Chromium martensitic hot-work tool steel (AISI H13) is commonly used as die material in hot forming techniques such as die casting, hot rolling, extrusion and hot forging. They are developed to endure the severe conditions by high mechanical properties attained by a complex microstructure. Even though the hot-work tool steel has been improved over the years by alloying and heat treatment, damages still occur. Thermal fatigue is believed to be one of the most common failure mechanisms in hot forming tools. In this thesis tools used in hot forging and die casting were examined to determine damage, material response, thermal fatigue crack initiation and propagation. Different chromium martensitic hot-work tool steels, heat treated at four different austenitizing temperatures were experimentally tested in thermal fatigue and isothermal fatigue. The materials were then evaluated using X-ray line broadening analysis and transmission electron microscopy to explore the relation between fatigue softening and the change in microstructure. The high temperature fatigue softening was also simulated using an elasto-plastic, non-linear kinematic and isotropic model. The model was implemented in a numerical simulation to support the integration of die design, tool steel properties and its use. It was found that the dominant damage mechanisms in the investigated tools were thermal fatigue and that tool material experiences a three stage softening at high temperature loading. The primary stage was concluded to be influenced by the dislocation density and the second stage by the temper resistance i.e. carbide morphology. The microstructural changes during the softening stages were also connected to the non-linear kinematic and isotropic model. The general aim of this thesis is to increase the knowledge of the chromium martensitic hot-work tool steel damage, performance and microstructure.

Many phenomena determining the microstructure of a tool steel and consequently the properties of the material, are governed by multicomponent diffusion. The diffusion driven reactions that take place during, for example, tempering of a hot-work tool steel or when the microstructure develops during hot isostatic pressing of cold-work tool steel, are dependent on the types and amounts of alloying elements. In order for computational methods to be usable, these alloying effects need to be understood and incorporated in the models. In this work the influence of some typical tool steel alloying elements on the coarsening behavior of precipitates is investigated. Experimental coarsening studies are performed and the impact of the diffusion mobility descriptions and the thermodynamic descriptions are investigated by means of DICTRA coarsening calculations. The kinetic descriptions for diffusion in the body centered-cubic phase in the case of the chromium-iron-vanadium system and the chromium-iron-molybdenum system are improved by assessments of diffusion mobility parameters, and are shown to have a large impact on the calculated coarsening rate for vanadium-rich and molybdenum-rich precipitates. The effect of cobalt is examined by a coarsening experiment for vanandiumrich carbides and by a diffusion couple experiment for the investigation of the vanadium interdiffusion. The presence of cobalt is experimentally shown to have retarding effect on the coarsening rate of the carbides, but not on the vanadium diffusion. The coarsening rate of nitrogen-rich precipitates is compared to the coarsening rate of carbon-rich precipitates, and a lower coarsening rate for nitrides compared to carbides can be confirmed. Correlation between coarsening calculations and experiments is obtained suggesting that the thermodynamic description of the two systems is the underlaying reason for the different coarsening rates. Further, calculations utilizing the DICTRA software are combined with experimental investigations in order to study the possibility to apply computational methods for compound material development and explore application areas for high nitrogen alloyed tool steels produced by powder metallurgy. / <p>QC 20121011</p>

Hot-work tool steels make up an important group of steels that are able to perform with good strength and toughness properties at elevated temperatures and stresses. They are able to gain this behavior through their alloy composition and heat treatment, which relies on the precipitation of alloy carbides to counter the loss in strength as the tempered material becomes more ductile. As demand grows for materials that are suitable for even harsher applications and that show improved mechanical qualities, the steel industry must continuously investigate the development of new steel grades. Within this context, the present work focuses on examining the mechanical properties and microstructure of two hot-work tool steels, of which one is a representative steel grade (Steel A) and the second a higher-alloyed variant (Steel B), at different tempering conditions. To complement the experimental work, precipitation simulations are used to monitor the progression of secondary carbide precipitation and to examine the predicted microstructural changes through varying the alloy composition. The study finds that Steel B does not actually have improved properties with respect to Steel A and suggests that the precipitation behavior of both steels is virtually identical. Despite this, the simulation work reveals that this behavior can change dramatically to favor more positive hardness contributions by increasing the alloy content of V. In short, with the project being part of an ongoing investigation, there remain several areas of analysis that need to be completed before offering a complete picture that can ultimately play a part in the development of a new hot-work tool steel grade.

Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die drahtbasierte additive Fertigung mittels Elektronstrahls (WEBAM) unter Nutzung einer lateralen Drahtzuführung und des Warmarbeitsstahls X37CrMoV5-1 untersucht. Die Schwerpunkte lagen auf der Analyse des Einflusses der Prozessparameter, der Drahtführungstechniken (schleppend, stechend und seitlich), des Substratwerkstoffes und des Materialübergangs auf die Prozessstabilität sowie die Auftraggeometrie. Das Ziel war die prozesssichere Herstellung von 3D-Geometrien mit bidirektionaler und kontinuierlicher Aufbaustrategie. Die Untersuchungen zeigten, dass die Auftraggeometrie und insbesondere der Materialübergang wesentlich vom Substratwerkstoff abhängig waren. Anhand eines aufgestellten Prozessfensters wurde ein Parametersatz ermittelt, welcher unabhängig von der Drahtführungstechnik nahezu identische Auftraggeometrien erzeugte. Mit Hilfe einer dynamischen Anpassung des Positionsversatzes für die jeweilige Drahtführungstechnik konnten rissfreie Aufbauten mit bidirektionaler, alternierender Aufbaustrategie generiert werden. Diese Aufbauten wurden anschließend hinsichtlich der Mikrostruktur sowie der mechanischen Eigenschaften in Abhängigkeit vom Wärmebehandlungszustand charakterisiert. Die Prozessstabilität und Reproduzierbarkeit konnte anhand von mehreren aufgebauten 3D-Geometrien mit hoher Konturtreu demonstriert werden.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an emerging and interesting technology that enables some of theproduct development projects (PDPs) to produce products that have mechanical and tribologicalproperties comparable to products that are conventionally manufactured. Selective laser melting(SLM) is an additive manufacturing technology that is predominantly used for the production of metalbased components (i.e. it could be pure metal, alloys, and metal matrix composites). This workevaluates and ranks two different steel grades produced with SLM technology in tribological andcutting tool applications at AB Sandvik Coromant. The two steel grades used in this work were Cofree maraging steel alloy and Co-free W360 AMPO alloy. Both the grades are Cobalt free, hencedeveloped as a sustainable alternative for the future. The W360 AMPO alloy is a hot-work tool steelwith high temperature wear resistance and heat resistance. The work covers the characterization ofmicrostructure and chemical composition, mechanical properties, and tribological properties toevaluate the performance of the tool steel grades when used as tool bodies in drilling applications.The microstructure and chemical composition of the additive manufactured and heat-treated tool steelswere analyzed using SEM and EDS. The mechanical properties were evaluated using micro-Vickersindentation and scratch testing while the tribological properties were evaluated using pin-on-disctesting where counter material used was quenched and tempered steel. The application test included asimulated chip wear test using chip breakers (CB’s) and an actual drilling test, both performed at ABSandvik Coromant. To study the effect of surface topography on the adhesion tendency, the simulatedchip wear test was performed on both milled and grounded chip breaker (CB) samples. The drillingtest was done with three different test-set ups; function test, 30° inclined exit, and forced tool life test.The cellular microstructure was observed on Co-free maraging steel alloy sample, while themicrostructure was tempered martensite in W360 AMPO alloy. Elemental analysis revealed thechemical composition of the two steel grades. The measured hardness for both the samples Co-freemaraging steel alloy and W360 AMPO was found to be within the specification of demands (50-52HRC), although the hardness of W360 AMPO was a bit higher than Co-free maraging steel alloy. Theresults of the pin-on-disc tests showed that the wear resistance of the W360 AMPO alloy issignificantly higher than that of the Co-free maraging steel alloy, the tribo-system used was similarwhen compared to the actual application. Also, after analyzing the pin made up of quenched andtempered steel 34CrNiMo6 (SS2541) it can be seen that due to the W360 AMPO sample the volumeloss of the pin is almost 4 times when compared to Co-free maraging steel alloy. The result from thesimulated chip wear test showed that W360 AMPO has better wear characteristics. Adhesion ofworkpiece material (SS2541) was observed on both samples. In the simulated chip wear test, thesurface topography effect was studied by performing a test on milled and grounded CBs. GroundedCBs showed less adhesion tendency compared with milled CBs on both samples but the wearcharacteristics were similar irrespective of the surface roughness. The result from the drilling testshowed wear scar was predominant on a drill with Co-free maraging steel alloy and a drill with W360AMPO alloy was intact. Future possible investigations proposed after findings from experimentalresults may lead to future work.

