Thermomechanical Strengthening of Powder Stainless Steel of the Austenitic Class and Wear-Resistant Composites Based upon It

The effect of thermomechanical strengthening of powder materials of several compositions (steel Kh18N15 without additives, with added carbon, and also with additions of Cr2C3, MoS2 and carbon) during hot forming is established by experiment. This effect is detected by comparing the physicomechanical properties of specimens, prepared by high-temperature thermomechanical treatment, with specimens of a similar composition subjected to complete annealing and hardening after separate heating. The different nature in the dependence of strength properties for steel Kh18N15 without additions and a composite based upon it on shear strain intensity during forming is established. Thermomechanical strengthening of hot-formed single-phase stainless steel is traditional in nature: with an increase in the intensity of shear strain steel strength properties increase, but conversely for a composite they decrease and this is explained by the specific nature of its structure formation during forming.