Performance analysis of heat treated AISI 1020 steel samples on the basis of various destructive mechanical testing and microstructural behaviour

The present work deals with assessment of heat treated AISI 1020, a low carbon steel (0.2%-C), on the basis of various destructive testing and microstructural behaviour. The steels samples were heated above the lower critical temperature range, i.e. up to 750 degrees C. The cooling rate of all the samples was different. Mainly, three different cooling medium were taken. They are: water, air and sand. These three heat treated samples were compared with as received sample. Hence the final condition of all the four samples is: as received; normalised; sand cooled; water quenched. After a proper preparation, samples were undergone through various mechanical tests, such as, tension test, shear test, hardness test, and impact test. In addition, the microstructural images, captured by an optical microscope, of all the samples were observed and analysed. The mechanical properties and microstructural attributes obtained in 'heat treated' samples were compared with those results of 'as received' samples. From the present experimental analysis, it was found that heat treatment processes significantly changed/improved the desired properties of the AISI 1020 steel samples.