. Grijalba1, Hélio Goldenstein2, Paula F. da Silva. Farina1
1
School of Mechanical Engineering – University of Campinas, 2University of São Paulo
ingedgio@gmail.com

Introduction
Steel tools are often submitted to a stress relief treatment, prior to cryogenic treatments, in order to avoid cracks due to thermal gradients. Such
process is also called aging, and can promote the stabilization of the retained austenite; it is suggested that such stabilization is due to the austenite enrichment
in carbon that comes out from the supersaturated martensite.
On the other hand, conventional characterization techniques such as DRX offer high reliability in results but are destructive. Magnetic Barkhausen
Noise (MBN) is presented as a tool for characterization of ferromagnetic materials and the effects of heat treatments.

Objectives
In the present work, the effect of the isothermal treatment at 130°C with different times in the cold working steel AISI D2 is studied. X-ray diffraction,
scanning electron microscopy and magnetic Barkhausen noise have been applied to evaluate the effect of isothermal treatment.

Methodology Results Conclusion

Start

MBN

Austenitization In the isothermal treatment of AISI D2 steel

1100°C
there is stabilization of retained austenite
Quenching in oil AC 0
caused by carbon partition from supersaturated
martensite to retained austenite. Such
MBN stabilization of retained austenite depends on
the volumetric fraction of austenite and
Isothermal treatment (0,10,30, 100, 300 martensite obtained after quenching.
min)

XRD MEV MBN MBN can be used in the characterization and

evaluation of AISI D2 steel and heat treatments
END Figure 4. SEM micrographs . that are applied to it, with pertinent results, as it
1.4
can identify phases such as martensite, retained
Figure 1. Flowchart of the experiments performed.



C ond. Inicial
austenite, ferrite and possibly precipitates. But it
Carbonetos



A0




1.2




A300 A 10
A 30
is still need another complementary technique
Data acquisition board 1.0

oscilloscope
A100
A 100
A 300
like DRX or MEV.
0.8
Intensity(u.a.)

A 30
M B N (V )

0.6

A10
0.4

A0 0.2
power source
0.0

30 40 50 60 70

2
80 90 100 110 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0.0

Current (A)
0.1 0.2 0.3 Bibliography
MBN Sensor Sample
Figure 5. AISI D2 sample diffractograms. Figure 6. Evolution of the MBN envelope from the AISI D2
steel with isothermal treatment.
Figure 2. MBN equipment used.
[1] Farina, Paula F.S.; Farina, Alexandre B.; Goldenstein, Hélio. Solid State Phenomena Vols.
172-174, pag. 511-516, 2011.
0.41 0.8 [2] Fantini, C. A. Efeito do tratamento de alívio de tensões no ciclo térmico de um aço matriz
aisi d2 contendo etapa criogênica. Campinas: [s.N.], 2019.
a)a)
[3] Franco, F. A. Et al. Relation between magnetic barkhausen noise and hardness for jominy
0.40 0.7
quench tests in sae 4140 and 6150 steels. J nondestruct eval, p. 93–103, mar. 2013.
peak am plitude (V )
retained austenite

[4] Kahrobaee, s.; Kashefi, m. Electromagnetic nondestructive evaluation of tempering

process in AISI D2 tool steel. Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials, p. 359-365, 2015.
0.39 0.6

0.38 0.5

b)
0.37 0.4

0.36 0.3
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Isothermal Treatment Time (min)

Figure 7. Comparison of retained Austenite (XRD) fraction behavior with

Peak Amplitude (MBN) parameter behavior during isothermal treatment. Acknowledgments
Figure 3. a) Schematic representation of sensor used . b)
Representation of sample arrangement and sensor.
This research was supported by School of Mechanical Engineering – University of Campinas