Fatigue Properties of Heat-Treated 30MSV6 Vanadium Microalloyed Steel

In the present study, 30MSV6 microalloyed steel was heat treated under different conditions, and the relation between its microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the microstructure of the heat-treated steel, and the effect of microstructure on tensile strength and fatigue behavior was determined. Microstructural analysis indicated that precipitates were formed at different sites such as grain boundaries and sub-grain boundaries. Furthermore, microstructural studies accompanied by the evaluation of mechanical properties revealed that the optimal heat treatment cycle of 30MSV6 microalloyed steel involved austenitization at 1223 K for 1 h and cooling in air to room temperature, followed by aging at 873 K for 1.5 h. The optimal heat treatment cycle resulted in significant improvement in the fatigue strength, tensile strength, and ductility because of the development of a uniform distribution of fine precipitates in a refined microstructure. The fatigue limit under optimum conditions (~384 MPa) was greater than that under other conditions (~321 and 312 MPa).