The prediction of Jominy hardness curves and the effect of alloying elements on the hardenability of boron steels (19 different steels) are investigated using multiple regression analysis. To evaluate the hardenability of boron steels, Jominy end quenching tests are performed. Regardless of the alloy type, lath martensite structure is observed at the quenching end, and ferrite and pearlite structures are detected in the core. Some bainite microstructure also appears in areas where hardness is sharply reduced. Through multiple regression analysis method, the average multiplying factor (regression coefficient) for each alloying element is derived. As a result, B is found to be 6308.6, C is 71.5, Si is 59.4, Mn is 25.5, Ti is 13.8, and Cr is 24.5. The valid concentration ranges of the main alloying elements are 19 ppm < B < 28 ppm, 0.17 < C < 0.27 wt%, 0.19 < Si < 0.30 wt%, 0.75 < Mn < 1.15 wt%, 0.15 < Cr < 0.82 wt%, and 3 < N < 7 ppm. It is possible to predict changes of hardenability and hardness curves based on the above method. In the validation results of the multiple regression analysis, it is confirmed that the measured hardness values are within the error range of the predicted curves, regardless of alloy type.

The present study is concerned with the influence of niobium(Nb) addition and austenitizing temperature on the hardenability of low-carbon boron steels. The steel specimens were austenitized at different temperatures and cooled with different cooling rates using dilatometry; their microstructures and hardness were analyzed to estimate the hardenability. The addition of Nb hardly affected the transformation start and finish temperatures at lower austenitizing temperatures, whereas it significantly decreased the transformation finish temperature at higher austenitizing temperatures. This could be explained by the non-equilibrium segregation mechanism of boron atoms. When the Nb-added boron steel specimens were austenitized at higher temperatures, it is possible that Nb and carbon atoms present in the austenite phase retarded the diffusion of carbon towards the austenite grain boundaries during cooling due to the formation of NbC precipitate and Nb-C clusters, thus preventing the precipitation of M23(C,B)6 along the austenite grain boundaries and thereby improving the hardenability of the boron steels. As a result, because it considerably decreases the transformation finish temperature and prohibits the nucleation of proeutectoid ferrite even at the slow cooling rate of 3 oC/s, irrespective of the austenitizing temperature, the addition of 0.05 wt.% Nb had nearly the same hardenability-enhancing effect as did the addition of 0.2 wt.% Mo.

The hardenability of boron steel specimens with different molybdenum and chromium contents was investigated using dilatometry and microstructural observations, and then was quantitatively measured at a critical cooling rate corresponding to 90 % martensite hardness obtained from a hardness distribution plotted as a function of cooling rate. Based on the results, the effect of an austenitizing temperature on the hardenability and tensile properties was discussed in terms of segregation and precipitation behavior of boron atoms at austenite grain boundaries. The molybdenum addition completely suppressed the formation of pro-eutectoid ferrite even at the slowest cooling rate of 0.2 oC/s, while the chromium addition did at the cooling rates above 3 oC/s. On the other hand, the hardenability of the molybdenum-added boron steel specimens decreased with an increasing austenitizing temperature. This is associated with the preferred precipitation of boron atoms since a considerable number of boron atoms could be concentrated along austenite grain boundaries by a non-equilibrium segregation mechanism. The secondary ion mass spectroscopy results showed that boron atoms were mostly segregated at austenite grain boundaries without noticeable precipitation at higher austenitization temperatures, while they formed as precipitates at lower austenitization temperatures, particularly in the molybdenum-added boron steel specimens.

The effect of tungsten (W) addition on the hardenability of low-carbon boron steels was investigated using dilatometry, microstructural observations and secondary ion mass spectroscopy. The hardenability was discussed with respect to transformation behaviour aspects depending on the segregation and precipitation of boron at austenite grain boundaries. A critical cooling rate producing a hardness corresponding to 90 % martensite structure was measured from a hardness distribution plot, and was used as a criterion to estimate hardenability at faster cooling rates. In the low-carbon boron steel, the addition of 0.50 wt.% W was comparable to that of 0.20 wt.% molybdenum in terms of critical cooling rate, indicating hardenability at faster cooling rates. However, the addition of 0.50 wt.% W was not more effective than the addition of .0.20 wt.% molybdenum at slower cooling rates. The addition of 0.20 wt.% molybdenum completely suppressed the formation of eutectoid ferrite even at the slow cooling rate of 0.2˚C/s, while the addition of 0.50 wt.% W did not, even at the cooling rate of 1.0˚C/s. Therefore, it was found that the effect of alloying elements on the hardenability of low-carbon boron steels can be differently evaluated according to cooling rate.

The hardenability of low-carbon boron steels with different molybdenum and chromium contents was investigated using dilatometry, microstructural observations and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), and then discussed in terms of the segregation and precipitation behaviors of boron. The hardenability was quantitatively evaluated by a critical cooling rate obtained from the hardness distribution plotted as a function of cooling rate. It was found that the molybdenum addition was more effective than the chromium addition to increase the hardenability of boron steels, in contrast to boron-free steels. The addition of 0.2 wt.% molybdenum completely suppressed the formation of eutectoid ferrite, even at the slow cooling rate of 0.2˚C/s, while the addition of 0.5 wt.% chromium did this at cooling rates above 3˚C/s. The SIMS analysis results to observe the boron distribution at the austenite grain boundaries confirmed that the addition of 0.2 wt.% molybdenum effectively increased the hardenability of boron steels, as the boron atoms were significantly segregated to the austenite grain boundaries without the precipitation of borocarbide, thus retarding the austenite-to-ferrite transformation compared to the addition of 0.5 wt.% chromium. On the other hand, the synergistic effect of molybdenum and boron on the hardenability of boron steels could be explained from thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives.

Manganese is an alloying element that improves the hardenability of steels. It could be a valid substitute in sintered steels, increasing mechanical properties. The hardenability of three low alloy Mn steels was studied to establish the influence of manganese on the heat treatments. The Grossmann approach was adopted, which uses cylinders with different diameters to induce different gradients of cooling rate in the cross section. The correlation of microstructure and microhardness to the actual cooling rate makes the results independent on the process parameters and applicable to each industrial condition, once the actual cooling rate in the parts is known.