Effects of isothermal transformation conditions on the microstructure and hardness values of a high-carbon Al–Si alloyed steel

In this investigation, the microstructure and hardness of a high-strength high-carbon steel containing 0.80 wt.% silicon and 0.84 wt.% aluminum have been evaluated under different austempering conditions. Austempering was performed at temperatures of 300, 330 and, 360 °C for different times from 1 to 8 h. Observations carried out by light optical microscopy (LOM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the austempered samples have a...