Effect of cryogenic treatment on distribution of residual stress in case carburized En 353 steel

Abstract The effect of cryogenic treatment on the distribution of residual stress in the case carburized steel (En 353) was studied using X-ray diffraction technique. Two types of cryogenic treatment: shallow cryogenic treatment (193 K) and deep cryogenic treatment (77 K) were adopted, as a supplement to conventional heat treatment. The amount of retained austenite in conventionally heat-treated, shallow cryogenically treated and deep cryogenically treated samples was found to be 28%, 22% and 14%, respectively. The conventionally heat-treated, shallow cryogenically treated and deep cryogenically treated samples in untempered condition had a surface residual stress of −125 MPa, −115 MPa and −235 MPa, respectively. After tempering the conventionally heat-treated, shallow cryogenically treated and deep cryogenically treated samples had a surface residual stress of −150 MPa, −80 MPa and −80 MPa, respectively. A comparative study of the three treatments revealed that there was an increase in the compressive residual stress in steel that was subjected to cryogenic treatment prior to tempering. The experimental investigation revealed that deep cryogenically treated steel when subjected to tempering has undergone a reduction in compressive residual stress. Such stress relieving behaviour was mainly due to the increased precipitation of fine carbides in specimens subjected to DCT with tempering.