Carbide Dissolution Kinetics

Time- and temperature-dependent redolution of carbide precipitates into the austenitic matrix during the annealing process prior to hardening.

Carbides dissolve in the matrix when heated. That's a time- and temperature-dependent process. If you anneal too hot or too long, the structure coarsens and the material gets soft. If you anneal too short or too cold, the carbides remain and you get uneven hardness, which can lead to cracks during welding. So you have to choose the temperature and holding time so that the carbides go into solution cleanly without letting the grain grow too much.

MetallurgieSchweißtechnik