Simulation of Quenching Crack Generation in Low Alloy Cast Steel by Using Heat-treatment CAE Software

• Published in: Journal of the Society of Materials Engineering for Resources of Japan Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 8 - 12
• Main Authors: UCHIDA, Fujio, KAMADA, Ken-ichi, GOTO, Shoji, SHINDO, Ryoetsu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Society of Materials Engineering for Resources of JAPAN 01.06.2004
• Subjects: heat treatment; heat treatment CAE software; low alloy steel casting; quenching crack; water quenching
• ISSN: 0919-9853; 1884-6610; 1884-6610
• DOI: 10.5188/jsmerj.17.8

In order to understand the quenching crack phenomenon in cast steel, a disk shaped low alloy cast steel specimen having a opening was quenched in water at 1123K. The behavior of a quench crack was investigated by microstructure observation and analyzed by the Heat treatment CAE software. The results obtained are as follows. (1) The quench cracking easily occured as the volume of specimen increased. The mass effect for quenching crack was significant. (2) The quench cracking was due to time lag in martensitic transformation at surface side and inner side of the quenched specimen, but not due to the thermal stress in the specimen. (3) The behavior of a quenching crack was able to be predicted by the Heat treatment CAE software. (4) Therefore, the Heat treatment CAE software is useful for a counterplan preventing the quenching crack.