Enhancing wear resistance of TiN-coated 1.3343 high-speed steel punches through deep cryogenic treatment and tempering
摘要
In this study, samples obtained from 1.3343 high-speed steel punches with TiN coatings were tested. The samples were subjected to heat treatment at different cryogenic temperatures (<196 °C) and durations (12, 24 and 36 h), followed by tempering at two different temperatures (200, 500 °C). For performance testing, a ball-on-disk wear test setup was utilized and a total of 6 groups of samples were examined. The effects of cryo-treatment and tempering on microstructure were revealed through microstructural analysis with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray (XRD diffraction), and Rietveld analysis. Additionally, the hardness of the punches was measured with microhardness measurements. The optimal wear resistance was observed in the 36 h deep cryo-treated and 200 °C tempered samples. The characterization study indicates that by cryogenic treatment a significant portion of the retained austenite transformed into martensite and secondary carbides formed, resulting in improved wear resistance and a slight increase in hardness.