NOVEL HIGH-SPEED STEEL COMPOSITE FOR IMPROVED HIGH TEMPERATURE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

THIS PROJECT SUGGESTS A NOVEL PROCESSING TECHNIQUE FOR FABRICATING A HIGH-SPEED STEEL COMPOSITE. A HOMOGENEOUS DISPERSION OF NANO-SIZED OXIDE PARTICLES WITHIN THE IRON-BASED MATRIX SUBSTITUTES FOR THE CARBIDE PRECIPITATES IN CURRENT FORMULATIONS, WITHOUT COMPLEX HEAT TREATMENTS AND EXTENSIVE HIGH-ENERGY MILLING. DUE TO THE CHEMICAL STABILITY AND SIZE OF THE OXIDE DISPERSOIDS, THIS NEW MATERIAL SHOULD EXHIBIT HIGH STRENGTH WELL ABOVE 600 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, THUS IMPROVING HOT HARDNESS AND RED HARDNESS IN COMPARISON TO CONVENTIONAL HIGH-SPEED STEELS. OTHER BENEFITS OF THE MATERIAL ARE IMPROVED GRINDABILITY, HARDNESS, AND FRACTURE TOUGHNESS, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE SMALL SIZE AND GREATER HOMOGENEITY OF THE OXIDE DISPERSOIDS WITHIN THE MATRIX.