An extensive experimental program was carried out on a commercial heat
of quenched and tempered vanadium alloyed steel in order to study the
mechanism of reheat cracking. Isothermal tensile tests were performed
on specimens with simulated heat affected zone. The main factors infl
uencing the measured reheat cracking susceptibility were the flow stre
ss, the grain size, the resistance of grain boundaries to sliding, and
the strain rate.