428 / Heat Treater’s Guide

E52100
Chemical Composition. AM: 0.98 to 1.10 C. 0.25 to O.-IS Mn. Characteristics. Because E52 100 has the same composition as 5 I IO
0.025 P max. 0.025 S max. 0.15 to 0.30 Si. I .30 to 1.60 Cr. UNS: 0.98 to escept for a modest Increase m chromtum. the characteristics and commer-
I.10 C. 0.15 to 0.X Mn. 0.015 P max. 0.025 S max. 0.70 to 0.30 Si. 1.30 coal applications are similar. The as-quenched hardnesses for the tmo steels
to I .60 Cr can be the same (62 to 66 HRCJ. depending mainly on section thickness.
Because of higher chromium content. the hardenability of ES2100 is
someLt hat higher. Sometimes an attempt is made to evaluate hardness by
Similar Steels (U.S. and/or Foreign). UNS GS2986: AMS 6-WO. the end-quench method. ES2100 is selected when greater section sizes and
6-W. 6U7; ASTM A27-l. A322. A331. A505. ASl9. A535. 44636: MU- the increased hardenability are needed
SPEC MlL-S-980. MJL-S-7120. hllL-S-Zl-t I; SAE J-IO-I. J-II’. 5770:
(Ger.) DIN 1.3505; (Fr.) AFNOR IOOC 6: (Ital.) UN1 lOOCr6: (U.K.) B.S. Forging. Heat to I IS0 “C (1100 “FJ maximum. Do not forge after
53-t A 99.535 A 99 temperature of ForSinS stoch drops below approxtmately 915 “C (I 695 “F)
 Alloy Steel / 429

Recommended Heat Treating Practice Tempering. After quenching. parts should be tempered as soon as they
have uniformly reached near ambient temperature, 38 to 50 “C (100 to I20
Normalizing. Heat to 885 “C (1625 “FL Cool in air In aerospace ‘FJ is ideal. Because of the high carbon content, parts must be tempered to
practice this alloy is nomtalized at 900 “C ( 1650 “F) at least 120 “C (250 “F) to convert the tetragonal martensite to cubic
martensite. Most commercial practice calls for tempering at 150 “C (300
Annealing. For a predominantly spheroidired structure which is gener-
“F). which does not reduce the as-quenched hardness to any significant
ally desired for machining as dell as heat treating. heat to 795 “C t l-160 “F).
amount. When a reduction in hardness from the asquenched value of
cool rapidly to 750 “C ( I380 “F). then cool to 675 “C ( 12-15 “Ft. at a rate
approsimately two points HRC can be tolerated, a tempering temperature
not to exceed 6 “C I IO “F) per h; or heat to 795 “C ( I460 “FL cool rapidly
of I75 “C (3-0 “F) is recommended. Sometimes subjected to higher
to 690 “C ( I275 “F). and hold for I6 h. Parts are annealed at 775 “C ( 1125
tempering temperatures. u ith an accompanying loss of hardness. In aero-
“F) for 20 min. cooled to 740 “C (I 365 “F) at a rate not to exceed IO “C (20
space practice. at least t\<o tempering operations are required. For hardness
“F) per h. and air cooled to ambient temperature
in the range of 58 to 65 HRC. parts are tempered at 170 to 230 “C (310 to
Hardening. iwstenitize at 845 “C (IS55 “Ft in a neutral salt bath or in a 450 “F)
gaseous atmosphere with a carbon potential of near I .OCr. and quench in
oil. Recommended Processing Sequence
In aerospace practice, this alloy is austenitized at S-15 “C (IS55 “Ft.
Ho\+ever. 815 “C (1500 “F) is pemissible for parts requiring distortion l Forge
control. Parts are hardened from the spheroidize annealed condition or l Normalize
normalized condition. Parts are quenched in oil or polymer. Immediately l Anneal (spheroidire)
after quenching, parts are refrigerated at -70 “C (-95 “F) or lomet-. held for l Machine. including rough grinding
I h minimum. then air barnled to room temperature. If parts have high l Xustenitize and quench
propensity for cracking during refrigeratton. a snap temper IS recom- l Temper
mended l Finish grind

E52100: Isothermal Transformation Diagram. Composition:

1.02 C, 0.36 Mn, 0.20 Ni. 1.41 Cr. Austenitized at 845 “C (1555
“F). Grain size: 9

E52100: Hardness vs Tempering Temperature. Represents an

average based on a fully quenched structure
430 / Heat Treater’s Guide

E52100: End-Quench Hardenability. Austenitized at 845 “C E52100: Continuous Cooling Curves. Composition: 1.06 C,
(1555 “F). Insufficient time to permit full carbide solubility in 0.33 Mn, 0.32 Si, 1.44 Cr. Austenitized at 845 “C (1555 “F). Grain
austenite size: 9. AC,, 780 “C (1440 “F); AC,, 755 “C (1390 “F). A: austenite,
F: ferrite, P: peartite, B: bainite, M: martensite. Source: Bethlehem
Steel

E52100: End-Quench Hardenability. 13 mm (0.5 in.) diam bar.

