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Grossman Hardenability
Grossman Hardenability
.
DISCUSSION OF THIS PAPER IS IKVITED. Discussion in writing (a co ics) may be scnt to the Secrr-
tary. American Institute of Mining and Met?llurgical Engineers. 29 West 39th greet. Y ew York. S . Y. Unless
s ecial arrangement is made. discussion of this paper mll close July 15. 1942.Any discussion offered thereafter
sEould preferably be in the form of a new paper.
Copyright. 1942,by the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. Inc.
METALSTECHNOLOGY. June 1942.Printed in U. S. A.
1 HARDENABILITY CALCULATED FROM CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
low as 7 0 per cent. On the other hand, when bar of that steel that will just harden all
the amount of such elements is small (Cr under the way through (as judged by fracture or
0.30 per cent, Mo up to 0.25 per cent in the etch test) in the severest possible or ideal
absence of Cr, and V up to 0.04 per cent), the quench. This may be stated also in terms
charts provide reasonable approximations. of the Jominy test by using Fig. 27 for
The precise figures on the charts are
suggested as tentative, subject to some modifi- conversion.
cation as more data accumulate, but the funda- Suppose a steel has the chemical com-
mental concept appears to be supported by position shown in Table I, its as-quenched
tests made on a wide variety of steels, a few grain size being No. 7 (A.S.T.M.). The
of the correlations being shown in Fig. I.
TABLEI.-Example of Readingsfrom Charts
Sulphur.. ....
-
/
Carbon grain size 7 . . ........... 0.50
0.90
0.020
0 . 24
4.00
1.0s
the actual calculation of hardenabilit y by S~hcon.......
Nickel,. .....
this method is extremely simple. I t involves Chromlum...
Molybdenum.
merely reading a factor from a chart for Copper. .....
each chemical element present in the steel, Product. ...................... ( 2.40
and multiplying these factors together, the
product being the hardenability. The latter
factors shown in the last column of this
is expressed as "ideal critical diameter,"
table were read from the charts. Thus on
Dl, which has been defined6as the diameter
the carbon chart, Fig. 18, at 0.50 per cent
of bar that just hardens all the way through
carbon read up t o the line for grain size
in an ideal quench.
No. 7 and the value shown at the left is
By way of explanation and review, it
found t o be 0.24 in. On the manganese
may be said that " hardening all the way
chart, Fig. 14, the factor for 0.90 per cent
through" means that the bar appears
Mn is found to be 4.00. Similarly, for
fully hardened throughout when judged by
0.020 per cent P, the factor on the phos-
afracfureor etch test; the critical diameter is
phorus chart, Fig. 4, is found to be 1.05, and
just hardened through, so that any larger
in similar manner the factor is found for
size would show an "unhardened core" in a
each element present.
fracture or etch test. This means that the
These factors in the last column of the
critical diameter is just half-hardened at the
table are simply multiplied together, and
center (50 per cent martensite). The
the product is found to be 2.40. This means
"ideal" quench is a perfect quench, in
that the "ideal critical diameter" is
which the outside of the bar is instantly
2.40 in.; or, in other words, it is estimated
cooled to the temperature of the quenching
that a bar of that diameter of the stated
medium, a condition that is never quite
composition at the stated grain size will
attained in practice, it is true, but which is a
just harden all the way through (absence of
very useful reference point, as will presently
unhardened core) in an ideal (severest
be illustrated. To sum up, then, the calcula-
possible) quench.
tions in this paper will estimate the harden-
For the behavior in any actual quench, it
ability of a steel in terms of "ideal critical
is necessary, of course, to know at least
diameter, Dl" which is the diameter of a
approximately the severity of quench em-
References are at the end of the paper. ployed. Thus still water is known to have a
M. A. GROSSMANN 3
FIG. 2.-CHARTFOR ESTIMATING CRITICAL DIAMETER IN ANY ACTUAL QUENCH OF KNOWN SEVERITY
WHEN HARDENABILITY OF A STEEL I S KNOWN I N TERMS OF IDEAL CRITICAL DIAMETER Dl.
