Effect of austempering on the mechanical properties of X210Cr12 cold work tool steel with molybdenum addition

Abstract The industrial sector is experiencing a rising demand for high-strength alloys in engineering applications. In this study, molybdenum (Mo) strengthened cold work tool steel alloys were produced by sand casting method. Various temperatures, times and cooling environments were selected as heat treatment parameters to determine the effects of heat treatment on the microstructure. The structural changes of heat-treated samples were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Vickers hardness tests were conducted on the samples. The effect of heat treatment parameters on the samples was evaluated by abrasive wear resistance under different loads. In molybdenum-containing samples, heat treatment resulted in a uniform size and dispersion of primary carbides. The wear rate of molybdenum added sample decreased by approximately 30 % by heat treatment.