Effects of alloying elements on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Cr12MoV cold-working die steel

A group of orthogonal experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of alloying elements on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Cr12MoV cold-working die steel. The results indicate that the solidification structures are mainly composed of equiaxed grains with reticular eutectic carbides precipitated at grain boundaries. While Mo has little effect on grain size, the structures could be effectively refined by V and Ce, and Ce addition is beneficial for breaking up the grain boundary eutectic networks. The compressive yield strength and micro-hardness increase with increasing V content and decreasing Ce content. For Mo, the yield strength and micro-hardness reach their maximum values at 0.5 wt.% and 0.9 wt.% respectively. Overall, considering the grain size number, micro-hardness and yield strength, the optimal contents of Mo, V and Ce are given.