4 HARDENABILITY CALCULATED FROM CIIENICAL COhIPOSITION
quenching severity approximately II = 0.9 quantity was assigned for each element and
to H = 1.0, and Fig. 2 shows that the steel the sum total represented the value sought.
of Table I in such a water quench would The scheme of multiplying, however, has
just harden through in a bar of about been used in the computation of strength as
diameter. This is found in Fig. 2 a function of carbon and manganese con-
by reading the value 2.40 in. on the base tent. The present system is based on the
line of abscissas marked DI, reading straight concept that a pure iron-carbon alloy (a
up until it intersects the diagonal line for "pure steel," other elements entirely
severity of quench, which (at the upper absent) has a certain hardenability, and
right) is marked 1.0, and from the inter- that each additional element (Mn, Si, etc.)
section reading at the left the value 1.55 in. is represented by a multiplying factor by
Or a moderately agitated oil quench is which the base hardenability is multiplied.
known to have a severity about H = 0.4. The total hardenability of the steel would
In Fig. 2, again upon reading from the then be the product of all the factors, one
abscissa DI at the value 2.40, directly up- for each chemical element present in the
ward till it intersects the diagonal H = 0.40, steel, with a proper correction for grain
and reading from the intersection over to size.
the ordinate at the left, indicates a value I t may be mentioned that the clue to this
about 1.05 in., meaning that in such an behavior was obtained in two circum-
oil quench the steel of Table I would just stances: (I) In studying the effect of very
harden all the way through (absence of small additions of elements, it was striking
unhardened core) in a bar a little over an that the hardenability was increased more
inch in diameter. than would be expected from a mere addi-
A section at the end shows the relation tive effect, and ( 2 ) in studying the effect
of these data to the Jominy test, Fig. 28. of grain size, it had already been found6
In the present instance, the ideal critical that a change in grain size introduced a
diameter having been estimated as 2.40 in., multiplying factor for the hardenability.
consult Fig. 28 and find that this corre- The following discussion indicates how the
sponds to a "Jominy distance" of about factors for alloys were developed.
0.36 in. Therefore, when such a steel is
tested in a Jominy test, it would be half- Carbon
hardened at about 0.36 in.; or, in other The proposed system begins with the
words, the hardness will have dropped off to hardenability of pure iron-carbon alloys,
about 48 to 50 Rockwell C at about 0.36 in. then applies a multiplying factor for each
from the end of the Jominy bar. other element present. I n the development
of the data, however, pure iron-carbon
alloys were not available, so it was neces-
A number of formulas have been sug- sary to develop first the factors for the
gested in the past for expressing the effects elements commonly present in steel. The
of elements on the strength, hardness or development of the carbon data will be
hardenability of steel. Among the more found following the section on manganese.
recent ones are that by Hertyl for a hard-
ness factor, and those by Burns, Moore
and Archer2 and Burns and RiegelS for Coming, therefore, to the multiplying
hardenability. factors to be used for the different alloying
I n all prior proposals (as far as we are
aware), the effects of the different elements
elements, it will be recalled that the present
scheme involves the hypothesis that the
,
were considered to be a d d i t i v e t h a t is, a presence of a certain amount of chemical
M. A. GROSSMANN 5
(alloying) element multiplies the harden- hardenability would be 5 per cent greater
ability by a certain factor; as, for example, than if no phosphorus were present. In the
that the presence of 0.020 per cent P in experimental work on phosphor;s, the
any steel would introduce a multiplying effect of phosphorus was studied6in each of
factor of, say, 1.05, meaning that the two steels, adding phosphorus to successive
6 HARDENABILITY CALCULATED FROM CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ingots so that in each series the steels were This increase from 1.574 to 1.980 is an
identical except as to phosphorus content. increase of 26 per cent in the value of Dl,
The two steels had different hardenabilities, for a phosphorus addition of 0.100 per cent.
thus affording an opportunity to test the An increase of 26 per cent means, of course,
hypothesis of a "multiplying factor"; a multiplying factor of 1.26, which is the
that is, in the steel of greater hardenability, factor shown in Fig. 4 for a phosphorus
the numerical increase in DI due to phos- content of 0.100 per cent.
