Effect of cryogenic treatment on the microstructure and wear behavior of a T-42 tool steel

The cryogenic treatment process is carried out at sub-zero temperatures down to -184 degrees C to modify the microstructure and properties of the material. This process is an extension of heat treatment which further improves the properties of the material. This publication focuses on the effect of cryogenic treatment on high speed steel (HSS) T-42 tool material. In this research, cryogenic treatment at -184 degrees C is conducted and the properties of the material compared with them of untreated material. As the temperature is decreased, microstructure of material is refined and a higher number of carbide precipitates appeared on the surface after the treatment. The microstructural changes result in improvement of properties of HSS, (T-42) tool material. Pin-on-disc wear test is conducted on untreated (UT) HSS and cryogenic treated (CT) HSS specimens. It is observed that the average wear rate of UT-HSS and CT-HSS samples is 6.8 x 10(-8) mm(3)/Nm and 4.1 x 10(-8) mm(3)/Nm, respectively. The average wear rate has been improved by 39.71 % for CT-HSS compared to UT-HSS tool material.