Development of new generation of tool steels by modification in chemical composition, grain refinement, and cryogenic treatment

DK SPEC is a major producer of cutting tool steels for the Canadian wood industry. A combination of High strength, good toughness, and wear resistance determines the quality of a tool steel. In the framework of Engage, EngagePlus and MITACS acceleration projects, an advanced heat treatment cycle by cryogenic cooling at temperatures as low as -100 °C was developed. The application of the above cycle resulted in a 75% reduction in processing time and improvement in wear resistance (+20%). However, in-depth thermodynamic and microstructural studies in the last three years showed that the chemical composition and microstructure of conventional tool steels do not meet the entire requirements for the cryogenic treatment. Therefore, the main objective of the project is to study new alloys compositions as well as new microstructure modification methods (e.g. cold or warm deformations) prior to the cryogenic treatment to achieve the superior mechanical properties required by industry.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mohammad Jahazi

Student:

Hadi Ghasemi Nanesa

Partner:

DK-SPEC

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Aerospace and defense

University:

Program: