J. Lan et al., Effect of rare earth metals on the microstructure and impact toughness of a cast 0.4C-5Cr-1.2Mo-1.0V steel, ISIJ INT, 40(12), 2000, pp. 1275-1282
Die-making technology directly produced by precise casting technology such
as investment and ceramic casting method was a promising technology due to
its lower manufacture cost and shorter period in comparison with traditiona
l die-making technology. However, the poor mechanical performance of cast m
aterials, especially low impact toughness, was a main obstacle to the appli
cation of cast dies and molds.
With a view to improve the impact toughness of CH13 steel (0.4C-5Cr-1.2Mo-1
V steel), which was ever used to cast dies for die casting dies, rare earth
was added into CH13 steel in our research. It was shown that the dendrite
microstructure in CH13 steel had been ameliorated and the segregation ratio
s of alloying elements were decreased greatly after the addition of rare ea
rth. Grain boundary carbides in MCH13 (CH13+rare earth) steel had also been
inhibited. The impact toughness of MCH13 steel had been improved considera
bly and the fractography of MCH13 displayed more plastic characteristic. Th
rough thermodynamics and two-dimensional lattice disregistry analysis, it w
as demonstrated that rare earth inclusions in MCH13 steel act as the hetero
geneous nuclei, weaken segregation of alloying elements and improve the imp
act toughness.