Composition: 1.02 C. 0.36 Mn, 0.20 Ni, 1.41 Cr. Austenitized at
845 “C (1555 “F). Grain size: 9 E52100: Influence of Agitation of Surface Hardness. Various
section thicknesses, martempered in hot salt

E52100: Hardness Distribution. Steel rings, 100 heats. Heated

E52100: Variation of Brine11 Hardness Measurements on An-
nealed Plain Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels. 52100 seamless
tubes were austenitized at 790 “C (1445 “F), rapid furnace cooled
to 750 “C (1380 “F), then cooled to 695 “C (1280 “F) at 6 “C (10
“F) per h, and air cooled
I
at 790 “C (1455 “F) for 3 h. cooled rapidly to 725 “C (1335 “F), then
cooled to 695 “C (1280 “F) at 8 “C (15 “F) per h, and air cooled.
Hardness measurements were made on rings located at extreme
positions in furnace load. Treatment resulted in spheroidized
structure. Composition: 0.90 to 1.05 C, 0.95 to 1.25 Mn, 0.50 to
0.70 Si, 0.90 to 1.15 Cr

I I
 Alloy Steel / 431

E52100: Austenitizing Temperature vs Grain Size and M,Temperature. (a) Grain size; (b) MS temperature

E52100: Microstructures. (a) 4% picral with 0.05% HCI, 1000x. Steel bar, 123.8 mm (4.875 in.) diam, heated to 770 “C (1420 “F) for 10 h,
held for 5 h, cooled to 650 “C (1200 “F) at 11 “C (20 “F) per h. furnace cooled to 28 “C (80 “F). Fine dispersion of spheroidal carbide in a
matrix of ferrite. Prior structure for(b) to (k). (b) 4% nital. 4% picral, mixed 1 to 1; 500x. See (a). Austenitized at 790 “C (1455 “F) for t/2 h. oil
quenched, tempered at 175 “C (345 “F) for 1 h. Black areas are bainite, gray areas tempered martensite, white dots are carbide particles
that did not dissolve during austenitizing. (c) 4% nital, 4% picral, mixed 1 to 1: 500x. See (a), austenitized l/2 h at 845 “C (1555 “F) and oil
quenched, then tempered same as (b). Tempered martensite and carbide particles (white) undissolved during austenitizing. Ghost lines are
because of inhomogeneous distribution of carbon and chromium. (d) 4% nital, 4% picral, mixed 1 to 1; 500x. See (a), austenitized at 855 “C
(1570 “F) for l/2 h, oil quenched, tempered at 260 “C (500 “F) for 1 h. Tempered martensite and undissolved carbide particles. Ghost lines
less prominent because of higher austenitizing and tempering temperatures. See (c). (e) 4?0 nital, 4% picral, mixed 1 to 1; 500x. See (a).
Austenitized at 845 “C (1550 “F) for % h, oil quenched, tempered at 400 “C (750 “F) for 1 h. Tempered martensite and a dispersion of carbide
particles not dissolved during austenitizing. Ghost lines have nearly disappeared. Compare with (c) and (d). (f) 4% nital. 4% picral, mixed 1
to 1; 500x. See (a). Austenitized at 925 “C (1695 “F) for l/2 h, oil quenched, tempered at 175 “C (345 “F) for 1 h. Mainly tempered martensite.
High austenitizing temperature resulted in some retained austenite (angular white areas) and a few carbide particles. Compare to (c) and
(e).

(continued)
432 / Heat Treater’s Guide

E52100: Microstructures (continued). (g) 4% nital. 4% picral, mixed 1 to 1; 1000x. Same specimen as (f) shown at higher magnification.
Dark areas are tempered martensite. Retained austenite (angular light gray areas) is well resolved. A few undissolved carbide particles re-
main from the original structure (a). (h) 4% nital, 4% picral, 1000x. See (a). Austenitized at 980 “C (1795 “F) for ‘12 h. oil quenched, tempered
at 175 “C (345 OF) for 1 h. Coarse plates (needles) of tempered martensite and retained austenite (white). Carbide particles are almost
wholly dissolved. (j) 4% nital, 4% picral, mixed 1 to 1; 500x. See (a). Austenitized at 855 “C (1570 “F) for ‘,‘2 h, quenched in a salt bath at 260
“C (500 “F), held for l/s h, air cooled to room temperature. Spheroidal carbide particles in lower bainite, some retained austenite. (k) 4% nital,
4% picral, mixed 1 to 1; 1000x. See (a). Austenitized at 955 “C (1750 “F) for 2 h, cooled slowly to 705 “C (1300 “F), oil quenched. Note dark
gray needles of martensite, carbide rejected to grain boundaries (light gray), bainite (black), and retained austenite (small light areas). (m)
4% nital, 500x. Steel rod austenitized at 900 “C (1650 “F) for20 min and slack quenched in oil to room temperature. Dark areas (etched) are
a mixture of fine pearlite and bainite. Light areas (almost unetched) are untempered martensite. (n) 4% nrtal. 10 000x. Steel rod, austenitized
at 1125 “C (2060 “F) for 15 min, oil quenched. Electron micrograph of a replica rotary-shadowed with chromium. Coarse, untempered
martensite. Note cracks in martensite platelets (upper left, upper right). (p) 4?h nital, 5000x. Steel rod, austenitized at 980 “C (1795 “F) for 1
h, quenched in a lead bath at 357 “C (675 “F), held for 2 h. air cooled. Electron micrograph of a replica rotary-shadowed with chromium.
Bainite, probably upper bainite. (q) 4% nital, 10 000x. Steel wrre, austenitized at 900 “C (1650 “F) for 30 set, quenched in a lead bath at 530
“C (990 “F), held for 30 set, air cooled. Electron micrograph of a replica rotary-shadowed with chromium. Lamellar pearlite and bainite. (r)
4% nital. 10 000x. Steel rod, austenitized at 1150 “C (2100 “F) for 3 min, quenched in a lead bath at 575 “C (1065 “F), held for 5 min, air
cooled. Electron micrograph of a replica static-shadowed with chromium. Fine lamellar pearlite.