phorus should be greater. The compositions A question might well be raised as to how
of the two steels were as shown in Table 2. good the evidence is that the relationship is
1 &zxe1
TABLE2.-Steels for Stz~dyof Effect of Phosphorus
Composition. Per Cent
Ideal Diameter,
Dr
C ( M n I P S Si Ni Cr ( C u
From the quenching experiments, the a straight line as shown in Fig. 4. To this it
hardenabilities were deduced in terms of can only be replied that with the data at
ideal diameter, and the results are plotted hand a straight-line relationship expresses
in Fig. 3 as ideal diameter DI against phos- the factors as well as any other form of
phorus content. Two straight lines, one for curve that might be drawn, and the ac-
each steel, are drawn to represent the curacy of hardenability testing is not
increase in hardenability due to phos- sufficiently good to warrant drawing small
phorus. The slopes of these lines are such deviations that might be indicated. Fur-
that the increase due to phosphorus is the thermore, for manganese, to be described
same percentage in the high-hardenability later, the straight l i e drawn in that case
steel as in the low-hardenability steel, and has been tested and found valid for a large
the points are not too far from these number of heats at the extreme high end of
straight lines. Indeed, of the 10 points the range, indicating that even with such
plotted, the one farthest away from either large amounts of that element the straight-
of the lines is less than 2.5 per cent away line relationship is still valid. I t is true that
from the line in terms of Dl, which certainly
for silicon and some other elements a
is within the limits of expected experi-
mental error. Fig. 3 thus provided the curved line is indicated, in which the ele-
basis for Fig. 4, which shows the effect of ment becomes less effective as larger
phosphorus on hardenability in terms of a amounts are added, so that at large amounts
factor. For example, in Fig. 3 the extra- the curve lies below the straight-line
polated line at 0.0 per cent P shows a relationship, but the data indicate a
value DI = 1.574 and the same steel at straight-line relationship to be valid in
0.100 per cent P shows a value DI = 1.980. many cases.
M. A. GROSSMANN 7
the factor will always be some fraction less order of 2 per cent are used. The curve
than 1.00. shown in Fig. 8 is suggested as a probable
I t may be pointed out that the amount dose approximation, since it combines the
by which sulphur reduces the hardenability effects of the small amounts in Fig. 7 with
C ( M n P
Composition. Per Cent
I S S I Ni C C u
A~~~~~~
~~~i~ size
No. ~
I Ideal Diameter
Dr Corrected
t o No. 5
Grain Size
C M n I P I S I Si 1 N i Cr I C u
is less than would be the case if all of the the apparent lesser potency of the large
sulphur were combined with manganese. amounts shown in the table.
I n other words, this indicates that the
entire amount of sulphur is not present as TABLE5.-Effect of Silicon on
precipitated particles of MnS inclusions, Sillconzanga~~.ese
Steels
meaning by inference that some of it
Silicon Apparent
probably is present as FeS and some of it Steel Content. Hardenahhty
Per Cent Factor
possibly even dissolved.
Silicon Silicomanganese
A................ 1.88 1.7a
B ................ 1.90 1.72
Again following the same procedure, C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.76 1.43
D................ a.og 1.70
results for silicon were obtained6 from E................ 1.93 1.77
experimental ingots of the compositions
listed in Table 4. These data result in
Fig. 7 and thus indicate the effect of silicon Nickel
in amounts up to about 0.35 per cent. The steels with nickel additions in the
However, this element is sometimes present mold were tested as before, the composi-
in much larger amounts, notably in the tions of the ingots being as shown in Table 6.
silicomanganese steels, and a number of These data resulted in Fig. 9 and the factors
calculations were made on such steels. deduced from Fig. 9 are shown in Fig. 10.
The results are shown in Table 5, and The accurate data extend to only 0.24 per
indicate that silicon is proportionately cent Nil and an extrapolation is suggested
much less effective when amounts of the in Fig. 10 up to almost 2 per cent Ni. This
M. A. GROSSMANN 9
below 2 per cent suggest the possible approximation. I t appears, from what little
validity of the line indicated. Data at 3 per is known of this element, that copper is a
cent or more nickel are lacking. weak alloying element for hardenability,
I0 HARDENABILITY CALCULATED FROM CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
having an effect possibly rather similar to not be added together; the proper proce-
that of nickel. Since the copper content of dure is to use factors for the copper and the
heat-treating steels is usually small, pre- nickel separately.)
Chromium
Data for chromium were developed as for
the other elements, tests having bken made
on ingots of the compositions shown in .
