D3 COLD WORK TOOL STEEL
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STRESS
RELIEVING |
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| Heat to 650°C /700ºC . Hold for 2-4 hours and furnace cool. |
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HARDENING |
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| Before heat
treatment, sufficient machining should be carried out to remove surface decarburisation. Preheat thoroughly to 800°C / 850°C and then raise more rapidly to 950°C / 970°C in a controlled atmosphere furnace or, preferably, a neutral salt bath. A useful alternative is box hardening using spent charcoal placed away from the working surface. The high chromium content of this steel makes reactions sluggish, therefore adequate soaking times must be allowed. Quench in oil. Thin sections may be air cooled from 1000°C / 1020°C. |