Evaluation of the characteristics of an AISI 1045 steel quenched in different concentration of polymer solutions of polyvinylpyrrolidone

Quench hardening aims at the microstructural transformation of steels in order to improve hardness and mechanical strength. The aim phase is, in most cases, the martensite. It is necessary to heat the material until it obtains its austenitization and quenching by immersion in a fluid. Currently, it is common to use watery polymeric solutions in this procedure. These fluids, which are the mixture of polymers in water, vary their thermal exchange capacity depending on the concentrations applied. The increase in concentration minimizes the removal of heat from the part, reducing the formation capacity of martensite, and developing a lower hardness and strong steel. In this work, microstructural characteristics and properties of AISI 1045 steel quenched in solutions based on polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in 10, 15, 20, and 25% concentration were evaluated. The microstructural characterization quantified the percentage of the phases in each concentration, demonstrating a reduction of martensite as the concentrations were high. The investigation of the samples by x-ray diffraction confirmed the absence of austenite retained in the material. Furthermore, a microhardness scale between the core and the surface was constructed, in which a reduction gradient of the indices of this property towards the core of the sample was evidenced.