Relationship between ultrasonic characteristics and mechanical properties of tempered martensitic stainless steel

This research studied the relationship between the ultrasonic characteristics and the mechanical properties of tempered CA-15 martensitic stainless steel (MSS). The results show that, for as-quenched specimens, a chromium carbide film at the martensitic boundary of the as-cast specimen will disappear causing a change in the mechanical properties (e.g., the tensile strength is decreased or the hardness and the toughness are increased). For the tempered MSS, the correlation of the ultrasonic velocity and the tensile strength, hardness, and toughness is not obvious. However, there is a highly positive correlation with the elastic modulus (E) of the material. For the ultrasonic attenuation evaluation, the attenuation coefficient (α) has a positive correlation with the tensile strength and the hardness, while there is a negative correlation with the toughness and the elongation. Also, a higher-frequency probe would cause the better sensitivity, but the data are relatively dispersed.