Materials Transactions, Vol. 54, No. 1 (2013) pp.

56 to 60

2012 The Japan Institute of Metals

Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Austempering

CrMo (SCM 435) Alloy Steel
Cheng-Yi Chen, Fei-Yi Hung+, Truan-Sheng Lui and Li-Hui Chen
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 701, R. O. China
SCM435 is a CrMo alloy steel and it is usually used to make the matrix of tempered-martensite by oil bath method, but it has some
problems about reliability in the thin plate specimens. This research used the austempering heat treatment on the SCM435 thin plate specimen
with a type of double loop and obtained the CrMo bainite structure, and then we could further investigate the mechanical properties of SCM435
bainite materials. Experimental data showed that the stability of the mechanical properties of the specimen with austempering temperature 830C
for 25 min was better than that of 15 min. The size of the austenite grains affected the strength of thin plate bainite specimen. After austempering
at 830C for 25 min and salt bath at 290C, the stability of the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was better than that of the salt bath specimens at
310 and 330C. The average hardness of all the specimens was more than HRA70. The specimen with austempering at 830C for 25 min and
salt bath at 290C for 30 min had bigger grain size of the austenite and retained phase of 11.4 vol%. It also had higher hardness and strength.
So, the austempering SCM435 alloy was improved for tensile strength comparing with traditional oil tempered-martensite process.
[doi:10.2320/matertrans.M2012317]
(Received September 11, 2012; Accepted October 25, 2012; Published December 25, 2012)
Keywords: SCM435, alloy steel, austempering, mechanical properties

1.

Introduction

The SCM435 is a CrMo steel with high strength and high

hardness properties, and it has been widely used in the
machine parts, shafts, gears and strength screw products.13)
However, this material often has lower reliability due to the
inequality of brittleness in the high-temperature tempering
and quenching. The austempering heat treatment can obtain
the uniform bainite structure to improve the brittleness
of tempering, and the austempering heat treatment is a
continuous process that it also has the efciency and
uniformity. For the thin plate specimens, the mechanical
properties of bainite structure are better than the traditional
martempering structure.
In this study, the SCM435 sheet was made into the double
loop-type thin plate specimens by punch-shear process to
highlight the stress concentration to study the effects of
the brittleness.3,4) The bainite structure has the excellent
mechanical properties3,5,6) and it can reduce the brittleness
effect of the thin plate specimen (improve the strength and
ductility) by controlling the different phases of matrix
(the retained austenite content). According to the reference,7)
the characteristics of austempering SCM435 still not have
been studied and the salt meet the environmental demands.
Therefore, this research controlled the heat treatment
conditions to obtain the different bainite structures of
SCM435 alloy, and then investigated the tensile strength
and hardness to obtain the application data of SCM435
alloy.
2.

Experimental Procedure

The chemical composition of SCM435 is given in Table 1,

the carbon content is 0.37 mass% and contains the other
alloying elements such as Si, Cr, Mn. This research uses
+

Corresponding author, E-mail: fyhung@mail.ncku.edu.tw

Table 1

The chemical composition of the SCM435 (mass%).

Mn

Si

Al

Cr

Mo

Fe

0.37

0.80

0.26

0.010

0.004

0.008

0.83

0.15

Bal.

Fig. 1

The conguration of the thin plate double loop specimen.

the double loop-type thin plate specimen (t = 0.78 mm) to

highlight the brittle effects of SCM435 alloy by punch-shear
process. Figure 1 shows the geometric dimensions of the
specimen. The heat treatment conditions of the specimen was
830C (vacuum) holding 15 and 25 min for austenitisation,
and then made it in the salt bath furnace immediately for
tempering. The salt bath conditions were placed on each
constant temperature of 290, 310 and 330C for 30, 60
and 120 min, then quench in the water. Each austempering
condition was called xC-y m by the salt bath condition,
such as 290C-30 m.
The characteristics of each austempered specimens are
determined quantitatively by SEM (Hitachi SU8000) and
image analyzer. The structure phases were identied by XRD
(Bruker AXS Gmbh, Karlsruhe, Germany). The hardness
measurement (HRA) and the tensile properties (tensile rate:
1 mm1 min1) of each specimens were evaluated in the
brittleness effect. In addition, using ESCA (Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis, PHI 5000 Versa Probe)
analyzed the surface to clarify the characteristics of
compounds in the SCM435 bainite matrix.

Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Austempering CrMo (SCM 435) Alloy Steel

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

57

Fig. 2 Microstructural characteristics of the austempered specimen (830C-15 min) with the different salt bath conditions: (a) 290C60 min (b) 290C-120 min (c) 330C-60 min (d) 330C-120 min.

3.

Results and Discussion

Figure 2 shows the microstructures of the austempered

bainite specimen (830C for 15 min) with the different salt
bath conditions. Compared with previous other systems,5,810)
the microstructure of SCM435 alloy was ner (similar heat
treatment condition) and it was a close relationship with
the alloying elements (carbon content). When austempering
duration extended from 15 to 25 min, the bainite structure
had a coarsening phenomenon (Fig. 3) and it was because
the austenite grain growth. In other words, increasing the
austempering duration of SCM435 specimens, we can obtain
the thick and feathery bainite structure.
XRD spectra of the different salt bath conditions after
austempering 15 and 25 min are showed in Figs. 4 and 5. The
gures show the peak angles are the same and the phases are
consist of the bainitic ferrite, Fe2.5C carbides and retained
phase. During salt bath process, the retained phases form in
matrix due to the diffusion of carbon. In addition to the peaks
of the bainite structure, there is no other obvious peak and
we can conrm the SCM435 structure to transform into the
bainite matrix fully after austempering heat treatment.
Figure 6 shows the comparison of tensile mechanical
properties of the different salt bath conditions after
austempering at 830C for 15 min. UTS of the specimen at
330C is signicant decreased with increasing the holding
time (reduce to 950 MPa) and the tensile fracture resistance
of specimen at 330C for 120 min was the lowest. In terms
of hardness, no matter the conditions of salt bath 30 min
or 60 min, the hardness was about HRA72. Furthermore,

increasing salt bath temperature of specimens would decrease

the hardness of the structure. The main reason is the coarse
bainite structure and higher retained phase content.4,5,911)
Also, this result can conrm the content of precipitation
carbide is lower with higher salt bath temperature and
longer tempering duration, so there is no signicant contribution to the strength and hardness of the bainite SCM435
alloy.
Figure 7 shows the comparison of mechanical properties
of the different salt bath conditions after austempering at
830C for 25 min. The data at 310 and 330C is unstable. The
tensile strength of the specimens at 290C is reach 1100 MPa
and has a better reliability than the other specimens. For
hardness analysis, the specimen at 330C is more stable
than other two salt bath conditions (290 and 310C). The
hardness values are about HRA72 and the carbides in the
matrix are distributed uniformity. According to results of
Figs. 6 and 7, the specimen is austempered at 830C for
15 min and precedes the salt bath heat treatment at 290C
that has more stable tensile strength and hardness. It can be
explained that the salt bath conditions is more importance
than austempering time for the bainite structure of SCM435
alloy.
The salt bath condition is the closest relationship for the
mechanical properties, so the failure mechanism of the
specimens at 290 and 330C are compared to understand
brittle effects of thin plate specimens.3,8) Figure 8 is the
fracture characteristics of the specimens after each salt bath
heat treatments. In Fig. 8(a), we observe the dimple structure
and conrm the characteristics of ductile failure. In Fig. 8(b),

58

C.-Y. Chen, F.-Y. Hung, T.-S. Lui and L.-H. Chen

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

Intensity (a.u.)

Intensity (a.u.)

Fig. 3 Microstructural characteristics of the austempered specimen (830C-25 min) with the different salt bath conditions: (a) 290C60 min (b) 290C-120 min (c) 330C-60 min (d) 330C-120 min.

Diffraction angle, 2 / degree

Diffraction angle, 2 / degree

Fig. 6 The mechanical properties of the austempered specimen (830C15 min) with the different salt bath conditions.

Hardness, H / HRA

Fig. 5 XRD of the austempered specimen (830C-25 min) with the

different salt bath conditions.

Tensile strength, UTS / MPa

Hardness, H / HRA

Tensile strength, UTS / MPa

Fig. 4 XRD of the austempered specimen (830C-15 min) with the

different salt bath conditions.

Fig. 7 The mechanical properties of the austempered specimen (830C25 min) with the different salt bath conditions.

Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Austempering CrMo (SCM 435) Alloy Steel

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

59

Fig. 8 The fractured characteristics of the austempered specimen (830C-25 min) with the different salt bath conditions: (a) 290C-60 min
(b) 290C-120 min (c) 330C-60 min (d) 330C-120 min.

Intensity, C/S / 104

(a)

Binding Energy, BE / eV

(b)

Intensity, C/S / 10

the tensile fracture structure is level and ladder-splitting.

