Resistance to intercrystalline brittle fracture of 18Kh2N4VA steel after hardening

Antimony atoms have been studied for their tendency to form segregations in 18Kh2N4VA steel at high temperatures in the austenite range. Lowering of the austenite heating temperature causes an increase in the antimony atom concentration at the initial austenite grain boundaries, thus inhibiting the intercrystalline crack propagation in the steel after its hardening. Estimates are made for the energy of the antimony atom interaction with the grain boundaries in austenite (1.3+-0.2 eV). The Gutman model has been used to analyze the effect of alloying elements on the energy of the antimony atom interaction with the grain boundaries