The Effect of Silicon on Hardenability

BY WALTERCRAFTS,*
MEMBERA.I.M.E., AND JOHNL. LAMONT*
(Cleveland Meeting, October 1942)

THEprinciple formulated by Grossmannl TESTINGPROCEDURE

for calculating hardenability of steel by Steels on which the study of the effect of
multiplying the ideal diameter of "pure" silicon on hardenability was based were
iron-carbon alloys by factors for grain size made in high-frequency induction furnaces
and alloying elements has been confirmed using Armco iron and standard alloying
on many steels and has proved useful in de- materials. The ingots were forged to bars,
signing substitute alloy steels. Grossmann and sections were normalized prior to
found that the typical behavior of the machining Jominy hardenability test speci-
multiplying factors was to increase directly mens. The Jominy test was carried out
in proportion to the amount of the alloy under standard c o n d i t i ~ n s .The
~ depth of
present in a steel. However, the multiplying hardness penetration for determination of
factor for the effect of silicon on harden- ideal diameter a t "half hardness" was
ability was found by Grossmann to taken a t the hardness level indicated in
increase to a lesser degree as the amount of Fig. 29 in Grossmann's paper by the solid
silicon was increased. I n view of the in- line for 50 per cent martensite in plain car-
creasing use of silicon in heat-treating bon steel. The depth of penetration of
steels, the effect of silicon on hardenability hardness on the Jominy specimen was
is becoming more important. Calculation of converted to ideal diameter by the relation
the hardenability of high-silicon steels given in Fig. 28 of Grossmann's paper.
made at the Union Carbide and Carbon Chemical analysis was determined on a
Research Laboratories, Inc., indicated that sample taken adjacent to the Jominy
the multiplying factor for silicon increased specimen. Aluminum was determined as
directly in proportion to the amount of "acid-soluble aluminum" rather than as
silicon present. A more extended study of total aluminum, as it is probably more
high-silicon steels covering fairly wide representative of the aluminum that is
ranges of grain size, carbon, manganese, effective as an alloying agent. I n addition
and aluminum has confirmed that up to to the elements nominally present in the
z per cent silicon the multiplying factoris steels, analyses were made for residual
directly proportional to the silicon content. phosphorus, sulphur, nickel, copper, molyb-
Manganese and aluminum factors have denum and chromium on one heat of those
also been! determined. The results of the made with the same materials during the
study offer strong confirmation of the same period. Actual grain size was deter-
general validity of Grossmann's multiply- mined by microscopic examination of
ing principle. small samples quenched in water after
Manuscript received at the ol the receiving the same thermal cycle as the
Institute Oct. 8, 1942. Issued in METALS Jominy hardenability specimens.
TECHNOLOGY, January 1943.
Chemical analyses, heat-treatment, grain
* Research Metallurgist, Union Carbide and
Carbon Research Laboratories, Inc.. Niagara size, and hardenability are shown in Table
Falls. N. Y.
1 References are a t the end of the paper. I representing three ranges of composition.
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 ,
Chemical Analysis. Per Cent Half Hardness
Heat
No.
--

C
I
M n P I 1 ii Ni 1 1
----

Cu
Cr
Mo
1 1
1
Acid-

cent
Normalizing
Temperature.
Deg. C.
Quenching
Temperature,
Deg. C.
Average
A S.T.M.
~ ; a i nSize
JDo m
g hi ".~ Diargter.
Ideal

C, 0.40--0.55 per cent; Mn, 1.50-1.75; Si,0.20-1.0; Al,

RANGEOF COMPOSITION: >O.IO

C, 0.20-0.30 per cent; Mn, 0.50-1.75; Si,0.20-1.0; Al,

RANGEOF COMPOSITION: <O.IO

0.20 0.83 0.018 0.031 0.64 0.055 ) 0.09 0.006 0.019 0.043
0 . 2 0 ~ 0 . 8 8 / 0 0 1 8 ~ 0 . 0 I~. 01 2/ ~ 0 . 0 5 5 0 . 0 9 ) 0 . 0 0 6 ) 0 . 0 1 9 / 0.051 ( 925
925

