The effect of the laser beam diameter on the microstructure and hardness of 17-4 PH stainless steel manufactured via the directed energy deposition process is investigated. The pore size and area fraction are much lower using a laser beam diameter of 1.0 mm compared with those observed using a laser beam diameter of 1.8 mm. Additionally, using a relatively larger beam diameter results in pores in the form of incomplete melting. Martensite and retained austenite are observed under both conditions. A smaller width of the weld track and overlapping area are observed in the sample fabricated with a 1.0 mm beam diameter. This difference appears to be mainly caused by the energy density based on the variation in the beam diameter. The sample prepared with a beam diameter of 1.0 mm had a higher hardness near the substrate than that prepared with a 1.8 mm beam diameter, which may be influenced by the degree of melt mixing between the 17-4 PH metal powder and carbon steel substrate.

A variety of composite powders having different aluminum and carbon contents are prepared using various organic solvents having different amounts of carbon atoms in unit volume as ball milling agents for titanium and aluminum ball milling. The effects of substrate temperature and post-heat treatment on the texture and hardness of the coating are investigated by spraying with this reduced pressure plasma spray. The aluminum part of the composite powder evaporates during spraying, so that the film aluminum content is 30.9 mass%~37.4 mass% and the carbon content is 0.64 mass%~1.69 mass%. The main constituent phase of the coating formed on the water-cooled substrate is a non-planar α2 phase, obtained by supersaturated carbon regardless of the alloy composition. When these films are heat-treated at 1123 K, the main constituent phase becomes  phase, and fine Ti2AlC precipitates to increase the film hardness. However, when heat treatment is performed at a higher temperature, the hardness is lowered. The main constitutional phase of the coating formed on the preheated substrate is an equilibrium gamma phase, and fine Ti2AlC precipitates. The hardness of this coating is much higher than the hardness of the coating in the sprayed state formed on the water-cooled substrate. When hot pressing is applied to the coating, the porosity decreases but hardness also decreases because Ti2AlC grows. The amount of Ti2AlC in the hot-pressed film is 4.9 vol% to 15.3 vol%, depending on the carbon content of the film.

This paper presents a study of the microstructure and mechanical properties of commercial high-hardness armor (HHA) steels tempered at different temperatures. Although the as-received specimens of all the steels exhibit a tempered martensite structure with lath type morphology, the A steel, which has the smallest carbon content, had the lowest hardness due to reduced solid solution hardening and larger lath thickness, irrespective of tempering conditions. As the tempering temperature increases, the hardness of the steels steadily decreases because dislocation density decreases and the lath thickness of martensite increases due to recovery and over-aging effects. When the variations in hardness plotted as a function of tempering temperature are compared with the hardness of the as-received specimens, it seems that the B steel, which has the highest yield and tensile strengths, is fabricated by quenching, while the other steels are fabricated by quenching and tempering. On the other hand, the impact properties of the steels are affected by specimen orientation and test temperature as well as microstructure. Based on these results, the effect of tempering on the microstructure and mechanical properties of commercial high-hardness armor steels is discussed.

The microstructure and mechanical characteristics of SUS630 specimens fabricated using the direct energy deposition (DED) process are investigated. In DED, several process parameters such as laser scan speed, chamber gas flow, powder carrier gas flow, and powder feed rate are kept fixed; the laser power is changed as 150 W, 180 W, and 210 W. As the laser power increases, the surface becomes smooth, the thickness uniformity improves, and the size and number of pores decreases. With the increase in laser power, the hardness deviation decreases and the average hardness increases. The microstructure of the material is columnar; pores are formed preferentially along the columnar interface. The lath-martensite phase governs the overall microstructure. The volumetric fraction of the retained austenite phase is measured to increase with the increase of laser input power.

