The Effects of Tempering on the Hardness Profiles in Carburized Steels

The results of an experimental program to determine the effects of tempering on the hardness profiles in quenched and tempered carburized steels will be presented and discussed. It was found that typically the hardness increased with carbon concentration up to about 0.65 wt% carbon. It was also found the increasing tempering temperature and time decreased the hardness. The data has been analyzed using the Holloman-Jaffe parameter. The applicability of this model will be presented and discussed. The effects of retained Austenite will also be discussed.