Effect of Heat Treatment Process on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 12Cr1MoV Steel

The effect of heat treatment process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 12Cr1MoV steel was studied by heat treatment simulation test with different normalizing and tempering process. The results show that the normal microstructure of 12Cr1MoV steel after normalizing and tempering was bainite and ferrite, or bainite, ferrite and pearlite, or ferrite and pearlite. If the tempering temperature was too high or the normalizing cooling rate was too low, it would generate yellow martensite in two-phase region or carbide containing vanadium precipitating accumulatively along the grain boundary and in the grain respectively, which would significantly reduce the mechanical properties of the steel.