Selecting the thermo-cyclic treatment’s optimum parameters based analysis of fractal surfaces indicators

Abstract

Optimization of complex modes of heat treatments, in which control the properties of processed steel occurs by varying the large number of parameters, is quite time-consuming process. The influence of thermal processes on the formation of the metal structure manifested at the level of micro- and meso-sizes, which are realized qualitatively different mechanisms of destruction. Method of multi-factual description of the fracture’s surfaces, which was got after tests of mechanical properties, was used for the choice of the optimum thermo-cyclic mode with the variable temperatures T_max and T_min in cycles in this work. It vas founded the number of TCT-mode’s cycles and order changing T_max affect the processes of dislocation motion and the formation of micro-voids in the metal. This work shows the relationship between these processes and fractal indices. Fractal indices of micro levels correlate to the dislocation density of the structure, and the meso-level indices - to the percentage reduction of area at fracture. It was proved that the analysis of the topography of the fracture’s surfaces using fractal indices to determine the optimal combination of processing parameters required to obtain the best mechanical properties. The new TCT-modes with variable temperature settings can be seen as reinforcing thermal technology that promotes self-organization phase-structural state of steels because it is able to generate an effective barrier to the movement of dislocations and cracks promotion