Improvement of Low Mechanical Properties of Low Carbon Steel Based on Laterite Due to Heat Treatment

Laterite steelSteels, derived from the purification and casting of nickel pig iron, is potential a candidate for alternative source for steelSteels production. The research on the lateritic steelSteels mainly focused on the reduction process. On the other hand, the works dedicated to investigating the mechanical properties of laterite steelSteels are limited and preliminary. This study focuses on investigating the impactImpact of heat treatment on the mechanical properties and microstructure of low carbonCarbon steelSteels based on laterite steelSteels. The process involves heating the steelSteels to austenization temperatures of 800, 900, and 1000 °C for 90 min, followed by cooling using air, oil, or water as cooling media. Subsequently, the steelSteels is reheated at tempering temperatures of 100, 200, and 300 °C for 15 min. Results indicate that the austenization temperature, cooling media, and tempering temperature significantly influence the mechanical properties and microstructure of laterite steelSteels. At an austenization temperature of 900 °C, the steelSteels cooled with air without tempering exhibits a tensile strength (σUTS) of 470 MPa and yield strength of 456 MPa. Similarly, at an austenization temperature of 1000 °C, the steelSteels cooled with water without tempering achieves a hardnessHardness value of 126.58 HRB.