Effect of Quenching and Partitioning Processing on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Low Alloyed Steel

The concept of quenching and partitioning (Q&P) is a tool to generate steels with high strength and high ductility resulting from a relatively high amount of martensite and austenite. As the parameters of the Q&P treatment influence the strength and ductility properties, the goal of this work was to analyze the effects of varying quenching and partitioning temperatures on the phase evolution, on the retained austenite phase fraction and on the mechanical properties. The phase evolution during heat treatment was analyzed by dilatometer and the microstructure after processing was characterized by light microscopy in combination with color etching according to Klemm. The austenite phase fraction and its carbon content were determined by X-Ray diffraction and the mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile tests. It is shown that the quenching temperature has a minor impact on the phase fraction of austenite as well as its stabilization by carbon and thus, also the mechanical properties. Furthermore, austenite transformation during the partitioning treatment is illustrated.