Isothermal hardening of iron-carbon alloys combined with their casting

Isothermal hardening (Austempering) of iron-based alloys with medium and high carbon content, which creates a metallic structure called bainite, is used to increase the strength and impact toughness of the metal. The parts are heated to a temperature approximately 200-300 °C below the solidification temperature of the metal, then cooled (hardened) fairly quickly to the temperature of the beginning of the bainite transformation, avoiding the martensitic transformation, and kept for a time sufficient to obtain the given bainite microstructure. IG is particularly advantageous for castings from high-strength cast iron (HC), adding to the high foundry performance of the growth of the mechanical characteristics of this alloy to the level of steel strength at a lower cost, density and energy consumption of HC casting compared to steel. The article examines methods of heat treatment of castings removed in a hot austenitic state from a sand mold, as a type of heat treatment of iron-carbon alloys combined with their casting. For this, casting according to gasification models was used, in which, due to the high fluidity of the dry sand of the casting mold, it is not difficult to remove hot castings from the mold for tempering. A number of IG methods previously patented by the FTIMS Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences have been supplemented by a new method of such hardening in a dosed amount of water, taking into account the effect of its film boiling. The new method includes the calculation of the optimal mass of quenching liquid - water with the aim of heating this mass of water to its boiling point at the time of cooling of the casting to the given temperature of the bainite transformation of the metal. The method saves the quenching liquid, simplifies the control of the duration of cooling, during which it allows the transportation of castings between the foundry and heat-treatment sections, which, in general, saves time, energy resources and the area of the workshop for obtaining heat-treated castings. Keywords: isothermal hardening, heat treatment, castings, austenite, lost foam casting.