M. A. GROSSMANN II
Table 7 . These data lead to Fig. 1 1 and the solved carbides ought to be calculated for
resulting factors lead to the lower left-hand their true lower carbon content (since less
portion of the relationship shown in Fig. 12. carbon is dissolved in the austenite), as well
C I Mn P 1 S I Si I Ni I Cr I Cu
DI Corrected
t o No. 5
Grain Size
For larger amounts of chromium how- as for their lessened chromium content,
ever, the situation becomes complicated but this differentiation was not applied in
because of a behavior not considered for the Fig. 12. I t is to be noted in Fig. 1 1 that the
other elements described so far; namely, the values up to 0.27 per cent Cr fall very close
effect of undissolved carbides. When car- to a straight line, meaning that amounts of
bides are not dissolved (and this is particu- chromium up to possibly 0.30 per cent are
larly likely to be true in steel of substantial completely dissolved and have their full
chromium content), the undissolved car- effect. With larger amounts one can make a
bides remove chromium from the austenite first approximation by assuming that at
and therefore from its hardenability effect, lower heat-treating temperatures the factor
and of course remove carbon from its effect is likely to be in the lower portion of the
as well. The crosshatched area shown in crosshatched area, while the use of higher
Fig. 1 2 has been drawn as a result of cal- and higher heat-treating temperatures will
culations on many chromium-bearing steels, cause the factor to approach the top of
heat-treated in some cases at a variety of the crosshatched region.
quenching temperatures. Clearly, those Undissolved carbides in substantial
heat-treated at the lower quenching tem- amounts, after hardening, are particularly
peratures will have a larger proportion of likely to be present in chrome-molybdenum
undissolved carbides, and the apparent and chrome-vanadium steels having as
hardenability factor for chromium will much chromium, molybdenum and vana-
therefore be less, whereas of course those dium as the S.A.E. 4100 and 6100 series.
heat-treated at higher temperatures will In the 4100 series, calculations of a number
show a larger apparent effect for chromium. of S.A.E. 4140 steels, after hardening from
Strictly speaking, such steels having undis- normal quenching temperatures, indicated
I2 HARDENABILITY CALCULATED FROM CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
about 50 to 65 per cent of full possible of these tests contained about 0.75 per cent
hardening: in other words, a fair approxi- Mn, and the amount of manganese that
mation for the probable hardening of 4140 could be introduced by mold addition was
steels at normal quenching temperatures of course rather limited. In this case the
was found by calculating for maximum total range before and after the mold
hardening, uslng Figs. 12 and 20, and then additions was only from 0.75 to 0.88 per
taking 50 to 65 per cent of this figure. cent Mn. Table gives the compositions.
When the amounts of chromium, molyb- I t is clear that it would be wholly unwar-
denum and vanadium are small, however, ranted to employ the change in harden-
the full effects are obtained as indicated in ability from 0.75 to 0.88 per cent Mn for an
Figs. 12, 2 0 and 22. extrapolation on the one hand down to
o per cent Mn, and on the other hand up to
2 per cent Mn. I t was, therefore, necessary
The evaluation of the manganese effect to use a slightly different approach.
presented some difficulties because of the Up to this point the effects of all of the
substantial amount present in all com- different elements present in plain carbon
mercial heat-treating steels. Thus the steels had been determined, including
grade of steel that had been selected for all "residuals," with the exception of carbon
TABLE8.-Steels for Study of Effect of Manganese
Composition. Per Cent Ideal Diameter
Averaqe DI Corrected
Grain Size to No. ,5
C Mn P S Si Ni Cr Cu Gram Size
------
0.61 0.75 0.021 0.021 0.18 0.04 0.06 0.03 4.9 I .46
0.61 0.79 0.021 0.021 0.18 0.04 0.06 0.03 4.9 1.56
0.61 0.83 0.021 0.021 0.18 0.04 0.06 0.03 4.9 1.63
0.61 0.88 0.021 0.021 o . 18 0.04 0.06 0.03 4.9 1.69
M. A. GROSSMANN I3
and manganese. (It was necessary to know obtained for the other elements, and it was
the effect'of manganese before the carbon thus possible to plot the estimated multi-
effect could be determined.) I t happened plying factors due to manganese for the
that the hardenabilities of a variety of above-mentioned steels ranging from 0.2 to
HARDENABILITY.
