The diploma thesis investigates the influence of the aging process on the thermal properties, electrical resistivity, and hardness of 17-4 PH stainless steel. The main objective was to determine when precipitation from the martensitic matrix begins and how these changes affect the thermal and electrical properties of the material. The research is based on experimental measurements of samples subjected to aging heat treatments at different temperatures, as specified by the AMS 5604E standard.
In the solution-annealed condition (Condition A), the steel exhibited the lowest thermal conductivity (13,47 W/(m·K)), resulting from strong electron scattering caused by lattice defects due to the high supersaturation of alloying elements in the matrix. In the H900 condition (aged at 482 °C for 1 hour), the thermal conductivity increased to 15,98 W/(m·K) due to the precipitation of copper-rich phases (ε-Cu) and lattice rearrangement, which reduced electron scattering. At higher aging temperatures (496, 552, 579, 596 and 621 °C) and four-hour aging time, thermal conductivity continued to rise as precipitates grew and the lattice further stabilized, though the effect became less pronounced.
Electrical resistivity measurements during heating of the sample in Condition A (solution annealed and quenched) revealed that precipitation begins at 369,2 °C and concludes at 477,7 °C. Within this temperature range, resistivity decreases due to matrix ordering and reduced electron scattering. The final precipitation temperature coincides with the aging temperature for the H900 condition. Above this temperature, resistivity increased again due to enhanced atomic vibrations in the crystal lattice.
The steel reached peak hardness (42,8 HRC) after aging at 482 °C/1 hour (H900), where the copper precipitates were finest and most effective in hindering dislocation motion. At higher aging temperatures, hardness gradually decreased due to precipitate coarsening and the formation of reverted austenite. The lowest hardness (29,2 HRC) was observed after aging at 621 °C (H1150), falling below the hardness of the solution-annealed Condition A (31,66 HRC).
The experimental results align with theoretical expectations and provide insight into optimizing heat treatment to achieve desired mechanical and physical properties.
|