This thesis aims to examine the possibility of using Magnetic Barkhausen Noise technique in characterizing the ferritic-martensitic microstructure of hypoeutectoid steels quenched from the intercritical temperature range. For this purpose, rectangular specimens were prepared from SAE 1020, 1040 and 1060 steels. The specimens were heated at different temperatures within the intercritical temperature range and then quenched into water. Microstructures of the specimens were characterized by metallographic examinations and hardness measurements. The measurements of the Magnetic Barkhausen Noise (MBN) were performed by using both Rollscan and &amp / #956 / SCAN sensor connectors. It was seen that, for specimens having identical carbon content, Barkhausen emission decreased as the heating temperature increased. Moreover, in specimens heated at the same temperature, Barkhausen emission decreased as the carbon content of the specimen increased. In both cases, the decrease in Barkhausen emission is associated with the increase in martensite content. The results indicate that MBN is inversely proportional to hardness and that MBN is very sensitive to the microstructural condition of the material. It has been shown that using MBN is a powerful tool for evaluating the microstructure of hypoeutectoid steels quenched from the intercritical temperature range and that the use of this technique could be extended to characterize industrial dual phase steels.

A controlled continuous laser output using a circular geometry with a gaussian intensity distribution was used to harden the surface of a particular metal specimen (44MnSiVS6). Said beam operated within a relatively small power interval, just barely past the melting point. The resulting martensite track was shown to expand laterally at a positive exponential rate, with respect to the energy input. This was furthermore accompanied with an increase of the average slope at each lateral edge. The thickness was seen to expand at a significantly slower rate (by about one order of magnitude), with declining efficiency in regard to the energy input used. Thermal measurements along the surface indicated somewhat uniform temperature patterns within a relatively large area surrounding the middle of the beam spot. Though a slight elevation in temperature was often noted in the vicinity of its centre. In addition to using a gaussian beam, three other intensity distributions were utilized. The results obtained from said distributions may suggest effectual alterations to occur in terms of the shape and extent of the resulting martensite zone, if the spread of the gaussian intensity profile is allowed to be modified. Ideally, this would be carried out while still remaining close to the melting point, as well as keeping the spot size unchanged. A series of vicker's hardness measurements was carried out for each track induced by a different beam distribution. A clear transition in hardness was noted across the perceived boundary between the martensite zone and the base material, confirming the legitimacy regarding the phase identification. / Stiffcrank - Advanced laser surface hardening of microalloyed steels for fatigue enhancement of automotive engine components, funded by EU-RFCS, no. 754155