Unusual Rapidity of Electron Beam Transient Tempering

Electron beam rapid solidification of molybdenum-base high speed steels results in quenched-in metastable phases containing a high concentration of alloying elements. Thermal reprocessing of such material by momentary interaction with the electron beam results in decomposition of martensite at a rate ≈ 100 times faster than that occurring during conventional thermal treatment. It is postulated that this arises from a high concentration of 'defect cluster nucleation sites' during the rapid up-quenching. The product of short thermal treatment is a dispersion of 2–5 nm very fine precipitates identified using transmission electron microscopy as MC type carbides.