Correlation of microstructure and fracture properties of five centrifugal cast high speed steel rolls

The present study is concerned with effects of microstructural factors such as distribution and fraction of coarse carbides located along solidification cell boundaries and characteristics of tempered martensitic matrix on fracture properties of five high speed steel (HSS) rolls manufactured by a centrifugal casting method. In situ microfracture observation, fracture toughness measurement and fractographic observation were conducted on these rolls to clarify fracture mechanisms. The in situ observation results indicated that coarse carbides located along cell boundaries provided easy intercellular fracture sites under a low stress intensity factor level. In the rolls whose intercellular carbide fraction and matrix hardness were high, fracture easily occurred under a low stress intensity factor. On the contrary, in the rolls where a small amount of intercellular carbides was distributed on the relatively ductile matrix of lath tempered martensite, the fracture path was accompanied by a considerable amount of plastic deformation including shear band formation, thereby resulting in high fracture toughness. In order to obtain better microstructure, hardness and fracture toughness of the HSS rolls, the minimisation of intercellular carbides, the refinement of carbides and the improvement of the matrix characteristics by controlling alloying elements and heat treatment conditions were suggested.