Effect of Heat-treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of an Automotive Body Steel

AISI 1035 medium carbon steel is widely used in the automotive industry such as body, motor parts, gear, and shaft due to its heat treatment ability, toughness, and mechanical strength. In this study, the effect of heat treatment (annealing, normalizing, water quenching and oil quenching) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AISI 1035 steel is investigated. The prepared steel samples were heat-treated in the specific industrial conditions and cooled by designed cycles in different media. Tensile tests, as well as the hardness examinations, were carried out using standard methods and the microstructure of the samples was investigated using an optical microscope. Results showed that the annealed sample with the ferrite-perlite microstructure has the lowest tensile strength and hardness value against the highest toughness and ductility

Keywords:

Heat treatment , Mechanical properties , Microstructure , Automotive body steel