The main problem encountered in this thesis is the lack of research and knowledge of selective laser melted-printing with Uddeholm Dievar®. This absence of information could cause issues regarding quality and properties of the alloy as well as uncertainty regarding an appropriate heat treatment cycle. This thesis mainly focuses on observing the changes that occur in the microstructure when Uddeholm Dievar® is manufactured through the additive manufacturing (AM) method known as selective laser melting (SLM). The SLM- method consists of a high-power laser that melts together thin layers of powder, one layer at a time, until a three-dimensional product is created according to selected drawings. The methodology on which this thesis is based on is the execution of a theoretical study, scientific experiments and thermodynamic calculations. Analysis of the microstructure is performed using a scanning electron microscope with techniques such as Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The purpose of the methods are to map the constituent elements of the alloy and observe the orientation of the crystallographic phases in the atomic lattice respectively. The results show that the powder, both before and after printing, mainly consists of martensite with a low amount of residual austenite. The amount of primary carbides is relatively low and has been classified as MC (V-rich) and/or M6C (Mo- rich) type. The remaining residual austenite could be explained by the segregation of constituent alloying elements, where the carbon content is a dominant factor to why the MS -temperature lowers significantly causing the presence of retained austenite even though SLM has a cooling rate that varies between 103 and 108 [K/s]. / Det huvudsakliga problemet som denna avhandling behandlar är bristen på forskning och kunskap inom selective laser melting (SLM) 3D-printing med Uddeholm Dievar®. Avsaknaden kan leda till sämre kvalité och produktegenskaper hos legeringen. Det kan även leda till ovisshet gällande val av lämplig värmebehandling. Arbetet fokuserar på att dokumentera utformningen av stålets mikrostruktur när Uddeholm Dievar® tillverkas med den additiva tillverkningsmetoden SLM. Tillverkningsprocessen består av en högeffektslaser som detaljerat smälter samman tunna lager pulver, ett lager i taget, tills att en tredimensionell produkt skapats utefter valda ritningar. Använda metoder är; utförandet av en teoretisk studie, vetenskapliga experiment och thermodynamiska beräkningar. Analys av mikrostrukturen genomförs med hjälp av svepelektronmikroskåp där teknikerna Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) och Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) används. Syftet med EDS är att kartlägga de ingående elementen i legeringen, syftet med EBSD är att se orientering av de kristallografiska faserna i atomgittret. Resultaten visar på att legeringen, både före och efter printing, till största del består av martensit med en låg mängd restaustenit. Mängden primärkarbider är relativt låg och har klassifiserats som typen MC (V-rik) och/eller M6C (Mo- rik). Den kvarstående restausteniten kan möjligen förklaras av segringen av ingående legeringsämnen där kolhalten är en dominerande faktor som sänker MS-temperaturen. Detta gör att restaustenit förekommer trots den höga kylhastigheten som varierar mellan 103 och 108 [K/s] i SLM.

Modern manufacturing processes are under a never ending evolvement. Lowered manufacturing costs, higher part quality, shorter lead times and lower environmental impact are some important drivers for this development. Aluminum die casting is an effective and attractive process when producing components for e.g. the automotive sector. Die casting process development, and hot work tool steel development for the die casting dies has led to the state of the art of die casting today. However, with the disruptive emergence of Additive Manufacturing (AM) of hot work steel alloys, new interesting features such as improved conformal cooling channels inside die casting molds can be produced. The new way to manufacture die casting dies, need basic investigating of the AM produced hot work tool steel properties, and their applicability in this demanding hot work segment. Die casting dies face several detrimental wear mechanisms during use in production, three of which has been isolated and used for testing three AM produced steel alloys and one conventional premium hot work tool steel. The wear mechanisms simulated are; thermal fatigue, static soldering and agitated soldering. The aim is to study the AM produced steels applicability in the die casting process. The tested materials are; Premium AISI H13 grade Uddeholm Orvar Supreme, AM 1.2709, AM UAB1 and AM H13. Based on current investigations the conclusion that can be made is that with right chemistry, and right AM processing, conventional material Uddeholm Orvar Supreme still is better than AM H13. This also complies with the literature study results, showing that conventional material still is better than AM material in general. / Våra moderna tillverkningsprocesser är under ständig utveckling. Drivande motiv är minskade tillverkningskostnader, högre tillverkningskvalitet, kortade