This present study deals with the microstructure and tensile properties of 600 MPa-grade high strength and seismic resistant reinforcing steels. The high strength reinforcing steel (SD 600) was fabricated by Tempcore processing, while the seismic resistant reinforcing steel (SD 600S) was air-cooled after hot-rolling treatment. The microstructure analysis results showed that the SD 600 steel specimen consisted of a tempered martensite and ferrite-pearlite structure after Tempcore processing, while the SD 600S steel specimen had a fully ferrite-pearlite structure. The room-temperature tensile test results indicate that, because of the enhanced solid solution and precipitation strengthening caused by relatively higher contents of C, Mn, Si and V in the SD 600S steel specimen, this specimen, with fully ferrite-pearlite structure, had yield and tensile strengths higher than those of the SD 600 specimen. On the other hand, the hardness of the SD 600 and SD 600S steel specimens changed in different ways according to location, dependent on the microstructure, ferrite grain size, and volume fraction.

In this study, the effect of the friction stir welding (FSW) was compared with that of the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) on the microstructure and microhardness of Cu-Ni alloy weldment. The weldment of 10 mm thickness was fabricated by FSW and GTAW, respectively. Both weldments were compared with each other by optical microstructure, microhardness test and grain size measurement. Results of this study suggest that the microhardness decreased from the base metal (BM) to the heat affected zone (HAZ) and increased at fusion zone (FZ) of GTAW and stir zone (SZ) of FSW. the minimum Hv value of both weldment was obtained at HAZ, respectively, which represents the softening zone, whereas Hv value of FSW weldment was little higher than that of GTAW weldment. These phenomena can be explained by the grain size difference between HAZs of each weldment. Grain size was increased at the HAZ during FSW and GTAW. Because FSW is a solid-state joining process obtaining the lower heat-input generated by rotating shoulder than heat generated in the arc of GTAW.

The Fe-based self-fluxing alloy powders and TiC particles were ball-milled and subsequently compacted and sintered at various temperatures, resulting in the TiC particle-reinforced Fe self-fluxing alloy hybrid composite, and the microstructure and micro-hardness were investigated. The initial Fe-based self-fluxing alloy powders and TiC particles showed the spherical shape with a mean size of approximately 80 and the irregular shape of less than 5 , respectively. After ball-milling at 800 rpm for 5 h, the powder mixture of Fe-based self-fluxing alloy powders and TiC particles formed into the agglomerated powders with the size of approximately 10 that was composed of the nanosized TiC particles and nano-sized alloy particles. The TiC particle-reinforced Fe-based self-fluxing alloy hybrid composite sintered at 1173 K revealed a much denser microstructure and higher micro-hardness than that sintered at 1073 K and 1273 K.

The microstructure and hardness of (W,Ti)C cemented carbides with a different metallic binder composition of Ni and Co fabricated by powder technology were investigated. The densifications of the prepared materials were accomplished by using vacuum sintering at . Nearly full dense (W,Ti)C cemented carbides were obtained with a relative density of up to 99.7% with 30 wt.% Co and 99.9% with 30 wt.% Ni as a metallic binder. The average grain size of the (W,Ti)C-Co and the (W,Ti)C-Ni was decreased by increasing the metallic binder content. The hardness of the dense (W,Ti)C-15 wt%Co and (W,Ti)C-15 wt%Ni, was greater than that of the other related cemented carbides; in addition, the cobalt-based cemented carbides had greater hardness values than the nickel-based cemented carbides.

The effects of the carbon content ranging from 17.5 to 21.0 wt.% in TiC-30vol.% cenmet and the content raging from 0 to 30 wt.% in TiC-20 vol.% cermet were investigated in the relation to the microstures and harbness. The speciment were sintered at 140, 143 and 145 for 60minutes. The results were summarized as follows; 1) The shrinkages and relative densitites of the specimens were incrased up to 20.0 wt.% C and then decreased. 2) The grains of TiC were almost the same size with the different content of carbon. Free carbons were appeared on the microstrures when carbon was added over 20.5 wt.% while TiC and l were formed when carbon was added below 20.0 wt.%; 3) The lattice parameters of the and TiC phases were increased up to 20.5 wt.% C, and then saturated. 4) The hardess was increased up to 20.0 wt.% C, and then decreased. 5) The made the TiC grains fine and the surrounding structure around TiC gains. 6) The micropores were decreased with increasing the binder and the sintering temperature. 7) The lattice parameter of the l ana TiC were almost the samp up to 10 wt.% and then decreased. 8) The hatdness was increased up to 5wt.% and then decreased owing to the micrpores. 9) The more the binder phase, the higher the relative density and the proper amount of cermets were obtained.