P. S, Ni, Cu, Mo, and Cr determined on another steel made during same period.
I 900
900
 WALTER CRAFTS AND JOHN L. LAMONT 389
There is also a tendency for high-manganese
The multiplying factor for silicon was steels to be above the line and for low-
first calculated by Grossmann's method manganese steels to be below the line.
and with his factors for other alloys, except These deviations suggested that the multi-

FIG. 2.-MULTIPLYINGFACTOR FOR SOLWLE

ALUMINUM.

aluminum, on the 0.40 to 0.55 per cent plying factor for manganese was not
carbon steels of Table I. I n Fig. I are shown sufficiently high to represent the increment
plotted against silicon content the ratios of of hardenability conferred by manganese.
ideal diameter established experimentally For this reason, a multiplying factor for
to the ideal diameter calculated from manganese was determined for these steels.
Grossmann's ideal diameter for carbon and I n calculating the multiplying factor for
grain size multiplied by his factors for manganese, it was assumed that Gross-
manganese, phosphorus, sulphur, nickel, mann's values for carbon, grain size,
copper, molybdenum, chromium and the phosphorus, sulphur, nickel, copper, molyb-
acid-soluble aluminum factor shown in denum and chromium were correct and
Fig. 2. The line representing the trend of that, with appropriate factors for manga-
individual points is straight and does not nese, silicon, and acid-soluble aluminum,
bend to the right as indicated by Gross- no other constituents affected the harden-
mann. Thus it would appear that the ability. With this assumption, the equation
multiplying factor for the effect of silicon for calculation of ideal diameter by Gross-
on hardenability is proportional to the mann's principle is as follows (the multi-
amount present over the range studied plying function j is the slope of the
from 0.20 to 2.0 per cent silicon. multiplying factor line) :
The trend line in Fig. I does not pass
+
[DI(C and grain size)][^ f ( % Mn)]
through the multiplying factor of 1.0 a t
zero silicon, as it should do when the incre-
+ +
[I f ( % Si)1[1 j ( % A1)ltetc.I = DI
ments of hardenability contributed by all Because of the difficulties of calculation
of the constituents in the steel are included with three unknown factors, the multi-
in the respective multiplying factors. plying factor for acid-soluble aluminum
3 go THE EPEECT OF SlLICON ON HARDENABILITY

was determined graphically. Factors for multiplying factor for acid-soluble alumi-
manganese and silicon were first determined num was found to agree closely with the
roughly for steels of similar aluminum initially determined value, and is shown in
content. The corresponding multiplying Fig. 2. In the hardenability equation this

% si
MULTIPLYING FACTORS F O R AXANGANESE AND SILICON \-S.SILICON.

factor for ahiminum was then determined factor is represented by the following
and introduced into the redetermination of expression:
factors for manganese and silicon. These
manganese and silicon factors were then [I + (0.93)(% A1)1
calculated more accurately and used to I n Figs. 3 and 4 are shown ratios of ideal
redetermine the aluminum factor. This diameter determined experimentally to
 WALTER CRAFTS AND JOHN L. LAMONT 39I

theoretical ideal diameter calculated with- The lines are not parallel, as they would be
out manganese and silicon factors. The if the multiplying factors were additive,
ratios, therefore, represent the combined but fan out a t higher levels of alloy content
product of the multiplying factors for because they represent a product of
manganese and silicon. Trend lines repre- multiplication.

% Yn
FIG. 5.-MULTIPLYINGFACTOR FOR MAN- FIG. 6.-MULTIPLYINGEACTOR FOR MAN-
GANESE. 0.40 TO 0.55 PER CENT CARBON, < 0.10 GANESE. 0.40 TO 0.55 PER CENT CARBON, > 0.10
PER CENT SOLUBLE ALUMINUM STEEL. PER CENT SOLUBLE ALUMINUM STEEL.

