Transverse rupture strength of a PM tool steel

Powder Metallurgy has been reported as a suitable alternate processing route for the manufacture of tool steels. The advantage of this technique is in being able to obtain a refined and more uniform microstructure that improves properties such high wear resistance and toughness. A molybdenum containing AISI M3:2 tool steel, (trade name Sinter 23), manufactured from spherical gas-atomized powders by hot isostatic pressing followed by hot working was tested in three-point bending tests after various heat treatments. Transverse rupture strength (TRS) samples were cut and heat treated at four distinct austenitizing temperatures. Each austenitizing temperature was combined with three tempering temperatures, giving a total of twelve different hardening conditions. Hardness tests were carried out to establish correlations among the effectiveness of heat treatment, the hardness values and the TRS results. At least five parallel samples were tested in each heat treatment condition.