Enhanced Friction and Wear Performance of 297A-Hybridsteel Carburized Layer through Pre-tempering Optimization

This study mainly adopts the vacuum carburization heat treatment process, which researches the precipitation behaviour of carbides in the carburized layer and its influence on the friction and wear performance of the carburized layer after pre-tempering. In the research, 297A-Hybridsteel was previously vacuum-carburized and then treated with quenching-tempering (QT) and pre-tempering-quenching-tempering (PQT) treatments. The results show that the pre-tempering treatment significantly improves the precipitation morphology and distribution of carbides in the carburized layer compared to direct quenching. This treatment effectively prevents carbide coarsening and promotes the precipitation of VC carbides. The finely distributed (Cr, Fe)₇C₃ and VC carbides provide effective support to the carburized layer, reduce abrasive force, distribute load uniformly, and minimize micro-cutting impact. In summary, the wear resistance of the carburized layer can be significantly improved by the dispersion distribution of fine (Cr, Fe)₇C₃ carbides and VC carbides during the friction and wear process.