steels, ranging from 0 . 2 to 1.8 per cent Mn 1.8per cent Mn. This was done as shown in
were available, and these were used to Fig. 13. The points shown there exhibit a
estimate the manganese effect by the fol- rather consistent trend, even though
lowing scheme. These data on manganese the individual points show undue variation.
in the range 0.75 to 0.88 per cent were This variation is accounted for in part
employed to obtain an approximate figure by the fact that in some of the steels the
for the effect of manganese. This approxi- analysis was not entirely complete, data
mate figure, when employed in conjunction not being always completely available on
with the more precise determinations cited the "incidentals," and in part by the fact
above for the other elements, made it that the carbon effect was.only a rough ap-
possible to estimate approximately the proximation, as just explained. Neverthe-
effect of carbon, by the scheme indicated less, it seemed warranted to try the points
further. on, in the discussion of carbon. in Fig. 13, by drawing a line through the
These approximate figures for the carbon origin artd parallel to the trend shown. The
were used in conjunction with the figures resulting line, shown in Fig. 13, was
14 HARDENABILITY CALCULATED FROM CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
then tested as to its reliability. I t turned values were found to fall within a range plus
out to be reliable and is in fact the adopted or minus 10 per cent of the experimental
one shown in Fig. 14. I t has since been values; and, furthermore, even in these
FIG.13.-MULTIPLYING
FACTOR FOR MANGANESE, ESTIMATED FROM A VARIETY OF STEELS.
tested on many different steels. Thus on a high-manganese steels there were just as
series of 73 heats of T-1340 steel containing many calculated values above the expen-
from 1.5 to 2.0 per cent Mn, the calculated mental as there were below the expen-
M. A. GROSSMANN I5
mental, indicating that the departure was ing time), in the range IIIO" to 930°F., that
not due to the calculated manganese factor. would just cause the steel to harden fully.
Thus the assumption of a straight-line There is no convenient way of deducing
relationship, as indicated in Figs. 13 and 14, from these figures the size of bar that, in an
appears to be fully supported by experi- ideal (severest possible) quench, would be
mental data. Incidentally, this completed just half-hardened at the center. For the
the list of elements needed for the deter- latter, it would have been necessary to
mination of the carbon effect. know the "half-temperature time" (from
the quenching temperature halfway down
Carbon to that of the quenching medium), rather
As explained previously, we seek here to than the time from 1110" to 930°F., and to
learn the hardenability of pure iron-carbon know that time for half-hardening (50 per
alloys (other elements entirely absent). cent martensite) rather than full hardening
Data on "pure steels" were not available (97 to 99 per cent martensite). Had those
in terms of "ideal critical diameter" as data been given, it would have been possi-
needed here (and indeed the experimental ble to calculate the diameters by the use6
difficulties for such a measurement would of the formula.
be very great). Fortunately, however, two
separate sets of data could be combined to
indicate the probable values, and the where DI is the desired "ideal critical diam-
resulting chart for pure iron-carbon alloys eter," k is a known constant and t is the
has worked out very satisfactorily in half-temperature time.
