Effect of Austenitizing Temperature on Microstructure and Wear Resistance of Hot Work Die Steels with Different Silicon Content

The study investigates the effects of austenitizing temperature on the microstructure and wear resistance of hot work die steels with different silicon (Si) content. The results indicate that the steel with high Si content, austenitized at 1110 °C, exhibits superior wear resistance, which can be attributed to the precipitation of a large amount of fine vanadium carbides during the tempering process. The elevated austenitizing temperature facilitates martensite transformation during quenching and increases the hardness of steels. Low impact toughness is obtained in steels with low Si content austenitized at high temperatures, leading to severe delamination wear during the wear process.