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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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425018484 |
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| author | Zhaoqi Song Haitao Zhao Kaixun Wang Junheng Gao Chengming Wang Xiaoqian Yang Honghui Wu Yuhe Huang Chaolei Zhang Jun Lu Shuize Wang Xinping Mao |
| author_facet | Zhaoqi Song Haitao Zhao Kaixun Wang Junheng Gao Chengming Wang Xiaoqian Yang Honghui Wu Yuhe Huang Chaolei Zhang Jun Lu Shuize Wang Xinping Mao |
| author_sort | Zhaoqi Song |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3fd275b2ea1342169edc99ff1cba145c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2238-7854 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-3fd275b2ea1342169edc99ff1cba145c2025-08-20T02:47:18ZengElsevierJournal of Materials Research and Technology2238-78542025-07-01375436544710.1016/j.jmrt.2025.07.190Revealing effect of oxide scale on decarburization behaviour of 55Cr3 spring steel: Experimental and modelling researchZhaoqi Song0Haitao Zhao1Kaixun Wang2Junheng Gao3Chengming Wang4Xiaoqian Yang5Honghui Wu6Yuhe Huang7Chaolei Zhang8Jun Lu9Shuize Wang10Xinping Mao11State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang, 110004, PR China; Corresponding author. State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China.State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang, 110004, PR China; Corresponding author. Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang, 110004, PR China.Hebei HBIS Material Technology Research Institute, Shijiazhuang, 050023, PR ChinaHebei HBIS Material Technology Research Institute, Shijiazhuang, 050023, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang, 110004, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang, 110004, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang, 110004, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang, 110004, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang, 110004, PR China; Corresponding author. Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China.State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang, 110004, PR ChinaSurface 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.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425018484Steel decarburizationSteel oxidationCarbon contentNumerical modelling55Cr3 spring steel |
| spellingShingle | Zhaoqi Song Haitao Zhao Kaixun Wang Junheng Gao Chengming Wang Xiaoqian Yang Honghui Wu Yuhe Huang Chaolei Zhang Jun Lu Shuize Wang Xinping Mao Revealing effect of oxide scale on decarburization behaviour of 55Cr3 spring steel: Experimental and modelling research Journal of Materials Research and Technology Steel decarburization Steel oxidation Carbon content Numerical modelling 55Cr3 spring steel |
| title | Revealing effect of oxide scale on decarburization behaviour of 55Cr3 spring steel: Experimental and modelling research |
| title_full | Revealing effect of oxide scale on decarburization behaviour of 55Cr3 spring steel: Experimental and modelling research |
| title_fullStr | Revealing effect of oxide scale on decarburization behaviour of 55Cr3 spring steel: Experimental and modelling research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Revealing effect of oxide scale on decarburization behaviour of 55Cr3 spring steel: Experimental and modelling research |
| title_short | Revealing effect of oxide scale on decarburization behaviour of 55Cr3 spring steel: Experimental and modelling research |
| title_sort | revealing effect of oxide scale on decarburization behaviour of 55cr3 spring steel experimental and modelling research |
| topic | Steel decarburization Steel oxidation Carbon content Numerical modelling 55Cr3 spring steel |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425018484 |
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