Quenching and tempering of 51CrV4 (SAE-AISI 6150) steel via medium and low frequency induction

Mechanical and microstructural properties of quenched steel are directly related to tempering time and temperature. In many applications, conventionally quenched and tempered steel is widely used for acquiring high strength and toughness. The present study was carried out to investigate the variation in mechanical properties, observation of diminished energy consumption and evaluation of the microstructural properties in SAE-AISI 6150 steel components by induction heating, compared with those of steel tempered by conventional method. Induction quenched and tempered steel provides a shorter process time, less energy consumption and improved mechanical properties through the inhibition of grain growth. In this study, quenching and tempering processes were carried out on medium and low frequency induction units and by using a conventional electrical resistance furnace for the sake of comparison. It was observed that cementite particles began changing their shape from spherical to fine-grained in the induction tempered samples. The sample tempered by low frequency induction manifests superior mechanical properties and offers a potential advantage for significant cost savings.