practice. The two prior investigations were: b. Nevertheless Digges' data may be
Zfzvestigation I .-Hardenability tests were used to show rate of change of hardenability
made at the U. S. Bureau of Standards by with carbon content, even when applied to
Digges,4 on iron-carbon alloys of high puri- our own units. Digges' data indicate a
ty. Unfortunately for the present purpose, straight-line relationship between carbon
however, the ideal critical diameter could content and " hardenability '!, (if we use his
not be deduced directly from his data. index for hardenability-namely, the cool-
Digges' experiments involved very small ing time from 1110" to 930°F., which will
specimens ( x in. square by 0.040 in. thick) just provide full hardening). This relation-
cooled at several rates, and he determined ship is shown in one of Digges' charts,
the cooling rat'e at which each steel was reproduced as Fig. 15 herewith. Now we
just fully hardened (97 to 99 per cent may make two assumptions which seem
martensite). What we seek is the diameter reasonable, which will enable us to check
of bar that, when given an ideal quench, Fig. 15 against our own observations. We
will of course be fully hardened at the sur- may assume first that the time from 1110"
face but will be just half-hardened (50 per to 930°F. is a constant fraction of the
cent martensite) at the center. I t may be "half-temperature time" (this is not by any
well to point out: (a) why Digges' data do means always the case, but is probably true
not lead directly to the units in which we for Digges' very small specimens), and we
need to define hardenability here, and (b) may assume second that the time for full
how Digges' data nevertheless show rate of hardening is a constant fraction of the
change of hardenability with carbon con- time for half-hardening. If Digges' Fig. 15
tent, usable with our own units. is correct (and there are at present no
a. Digges' data do not lead directly to the theoretical indications to the contrary) and
data needed here. For a given carbon con- if the two assumptions are valid, there
tent, Digges gave the cooling rate (or cool- should be a "straight-line relationship"
I6 IIARDENABILITY CALCULATED PROM CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
between carbon content and half-tempera- But we have already concluded that a
ture time (for half-hardening). The bearing straight-line relationship exists between
of'lthis on our own data may be described as carbon content and (half-temperature)
6
F 0
h' 0120 0.40 0.60 0.80 /.00 L20
Per, Cent Cs~bon
FIG. 15.-TIME REQUIRED FOR IRON-CARBON ALLOYS TO COOL FROM I I I O O TO 930°F. WHEN
QUENCKED SPECIMENS
FROM,I~OO~F WERE INCH BY 0.040 INCH THICK. (Digges.)
data, which coruprisc. the other sourcc of reler again to thc lorn~ulrr
information, item 2. Dl2 = Kt
Investigatdo?i 2.-In our tests,6 different
amounts of carbon were added to successive If, as Digges indicated, there is a straight-
ingots jn an open-hearth heat, these suc- line relationship between carbon content
cessive ingots therefore being identical and cooling time, then, as previously men-
except as to carbon content. The analyses tioned, the formula indicates that there
were as shown in Table g. should likewise'be a straight-line relation-
Percentage of element.
Corresponding factor..
.... ..
.... .
I n order to ascertain the hardenability ship between carbon content and 01% (since
effect of the carbon alone, it was necessary D,2 is proportional to cooling time t). I n
first to find the effects of all the other ele- Fig. 17, carbon content is plotted against
ments; namely, Mn, P, S, Si, Ni, Cr and Cu Dl2 as taken from Table 11. The three
(other elements were absent). The deriva-
TABLEI I .-Effect of Carbon Alone
tion of these factors has been described.
The total hardenability of the steels (in
terms of DI) is then.divided by the factors
for all of these elements, leaving as a
Ideal
Per Cent Dl at No. 5
Divide by
Carbon. Diameter Factor for
Other
I Diameter
oY;:e I
quotient the derived values for carbon. Gram S ~ z e Elements
'
feature that seems to show that our data position of the lines having been calculated
accord with those of Digges: it is known from the earlier chart. Obviously then, the
that pure iron has practically negligible meaning of Fig. 16 is merely that if the
hardenability, and we find that a straight hardenability (in terms of DI) is known for
line can be drawn which begins at zero, and a steel at one grain size, its hardenability at
which is very dose to our experimental some other grain size can be read directly
points over the reasonably large range 0.41 from Fig. 16.As an example, a steel having
to 0.68 per cent carbon covered by our a hardenability of 0.75 in. at No. 10grain
tests. Also, measurements made on some size will be found to have a hardenability of
published curves taken with Digges' 1.03 in. at No. 6 grain size. The lines in
instrument,' and allowing for the differ- Fig. 18 for grain sizes other than No. 5
ence between full hardening and half- were calculated in this manner from the
hardening as judged from isothermal original line, which was for grain size No. 5.
transformation curves, give results of the I t is true that Fig. 16could be used for
same order of magnitude as those shown in the complete steels after taking all the
Fig. 17. Digges' work was also done on elements into account, but this would in-
materials having an austenite grain size volve making the complete calculation for a
approxin~atelyNo. 5. These several reasons steel at No. 5 grain size, and then correcting
thus indicate that the line drawn in Fig. 17 the completed steel for grain size according
is probably quite close to the correct value,to Fig. 16.I t thus provides a small short cut
and the line has been taken, therefore, as to read the carbon hardenability directly
the working basis for the present data, to corrected for grain size as shown in Fig. 18.