0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

% ul
FIG. 7.-MULTIPLYINGFACTOR FOR MANGA- FIG.8.-COMPARISON OF MULTIPLYING FACTORS
NESE. 0.20 TO 0.30 PER CENT CARBON STEEL. F O R MANGANESE.

senting close approximation to the points The correlation of the multiplying factor
a t graduated levels of manganese and sili- for hardenability conferred by manganese
con were drawn, and the respective separate alone with the experimentally determined
multiplying factors were calculated. I n the values is shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. The
-
hardenability equation these lines may be points represent the ratio between ideal
represented by the product of the following diameter determined experimentally and
expressions for the effects of manganese and ideal diameter calculated from Gross-
silicon on hardenability: mann's factors except for t h g acid-soluble
aluminum factor given in Fig. 2 and the
392 T H E E F F E C T O F SILICON ON HARDENABILITY

silicon factor given in Figs. 9 to 11. As through 1.0 a t zero alloy content. Thus it is
illustrated in Fig. 8, the multiplying factor apparent that the higher manganese factor
determined for manganese on these steels is sufficient topexplain the discrepancies of
is slightly higher than that determined by Fig. I. From this it would seem that,
Grossmann. beyond the effects of the elements taken

% Si % si
FIG. 9.--MULTIPLYING FACTOR F O R SILICON. FIG. 10.-~&~ULTIPLYING FACTOR FOR SILICON
0.40 T O 0.55 PER CENT CARBON, < 0.10 PER CENT 0.40 TO 0.55 P E R CENT CARBON, > 0.10 P E R
SOLUBLE ALUMINUM STEEL. CENT SOLUBLE ALUMINUM STEEL.

FIG. 11.-MULTIPLYINGFACTOR FOR SILICON. FIG. I 2.-COMPARISON

OP MULTIPLYING PACTOR
0.20 TO 0.30 PER CENT CARBON STEEL. FOR SILICON.

The multiplying factor for hardenability into the calculations, there is no other
conferred by silicon alone is shown in Figs. constituent in the steel that exerts a
9, 10 and 11. The multiplying factor found material influence on the hardenability.
for silicon in these steels is a straight line
from 0.20 to 2.0 per cent silicon and, as
shown in Fig. 12, no confirmation was
found of the tendency reported by Gross- I n drawing conclusions from this study
mann for the factor to increase proportion- of the effect of silicon on hardenability, it
ately less a t higher silicon contents. I t is should be noted that the steels tested were
also notable that, within the limits of error made in the laboratory and that the results
in the data, the multiplying factors for both have not been checked against commercial
manganese and silicon appear to pass material. The hardenability was measured
 DISCUSSION 393

by the depth a t "half hardness" on Jominy from those obtained in our early tests, and we
specimens instead of by the direct micro- have to admit that their values seem to be
scopic examination of quenched bars, reliable.
therefore the results may not be directly In the case of manganese, the departure from
comparable with the multiplying factors our results, while not very great, seems never-
theless to be indicated very definitely by their
determined by Grossmann. With these
data. With silicon, while their results are not
limitations the following conclusions have
greatly different from ours in the lower range,
been reached : the values in the higher ranges, from I to 2 per
I. Multiplying factors for the harden- cent Si, depart radically from the few data
ability conferred by silicon, manganese, and obtained by us. We are inclined to think that
acid-soluble aluminum have been cleter- some elements unknown to us may have in-
mined and found to be applicable within validated our earlier factor, especially in view
the range of 0.20 to 0.55 per cent carbon, of the continuous linear relationship which
0.50 to 1.75 per cent manganese, 0.20 to they show. We are still a t a loss to know why
2.0 per cent silicon and u p to 0.40 per cent
this simple linear relationship apparently holds
for so many elements, and we look forward to
acid-soluble aluminum. (No test has been
further work by these authors.
made of steel with minimum carbon and
manganese and maximum silicon and
W. CRAFTSAND J. L. LAMONT.-T~~ COm-
aluminum contents.) ments by Dr. Grossmann are greatly appre-
2. The multiplying factor for silicon has ciated. No explanation for the difference in
been found to increase directly in propor- silicon factors is obvious. For manganese i t
tion to the silicon content up to a t least is believed probable that the minor difference
2 per cent silicon. was due to drawing the factor line "through the
3. The steels tested in this investigation origin and parallel to the trend" in Grossmann's
have confirmed the Grossmann principle Figs. 13 and 14. This is equivalent to addition
of hardenability calculation b y multipli- rather than multiplication of factors and would
tend to make Grossmann's factor somewhat
cation of factors for each alloy present in
lower. I t is, therefore, believed that there is no
the steel.
real difference between the two manganese
factors that cannot be explained by the method
of calculation.
I. M. A. Grossmann: Trans. A.I.M.E. (1942)
150, 227.
z. S.A.E. Handbook ( ~ 9 4 2 )315-324, J. FIELD,Bethlehem, Pa.-Messrs. Crafts
and Lamont have shown that the multiplying
DISCUSSION factor for silicon, using the Grossmann system,
increases in direct proportion to increase in
(John S. Marsh presiding) silicon content. This is in contrast to the curve
shown by Grossmann in his original paper. The
M. A. GROSSMANN,* Chicago, Ill.-The writers have also found that the multiplying
writer was glad to have an opportunity to study factor for manganese is slightly higher than the
the manuscript of this paper, and wishes to values shown by Grossmann.
express admiration for the care with which the These new values for silicon and manganese
experiments were carried out. Needless to say, were based on Jominy tests made on 44 heats
we were very pleased to find that the authors of various silicon and manganese contents
were able to confirm the possibility of evaluat- shown in Table I . From these tests, the D I
ing hardenability by the use of multiplying values were found by noting the distance on the
factors. Jominy curve a t which the 50 per cent marten-
In two respects their values differ somewhat site hardness occurred and converting this
distance into "ideal critical diameter" (Dl)in
accordance with Figs. 28 and 29 of Grossmann's
* Director of Research, Carnegie-Illinois
Steel Corporation. original paper.l The D I values thus obtained
 394 THE EFFECT O F S I L K (3 N ON HARDENABILITY

