To improve and control the mechanical properties of low alloy steel, the influence of quenching and tempering process conditions was investigated. In the case of quenching heat treatment, a comparison was made between the conventional method of heating to the austenite region followed by single quenching and a method involving double quenching, followed by high-temperature tempering. It was observed that specimens subjected to double quenching exhibited significantly finer tempered microstructures compared to those subjected to conventional quenching, resulting in noticeably higher hardness. Additionally, a study was conducted to investigate the variation in hardness with changes in tempering temperature and time after the same conventional quenching treatment. As expected, an increase in tempering temperature or time led to a decrease in hardness, and the correlation between hardness and the Hollomon-Jeffe Parameter was confirmed. It was also observed that during high-temperature tempering, the size of carbides significantly increased.
(Received July 8, 2024; Revised July 22, 2024; July 24, 2024)