Spray forming high speed steel-properties and processing

The potential of spray forming (SF) for microstructural refining can be attractive to the production of high speed steels. The refined as-cast structure may lead to important improvements of material properties, compared to conventionally cast materials. The present work aimed to compare the properties of AISI M3:2 high speed steel produced through spray forming and conventional casting. Also, the processing of SF billet is considered, specifically the hot working conditions and its relation to carbide size. A round 400 mm diameter SF billet was produced using a twin atomiser. Characterisation was performed in the as-cast structure and after hot working to 116 mm squared bars and 11 mm diameter round bars. The results show that, compared to conventionally cast high speed steel, the SF material has higher isotropy in toughness due to its less oriented carbide distribution. Regarding processing procedures, time and temperature employed in heating before hot working also affect the microstructure of SF material. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.