Influence of austenitizing, quenching, and tempering on the hardness and corrosion resistance in martensitic stainless steel EN 1.4116

Martensitic stainless steels (MSS) are a vital class of steel used in various sectors, including aerospace, petrochemicals, and cutlery, due to their excellent properties, such as high mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. Research has shown that austenitizing treatment can have conflicting effects on MSS steels' mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. This study investigates how austenitizing parameters affect the hardness and corrosion resistance values of martensitic stainless steel EN 1.4116, primarily used in the cutlery industry, when subjected to quenching and tempering treatments. Microstructural characterization of the samples was conducted, followed by an analysis of their hardness and corrosion resistance through electrochemical tests of polarization curves. Our analysis led to the discovery of an attractive condition for enhancing the properties of martensitic stainless steel. This condition involved austenitizing a sample at 1100 °C for 120 min, followed by quenching and tempering at 200 °C for 60 min. This condition exhibited a hardness of 525 HV (≈51 HRC) and excellent corrosion resistance, demonstrating repassivation, making it suitable for applications requiring a certain degree of toughness. These hardness values are typically used in the professional cutlery industry.