Standard Specification for Steel Bars Subject to Restricted End-Quench Hardenability Requirements

Abstract

This specification covers hot-worked alloy and carbon-boron steels designed to attain restricted depth of hardening in the end-quench test. These steel compositions are identified by the suffix letter “RH” added to the conventional grade number. The steel shall be made by one or more of the following primary processes: open-hearth, basic-oxygen, or electric furnace. The primary melting may incorporate separate degassing or ladle refining and may be followed by secondary melting using electroslag remelting or vacuum arc remelting. Where secondary melting is employed, the heat shall be defined as all the ingots remelted from a single primary heat. Immediately after hot working, the bars shall be allowed to cool when necessary to a temperature below the critical range under suitable conditions, to prevent injury by too rapid cooling. The steel shall have an austenitic grain size of five to eight. The grain structure shall be considered satisfactory when a minimum of 70% of the rated grains are within the specified size limits. Hardenability values specified are based on fine-grain steels and are not applicable to coarse-grain steel. All forged and rolled hardenability test specimens must be normalized prior to testing. Cast specimens need not be normalized.