Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of As-cast 42CrMo Ring Blank During Hot Rolling and Subsequent Quenching and Tempering

The hot rolling of as-cast 42CrMo ring blank and its subsequent quenching and tempering were conducted based on the casting-rolling compound forming technique. The effects of feed rate and tempering temperature on the microstructure were studied by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties of the rolled rings were examined. The results show that when the feed rate of the idle roll increases, the degree of grain refinement becomes slightly smaller and the average grain size is approximately 44 μm through the whole thickness of the rolled ring. The microstructure is inhomogeneous near the center-layer and minimum spread region, which is characterized by a small amount of irregular and coarse grain. The strength and hardness of the hot-rolled rings are high, and the plasticity and toughness are relatively low. The depth and diameter of the dimples in the fracture of the ring fabricated with a low feed rate are larger than those of the ring fabricated with a high feed rate. The carbide particles cannot be observed in the rolled rings after the rings are quenched and tempered at 803 K, but the fine and dispersed particles are precipitated by tempering at 863 K. As a result, the mechanical properties are significantly improved and satisfy the technical demands after quenching and tempering. The fractures of both tensile and impact specimens are characterized by regular and fine dimples at a higher tempering temperature, which indicates that a dimple fracture and an excellent combination of strength, plasticity and toughness are obtained.