were then used for deriving the new curves for as yet determined the exact silicon contetlt at
silicon and manganese. which the curve ceases to be linear.
I n reversing this process to recalculate the I would appreciate the authors' explanation
D Ivalues, using the new values for silicon and of these apparent discrepancies.
manganese, I am a t a loss to explain the dis-
crepancy that exists between the calculated W. CRAF.J.SAND J. 1,. L A M O N T . - T ~authors
~
values and the values given in Table I . For are gratified to learn that Mr. Field's tests con-
example, I havq selected several heats shown firm the proportional increase in hardenability
in Table I and calculated the D Ivalues from factor with silicon in the ranges up to 2 per cent
the chemical analysis and grain size, using the Si. I t is to be anticipated thal this linear rela-
silicon, manganese, and soluble aluminum tion will be modified by the persistencc of
factors developed by Crafts and Lamont. The ferrite and difliculty of obtaining homogeneous
disagreement between the values thus cal- austenite a t higher silicon levels. The devia-
culated and the values shown in Table I is tions from the average that were found in
apparent (Table 2 ) . individual heats may result from error in
TABLE2.-Comparison of Calculated Va.lues analysis, heat-treatment, hardness measure-
with Values of Table I ment, grain-size estimation, etc., or from some
deficiency in the Grossmann multiplying princi-
1 Heat No. 18 Heat No. 24 Heat No. 35 ple for calculating hardenability. I n heats 18
and 35, the deviations from the average are

-,I-
1 1 I
-
I
I Table Calcu- Table Calcu
lated 1 lated-
--
Table Calcu-
1 lated
fairly typical and probably are caused by minor
errors. Heat 24 is further from the average than
most of the other steels, but as it represents
the extremes of the manganese and silicon
ranges studied, it is not possible to conclude
that the deviation is entirely due to an ac-
cumulation of small errors, as i t might be due
in part to a nonlinear tendency of a multiplying
factor. However, over the range of compositions
studied, the typical and even the extreme
deviations from linear proportionality are not
considered to justify any modification of
Work t h a t I have done t o date on Jominy Grossmann's multiplying principle for the
tests varying in silicon content from 0.75 to hardenability factors up to 2 per cent man-
3.50 per cent substantiates the proportional ganese, 2 per cent silicon, and 0.5 per cent
effect for silicon found b y Crafts and Lamont. aluminum. Mr. Field's question regarding the
There is some evidence, however, based on these reasonable degree of deviation is appreciated
results, that above 2 . 0 0 per cent the curve for and emphasizes the need for great care in
the silicon factor is no longer linear. I have not establishing a n d utilizing hardenability factors.