Revealing effect of oxide scale on decarburization behaviour of 55Cr3 spring steel: Experimental and modelling research
Surface decarburization of spring steels during thermal processing significantly deteriorates mechanical properties, yet remains insufficiently understood, particularly regarding the role of oxide scale. This study investigates the oxidation-coupled decarburization mechanisms in 55Cr3 spring steel t...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425018484 |
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| Summary: | Surface decarburization of spring steels during thermal processing significantly deteriorates mechanical properties, yet remains insufficiently understood, particularly regarding the role of oxide scale. This study investigates the oxidation-coupled decarburization mechanisms in 55Cr3 spring steel through integrated experimental characterization and numerical modelling. Isothermal decarburization tests demonstrate decarburization ferrite continues to exist with temperature increasing until 800 °C, and reaches the maximum thickness (54 μm) at 750 °C. Microstructural characterization reveals an oxide scale dominated by Fe2O3, FeO, and FeCr2O4 at the scale/substrate interface. Critical analysis establishes that the oxide phase composition affects the scale/ferrite interfacial equilibrium reaction, which affects the scale/substrate interfacial equilibrium carbon contents, where Fe2O3 yields the highest interfacial equilibrium carbon content, followed by FeO and FeCr2O4. This explains the discrepancies between the phase diagram calculated and the observed decarburization ferrite occurrence temperature range. A modified numerical model incorporating the scale/substrate interfacial equilibrium carbon content determined by multiple oxides successfully predicts the decarburization ferrite thickness of the experimental in 55Cr3 steel, offering direct guidance for heat treatment parameter optimization to minimize surface decarburization. This work demonstrates oxide scale effects as indispensable considerations in spring steel decarburization behaviour, which provides a reference for surface decarburization studies in other oxidation-prone steels. |
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| ISSN: | 2238-7854 |