| In this study, the effects of rapid induction heating on the microstructure, mechanical properties and sag resistance of a traditional spring steel (SAE 9254) and 3 microalloyed spring steels (HDS12L, StelR MM and 9250MV) were investigated. Results show that in all alloys, induction heating lead to a reduction in surface decarburization and a refinement in microstructure as compared to furnace heated counterparts. Mechanical properties of the traditional alloy were found to be comparable to the microalloyed steels and all alloys performed at levels exceeding minimum industry standards. Bauschinger effect measurements revealed that the microalloyed steels may demonstrate a marginally superior sag resistance to the traditional spring steel. As such, induction heating promises to be a viable treatment method to attain favourable properties in traditional spring steels, possibly eliminating the need for their more expensive microalloyed counterparts. |