show the hardenability of pure iron-carbon Incidentally, it may be pointed out that the
alloys at grain size No. 5 . Reading a seriesaustenitic grain size should be judged as
of values of DlZfrom Fig. 17,and taking the closely as possible for accurate work. Thus,
square roots for the values of Dl, provides a designation 5 to 8 is not sufficiently close;
relationships between carbon and DI which the hardenability at grain size No. 5 is
are plotted:as the line in Fig. 18 marked about 28 per cent greater than at grain size
"Grain Size No. 5." No. 8, wheieas it has been shown in our
tests that if grain size is taken into account
Grai~tSize properly the results predicted will usually
The other lines in Fig. 18are judged from accord with experiment within about 10per
Fig. 16 as follows. Fig. 16,as mentioned, cent. I t is true that two different operators
shows the relationship between grain size examining grain size may not agree within
and ideal diameter DI, and was prepared closer than one grain-size number; and,
from another chart developed previo~sly.~ indeed, this variation could account for
I n the earlier work it had been shown that some of the discrepancies found in the
an increase of one grain-size number caused application of the present formula.
a certain percentage increase in Dl2, which
means that the relationship between Dlz
and grain size could be drawn as a series of The test for molybdenum was again
parallel straight lines on semilogarithmic carried out on a series of ingots from a single
coordinate paper. If this was true, then it heat, the compositions being as shown in
was clearly also true that the relation Table 12.The data are plotted as before in
between grain size and DI (not Dl2) could Fig. 19, leading to the chart shown in Fig.
likewise be drawn as a series of parallel 20.The highest amount tested in this series
straight p e s on semilogarithmic coordinate was 0.10per cent, and it is seen that Fig. 20
paper. The result is shown in Fig. 16, the extrapolates this line to 0.25 per cent. The
20 HARDENABILITY CALCULATED FROB1 CHEMICAL COBIPOSITION
the upper portion of this line. The line, in others having equal or greater amounts
however, may be taken as an approxima- of chromium and molybdenum. For dis-
tion, as it has also shown good correlation cussion of these steels, refer to the section
in a few tests on higher-molybdenum steels. on chromium.
I'ar,adiu~ir It is evident that vanadium in very small
The test results for vanadium are shown amounts is an extremely powerful element
in Table 13.Plotting this in terms of Dl vs. for hardenability, since 0.04 per cent V
vanadium content results in Fig. 21, lead- increased the hardenability by about 40
ing to the factors for vanadium content per cent. This compares, for example, with
shown in Fig. 22. about 0.18 per cent Cr or about 0.13 per
22 HARDENABILITY CALCULATED FROM CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
cent &lo for an equal increase in harden- I t i:quiteclear under these circumstances
ability of 40 per cent. The larger amount of that the hardenability of a steel containing
vanadium, for example 0.08 per cent, is seen a substantial amount of vanadium is
lo have a lesser effect than 0.04 per cent, affected profoundly by the temperature of
TABLE12.-Steel for Test with Molybdenum
Composition. Per Cent Ideal Diameter
Dl Corrected
P I S I Si I Ni I Cr Cu 1 Mo
owing undoubtedly to the formation of heating for the quench. At ordinary quench-
sluggish carbides, as these steels were ing temperatures, steels having substantial
hardened from 15ooOF. If the carbides are amounts of chromium and vanadium, such
taken into solution, however, by heating to as the S.A.E. 6100 series, are quite certain
a higher temperature for the quench, the to contain appreciable amounts of undis-
effectiveness of the vanadium is increased. solved carbides as quenched, so that they
For example, when the specimens were harden to a much less extent than the
quenched from 175oOF. the factor for maximum indicated by the charts. On the
0.083 per cent V was 1.52, as compared other hand, as with chromium, when only
I
with a factor of 1.32 when the quenching small amounts of vanadium are present the
temperature was 15oo~F. full hardenability effect of the vana- 4
M. A. GROSSMANN 23
dium is obtained at ordinary quenching tion from steel when added in small
temperatures. amounts. The test ingots with different
rninums were as shown. It was therefore slenclcr basis thc line shown in E'ig.24 was
concluded that the increase in hardenability drawn. I t is thus judged that aluminum is a
in those two steels was due to the effect powerful alleyingelement forhardenability,
FIG. ~~.-MULTIPLWNG
FACTOR FOR CALCULATION O F EFFECT OF BORON ON HARDENABILITY.
