Effects of Ni content and tempering temperatures on microstructure and properties of medium-carbon cast steel

The microstructure evolution and properties of medium-carbon cast steel alloyed with different Ni contents after tempering at various temperatures have been investigated.The addition of 0.47-1.59 wt.%Ni content results in the formation of 16%-36% retained austenite(RA).The blocky and irregular-polygonal RA mainly forms along the prior austenite grain boundaries,and the tempering temperature does not affect the RA content.The hardness of medium-carbon cast steel is affected by the precipitation of carbides and the hardness of martensite.Excessive RA content is the main cause of intergranular impact rupture and low impact energy.The long-strip carbides formed after tempering at 320℃ would further reduce the impact energy of medium-carbon cast steel.When tempering at 220 and 380℃,the increase in impact energy is attributed to the formation of rod-like and spherical carbides and the low-carbon martensite.For the medium-carbon cast steel with high impact energy,its impact-abrasive wear resistance is more excellent.Micro-cutting and delamination are the primary wear mechanisms.