Machines. Technologies. Materials.
Vol. 19 (2025), Issue 10, pg(s) 407-410

MATERIALS

Effect of titanium addition on the microstructure of precipitation-hardened martensitic stainless steel

  • 1 National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Bucharest, Romania
  • 2 National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Faculty of Industrial Technology and Robotics, Bucharest, Romania

Abstract

The work aimed to evaluate the effect of microalloying titanium in proportions of 1 to 5 wt.% on the microstructure and microhardness of a precipitation-hardenable martensitic stainless steel. The standard chemical composition of martensitic steel 17-4PH was used, to which 1; 2; 3; 4 and 5 wt.% Ti was added, respectively. Microstructural analyses revealed changes in the crystal grains and precipitation effects from the solid solution of the alloy. Microhardness measurements were also performed, which demonstrated that withincreasing Ti content in the alloy the metallic matrix becomes harder. The study confirms that microalloying with Ti is beneficial for the development of martensitic stainless steels to increase mechanical properties, even without the application of subsequent heat treatments.
The results obtained in this work represent a starting point for the development of new customized alloy recipes, adapted to specific applications, where a high value of hardness, as well as microstructural stability or wear resistance are required.

Keywords

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