ABSTRACT

The Jominy end-quench test is used to measure the hardenability

of steels which is a measure of the capacity of the steel to harden in depth
under a given set of conditions. This article considers the basic concepts
of hardenability and the Jominy test.

Knowledge about the hardenability of steels is necessary to select

the appropriate combination of alloy steel and heat treatment to minimize
thermal stresses and distortion in manufacturing components of different
sizes. The Jominy end-quench test is the standard method for measuring
the hardenability of steels. This describes the ability of the steel to be
hardened in depth by quenching. Hardenability depends on the chemical
composition of the steel and can also be affected by prior processing
conditions, such as the austenitizing temperature. It not only is necessary
to understand the basic information provided from the test, but also to
determine how the information obtained from the Jominy test can be used
to understand the effects of alloying in steels and the steel microstructure.
INTRODUCTION

A metallic material can be altered via mechanical and/or thermal

means to change the mechanical properties of the material. Such
treatments are most often used to alter strength, hardness, and ductility
of a material.

Heat Treatment: Tempering of Hardened Steel

The heat treatment process for steel and steel alloys is composed of three
steps:

1. Heating to a temperature at which austenite is formed

(austenitizing)
2. Rapid cooling (quenching)
3. Reheating to stabilize structure (tempering)

Austenite is a solid solution of carbon in iron in a face centered cubic

(FCC) crystalline structure which is stable at elevated temperature. The
temperature at which austenite formation occurs depends primarily on
carbon content of the steel. This temperature can be determined from the
phase equilibrium diagram for the particular steel composition. The
material must be held at the austenitizing temperature for a period of
time to ensure completeness of the phase transformation and
homogeneous structure. The amount of time required is dependent on the
size and shape of the work piece as well as its composition.

After the time required for austenite formation, the material is

rapidly cooled by quenching. Most often, quenching is accomplished by
immersing the material in oil or water although air quenching is also used.
Under conditions of rapid cooling, austenite transforms into an unstable
(non-equilibrium) phase known as martensite. This phase is a
supersaturated solution of carbon in iron in a body centered tetragonal
structure. Martensite is very hard, relatively brittle phase which provides
the ability of strengthening steel to very high levels. Quenching usually
results in a structure composed of martensite plus ferrite (solid solution of
carbon in iron in body centered cubic structure) and iron carbide
(cementite). The proportions present after quenching depend on carbon
content and cooling rate. Higher carbon content and rapid cooling tend to
produce larger proportions of martensite.

Martensite is hard and brittle. In order to reduce brittleness,

increase ductility, and relieve internal stresses from rapid cooling step, the
material is subjected to a second heating operation known as tempering.
The temperature for the tempering step must be below the austenite
transformation temperature and is usually between 400F and 800F. The
resultant properties of the steel after tempering depend on the time
allowed for tempering as well as the temperature. In this lab, a constant
temperature will be used and the effect of tempering time on hardness
will be investigated.
 Figure 1: Iron-Carbon Phase Equilibrium diagram.

Hardenability: The Jominy Test

The Jominy end quench test is the most commonly used method for
determining the hardenability of steel. Hardenability is the relative
capacity of steel to be hardened by transformation to martensite. In this
test, a standard specimen (octagonal cross-section bar stock) is heated to
the austenite range and quenched by impinging a stream of cold water on
one end of the specimen while the specimen is held in a vertical
orientation. This procedure results in cooling rates ranging from very rapid
at the end impinged by the water to very slow at the opposite end. With
the variation in cooling rate along the length, a single specimen will be
composed of material ranging from hard martensite to soft pearlite.

The effect of cooling rate on the resultant structure of steel can be

observed on a time-temperature transformation diagram. A sample
diagram is provided (Figure 2) that shows three cooling rates resulting in
cooling curves A, B, and C. Curve A represents conditions at the end of the
Jominy specimen nearest the water stream. The material at this end will
be composed primarily of 3 martensite and should be relatively hard.
Curve C is indicative of conditions farther along the bar and indicates a
softer composition which includes ferrite and pearlite.

The effect of cooling rate is evidenced by obtaining hardness

measurements along the length of the bar. A plot of hardness versus
distance (Figure 3) is the standard method for presenting hardenability
data.

Figure 2: Effect of cooling rate on hardness

Figure 3: Effect of distance on hardness