I t may be pointed out that the fine- column, the first two steels are $ractically
grained steels, made fine-grained by the identical in hardenabity when corrected
addition of aluminum, generally contain for grain size; and, furthermore, they
in the neighborhood of 0.025 per cent Al. accord almost precisely with the calculated
FIG. P~.-ASSEMBLY
O F MULTIPLYING FACTORS FOR A VARIETY OF E L E m N T S .
This small amount would increase the figure. The third steel; however, even when
hardenability by possibly only 5 per cent corrected for its finer grain size, has much
or so. Such a residual aluminum content is
brought about by the addition bf possibly TABLEr5.-Three Steels with Aluminum
y i lb. per ton, but if it were deemed advisa- d dditioizs
ble the hardenability could apparently be
increased, say 2 0 per cent, by adding pos- .,Total Average CA~tualDr Calculated DI
none
0.oooa
0.0004
0.0010
none
0.00065
0.00125
none
0.0015 1.496
none
0.005 1.40
none
0.0125 I . 286
factory. The data in Table 16 refer to Fig. 2 8 makes it possible to check results
percentages of boron added to the steel, obtained in a Jominy test against the
the percentage recovery being unknown. predictions of hardenability using the
The data for the first two heats, contain- present proposed charts.
ing extremely minute amounts of boron, are
plotted in Fig. 2 5 . This provided a probable
factor for the small amounts, and, together
with the factors for somewhat larger In estimating critical diameter, the point
amounts, as noted in Table 16, provided of interest is the size of bar in which the
the figures for the general chart of Fig. 26. structure is 50 per cent martensite at the
The reason for the drop in the curve with center, or the depth in a quenched bar at
the larger percentages is not yet known, which the structure is 50 per cent martens-
although there is some evidence that higher ite. Clearly the hardness at this point is
heat-treating temperatures produce an due in part to the martensite and in part to
increased effect, suggesting that the boron the nonmartensitic structure. When the
is at least in part possibly present as stable nonmartensitic portion is fine pearlite
carbides. The data in Figs. 2 5 and 26 refer (nodular troostite), as in the plain carbon
to a quenching temperature of I 5o0°F. steels, there is a quite regular relationship
between the carbon content of the steel
and the hardness of the 50 per cent martens-
For purposes of comparison, the graphs ite point, and this relationship is shown by
for most of the principal alloying elements the line at the lower boundary of the cross-
are assembled in Fig. 2 7 . hatched region in Fig. 2 9 . But as the
28 HARDENABILITY CALCULATED FROM CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
hardenability of the steel increases, the ideal diameter Dr. The size that just
character of the nonmartensitic portion hardens in any actual quench may be
changes (often to upper bainite or other predicted by the use of Fig. 2. In order to be
complex structures) and the hardness of able to use Fig. 2, it is of course necessary
TABLEI 7.-Severity of Quench
Oil Water Brine
TABLE18.-Typical Tests
Composition of Steels, Per Cent
Average Calculated Actual
Gram DI DI
Size
the 50 per cent martensite point is higher. to know the actual severity.of quench. If it
The crosshatched region in Fig. 29 indicates is not feasible to ascertain the severity of
the range that may be encountered. In quench experimentally, the figures in Table
attempts to apply the proposed harden- 17 may be used as a guide.
ability formula, it is desirable to know the I n the original article in which some of
hardness of the 50 per cent martensite the present quantitative data were re- I
point for the particular steel being investi- ported16 the severity of quench then esti-
gated, though i n most cases this can be mated appears now to have been too high.
judged readily from the point of inflection In calculating ideal diameter DI from the
in a hardness distribution curve. data there given, the figure adopted here
as representing severity of quench was in
SEVERITYOF QUENCH most cases H = 1.4, and was in no case
The ideal diameter DI denotes (as men- higher than H = 2.0.
tioned previously) the size of bar that just
hardens fully, without an unhardened core,
OF PREDICTIONS
RELIABILITY OF
in an ideal (severest possible) quench.
HARDENABILITY
Actual quenches in practice are less drastic
?
than the ideal quench, so that the size that The method proposed here for calcu-
will just harden fully is smaller than the lating hardenability has been checked 1
M. A. GROSSMANN 29