There are only a few dimple microstructures, so the brittle
behavior is the major mechanism for the failure mode.
In Figs. 8(c) and 8(d), although the dimple microstructures
are observed, but the main mechanism are still splitting,
and it is belong to brittle materials fracture mode, so it
has a lower tensile strength. From failure mechanism,
the brittle of thin plate specimen has high sensitivity (t =
0.78 mm). If the SCM435 has no appropriate austempering
conditions, even the upper bainite structures still occur the
brittle failure.
According to literature,12) the carbides of the iron-base
austempering specimen are relationship with material failure
mode. A short time austempering heat treatment can obtain
the structural toughness, but longer austempering heat
treatment can improve the hardness and brittleness. Based
on this, we use ESCA to analyze the specimen after salt bath
to understand the carbide system. Figures 9 and 10 are the
graphs of surface analysis, compare with them can nd all the
specimens have a small amount of carbide generated (this
carbide is Fe2.5C). Furthermore, increasing austempered time,
the tensile strength of SCM435 is decreased signicantly.
It is clear that the retained phase (the specimen at 290C,
= 11.4 vol%) of the matrix is the main reason to effect the
failure mechanism.
Figure 11 shows the microstructure of each specimen
which corresponds to the mechanical properties at different
salt bath temperatures. The content of the bainite structure
increased with reducing the salt bath temperature. The
retained phase has the contribution to improve the
brittleness effect and enhance the tensile reliability.

Binding Energy, BE / eV
Fig. 9 ESCA of the austempered specimen (830C-15 min) with the
different salt bath conditions: (a) 290C-30 min (b) 290C-120 min.

60

C.-Y. Chen, F.-Y. Hung, T.-S. Lui and L.-H. Chen

Intensity, C/S / 10 4

(a)

Binding Energy, BE / eV
Fig. 11 The diagram of the strength and reliability with the different
austempered temperature.

Intensity, C/S / 10 4

(b)

improve the temper brittleness of the SCM435 thin

plate specimen.
Acknowledgements

Binding Energy, BE / eV
Fig. 10 ESCA of the austempered specimen (830C-15 min) with the
different salt bath conditions: (a) 290C-30 min (b) 290C-120 min.

4.

Conclusion

(1) The SCM435 alloy steel had some problems about

reliability when it used the martempering heat treatment. The SCM435 alloy steel transformed into the
bainite structure by austempering heat treatment that
had some retained phase and a few Fe2.5C carbides to
raise the reliability.
(2) The tensile strength and hardness of the SCM435
alloy were improved when the grain size of the
austenite had growth and formed ner bainite structure.
Extending the austempered heat treatment time would
decrease the hardness due to the structure had lower
carbon content. For 290C specimen, it had a ner
bainite structure and higher retained phase that could

The authors are grateful to National Cheng Kung

University, the Center for Micro/Nano Science and Technology (D101-2700) and NSC 101-2221-E-006-114 for the
nancial support.
REFERENCES
1) R. Murakami, D. Yonekura and T. Murayama: Int. J. Modern Phys. B
17 (2003) 16971703.
2) H. Itoh, M. Ochi, I. Fujiwara and T. Momoo: JSME Int. J. Ser. B Fluids
Therm. Eng. 47 (2004) 316322.
3) A. Abdollah-Zadeh, A. Salemi and H. Assadi: Mater. Sci. Eng. A 483
484 (2008) 325328.
4) B. Avishan, S. Yazdani and S. H. Nedjad: Mater. Sci. Eng. A 548
(2012) 106111.
5) H. Bhadeshia: J. Phys. IV 7 (1997) C5-367C5-376.
6) S. A. Sajjadi and S. M. Zebarjad: J. Mater. Process. Technol. 189
(2007) 107113.
7) B. Podgornik, J. Vizintin, I. Thorbjornsson, B. Johannesson, J. T.
Thorgrimsson, M. M. Celis and N. Valle: Wear 274 (2012) 267273.
8) K. Funatani: Metal Sci. Heat Treat. 46 (2004) 277281.
9) Y. Luo, J. M. Peng, H. B. Wang and X. C. Wu: Mater. Sci. Eng. A 527
(2010) 34333437.
10) K. T. Park and H. J. Kwon: Metals Mater. Korea 7 (2001) 9599.
11) K. Tsuzaki and T. Maki: J. Phys. IV 5 (1995) 6170.
12) J. Olofsson, D. Larsson and I. L. Svensson: Metall. Mater. Trans. A 42
(2011) 39994007.