Project Description
The objective of this project is to investigate the kinetics of spheroidization heat treatments of plain-carbon steels. Spheroidization heat treatments are performed to plain carbon steels to generate a low-strength and high-ductility microstructure in the steel so that the material is more deformable. This is an important step in the manufacturing process of steel fasteners. The kinetics of spheroidization are important to understand to better control industrial heat treatment processes and to make the processing more economical. An important aspect in manufacturing is to understand how the heat treatment conditions can be best optimized for steels of different compositions. Spheroidization is done by exposing steels to temperatures of 600 to 800 °C for 1-100 hours. In this project, we will perform spheroidization heat treatments on a series of plain-carbon steels with different compositions. Samples will be processed and then characterized to measure the degree of spheroidization. The resulting data will then be used to determine the kinetics of the heat treatment and see how those kinetics relate back to the compositions of the steel.
Tasks and Responsibilites
The student will go through safety training appropriate for working in the laboratory. Sample preparation of steel samples will be done using abrasive saws and polishing equipment. The student will use a tube furnace to heat treat samples at various temperatures for specific times. After heat treating, the student will prepare the samples for optical microscopy and then obtain images from the microscope at 1,000x magnification. The images will be analyzed with a digital image analysis program and the data further analyzed in Excel. This is an excellent set of hands-on skills used in many aspects of Materials Engineering and ideally suited for a student interested in metals and alloys. The student will also be asked to prepare weekly updates on status and progress. Additional expectations include a write-up at the end of the summer and preparation of a poster for a future UWM research event.
Desired Qualifications
None