ledtider samt minskad miljöpåfrestning. Pressgjutning av aluminium är en effektiv och attraktiv tillverkningsprocess ofta använd inom till exempel fordonsindustrin. Utvecklingen av pressgjutningsteknologin har gått hand i hand med utvecklingen av det varmarbets-verktygsstål som används i gjutformarna (pressgjutningsverktyget). Den utvecklingen har lett till dagens processnivå och branschstandard. Men med den revolutionerande additiva tillverkningsteknologins (AM) intåg, och möjlighet att producera komponenter av varmarbetsstål, kommer nya intressanta möjligheter att integrera komplex geometri så som yt-parallella kylkanaler i verktyget utan att tillverkningskostnaden blir för hög etc. Det nya sättet att producera pressgjutningsverktyg ger upphov till behovet av grundläggande materialundersökningar av sådant AM-material, samt hur tillförlitligt det är i pressgjutningsverktyg med pressgjutningens krävande materialegenskapsprofil. Pressgjutningsverktyg utsätts för många förslitningsmekanismer och för höga laster, tre av dessa mekanismer har isolerats för kontrollerade tester av ett konventionellt material och tre AM materials responser. Förslitningsmekanismerna som efterliknats är; termisk utmattning, statisk soldering och agiterad soldering. Målet med undersökningarna är att studera AM producerade materials lämplighet i pressgjutningsprocessen. De material som testats är konventionella premium varmarbetsstålet Uddeholm Orvar Supreme av typ AISI H13, AM 1.2709, AM UAB1 och AM H13. Undersökningarnas slutsats är att med rätt kemisk sammansättning, och med rätt AM printing parametrar, är konventionellt material fortfarande mer applicerbart i pressgjutning än AM producerat. Den slutsatsen faller väl I samklang med resultaten från mekanisk provning som återspeglas i litteraturstudien, som visade visar att konventionellt material är generellt bättre än AM material.

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I detta examensarbete har undersökningar kring finfrästa ytor i härdat verktygsstål utförts i samarbete med verktygsstålsproducenten Uddeholms AB i Hagfors. Vid spånskärande bearbetning påverkas materialet ibland negativt. En försöksserie om totalt 90 finfrästa ytor i härdade varmarbetsstålen Uddeholm Orvar Supreme och Uddeholm Dievar har frästs, mätts och utvärderats för att ta reda på hur fräsprocessen inverkar på materialets egenskaper. Det visar sig att materialet påverkas olika mycket beroende på hur fräsningen utförs och med vilken typ av fräsverktyg som används. I detta arbete har endast ändradiefräsar av solid hårdmetall använts. Analysen av ytorna har gjorts med en rad mätmetoder så som optisk ytjämnhetsmätning, hårdhetsmätning med Vickersmetoden, restspänningsmätning med röntgendiffraktion och okulär inspektion av stålets mikrostruktur i ljusmikroskop. Mätningarna utfördes för att se hur materialet påverkas mekaniskt av bearbetningen.   I de mest ogynnsamma försöksfallen är den mekaniska påverkan från fräsbearbetningen av stålets ytor så stor att bearbetningen riskerar försämra tillverkade komponenters livslängd sett ur utmattningssynpunkt. Målet med arbetet är att identifiera det mest gynnsamma sätt fräsningen kan utföras på för att kunna minimera påverkan på materialets egenskaper. Detta ger möjligheten för Uddeholms AB att ge faktabaserade råd till sina kunder om vilket körsätt som ger minsta påverkan av verktygsstålet vid bearbetning. Kunderna kan nyttja då materialet till dess fulla kapacitet. / In this thesis, investigations on hardened finish milled surfaces was done in collaboration with the tool steel manufacturer Uddeholms AB in Hagfors, Sweden. The steel material is affected by machining operations, sometimes in a negative destructive manner. An experimental test series containing a total of 90 surfaces in hot work steels Uddeholm Orvar Supreme and Uddeholm Dievar were milled, measured and evaluated to clarify the milling operations effect on the steels mechanical properties. It was found that the material is affected differently according to how the milling was preformed and with which type of milling tool. In this thesis, only solid carbide end-radius milling tools were used. The surface analysis were conducted with a range of measuring techniques including optical surface roughness measurements, hardness measurements in Vickers scale, residual stress measurements with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microstructural analysis with optical light microscope. These measurements were conducted in order to determine the milling operations mechanical affects and grade of alteration of the tool steels surfaces. In the least favorable cases, the effect from machining are so profound, that degradation of produced components can be expected in terms of fatigue wear resistance. The goal of the thesis is to identify the most favorable process parameters, in order to minimize degradation of the tooling material in customer user cases, together with the opportunity to give fact based advice to Uddeholms AB customers on the most favorable process parameters in finish milling with radius-mills of hardened hot work tool steels. In this way the customer can utilize the tooling material at its full potential.