Effect of the Purity of Charge Materials and Heat Treatment Parameters on the Structure and the Mechanical Properties of U10A Forge Tool Steel

The structure and mechanical properties of a high-carbon U10A tool steel (analogs are G51320 and 1.1545) melted in an electric arc furnace using scrap metal, metallized pellets, or billets fabricated using a fluidized slag bed as the main charge. The liquid steel is subjected to degassing in a ladle for short time, subsequent continuous casting, forging, and heat treatment. The steel melted from the charge billets is found to have a finer grain and the best set of mechanical properties after the main types of heat treatment. The use of metallized pellets does not show significant advantages over the use of scrap metal.