Transformation Plasticity in Carbonitrided PM-Steels: Quantification of Plasticity Effects in Dependence of the Part Density*

Abstract To optimize heat treatment processes of case hardened components, heat treatment simulations are used to predict surface layer conditions. Only a precise knowledge and modelling of the transformation processes allows a trustworthy prediction of the hardness and residual stresses in the surface zone. The transformation plasticity mechanism plays an essential role in the heat treatment process and its correct simulation has a significant influence on the resulting calculated residual stress profiles and component distortion. Without considering transformation plasticity, simulative residual stresses are significantly overestimated [1]. In this work, powder metallurgical components are pressed and sintered and subsequently carbonitrided for a dilatometric investigation to characterize the correlation between transformation plasticity effect and the density. The results show a dependence of the austenite-martensite volume change that led to a significant difference of 0.5 Vol-%. A model describing the martensite volume change with respect to density is proposed. This also affects the description of the transformation plasticity constants (K) between K = 5 – 6 × 10–5 MPa–1 in dependence of density. With currently available data, the effect of chemical composition and density cannot be separated and quantified and further studies are therefore necessary to allow such a refinement.