Precipitation hardened Stainless steel

Precipitation hardening stainless steels are chromium and nickel

containing steels that provide an optimum combination of the properties of
martensitic and austenitic grades. Like martensitic grades, they are known for
their ability to gain high strength through heat treatment and they also have the
corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steels. In 1906, precipitation
hardening of metals was accidentally discovered on the aluminum-copper alloy
called “Duralumin” by the German metallurgist Alfred Wilm. It took about 15
years after this finding to fully understand and then exploit the mechanism of
precipitation hardening.

Common spring grades of precipitation-hardening stainless steel are 17-7PH, 17-

4PH and PH15-7Mo.
(i)The 17–4PH (17%Cr, 4% Ni with 0.25% Cb, 3.6% Cu) alloy is transformed
to low carbon martensite on cooling from austenite and is hardened by ageing at
480 °C due to the precipitation Cb-Cu compound.
(ii) 17–7PH (with 1.15% Al) and PH15–7Mo (with 1.15% Al, 2.25% Mo)
alloys are semi-austenitic (also contains delta-iron) after solution treatment and
requires a more complicated series of heat treatments to produce a precipitation-
hardened martensite.

Chemical composition:
Typical chemical compositions of precipitation-hardened steel are listed below:
Element %percentage Element %percentage
Carbon 0.0-0.07 Sulphur 0.0-0.03
Chromium 15-17 Nickel 3.0-5.0
Silicon 0.0-0.7 Copper 3.0-5.0
Manganese 0.0-1.5 Molybdenum 0.0-0.6
Phosphorus 0.0-0.04 Iron Balanced

Heat Treatment:
The key to the properties of precipitation hardening stainless steels lies in
heat treatment. In general, the strengthening process is performed in the
following three steps:
1.Solution treatment. This process consists of a relatively high-
temperature treatment that allows any precipitates and alloying elements to
dissolve, or go into a supersaturated “solution.” Typical solution heat treatment
is done around 1800° to 1950°F for most stainless steels. This treatment can be
done during the hot-rolling process and is sometimes referred to as a “Mill
Anneal” or “Condition A.
2. Quenching or cooling. After the alloys are brought into solution, the
metal is cooled to about room temperature. Cooling can be done in air, oil or
water, but must be accomplished fast enough to obtain a supersaturated solid
solution. The cooling rate during this operation can be critical to the final
performance of the wire. A slow cooling rate from a high temperature tends to
produce a coarser grain size than a faster cooling rate from a lower tem-
perature. Material performance can be improved by creating a finer grain size at
this point.
 3. Precipitation or age hardening. The super- saturated solid solution
decomposes with time or temperature as the alloying elements form small
precipitate clusters. The formation of these clusters act to significantly
strengthen the material. In some alloy systems, these precipitates form at room
temperature with the passing of time; this process is then called “natural aging.”
When heat is used to harden the material, the process is sometimes referred to
as “artificial” aging.

Application:
Due to the high strength of precipitation hardening stainless steels, most
applications are in aerospace and other high-technology industries.
Applications include:
o Gears
o Valves and other engine components
o High strength shafts
o Turbine blades
o Moulding dies
o Nuclear waste casks

Corrosion resistance:
Precipitation hardening stainless steels have moderate to good corrosion
resistance in a range of environments. They have a better combination of
strength and corrosion resistance than when compared with the heat treatable
400 series martensitic alloys.
In warm chloride environments, 17-4 PH is susceptible to pitting and crevice
corrosion. When aged at 550°C or higher, 17-4 PH is highly resistant to stress
corrosion cracking. Better stress corrosion cracking resistance comes with
higher ageing temperatures.
Heat resistance:
17-4 PH has good oxidation resistance. In order to avoid reduction in
mechanical properties, it should not be used over its precipitation hardening
temperature. Prolonged exposure to 370-480°C should be avoided if ambient
temperature toughness is critical.

Fabrication:
Fabrication of all stainless steels should be done only with tools dedicated
to stainless steel materials or tooling and work surfaces must be thoroughly
cleaned before use. These precautions are necessary to avoid cross
contamination of stainless steel by easily corroded metals that may discolour the
surface of the fabricated product.

Machinability:
In the annealed condition, 17-4 PH has good machinability, similar to that
of 304 stainless steel. After hardening heat treatment, machining is difficult but
possible.
Carbide or high-speed steel tools are normally used with standard lubrication.
When strict tolerance limits are required, the dimensional changes due to heat
treatment must be taken into account