Microstructure and Properties of Composite Produced by Vacuum Sintering of Vanadis 4 Extra Steel Powder with Tantalum Carbides and Following Heat Treatment

In this study, different amounts of tantalum carbide (TaC) powders (5, 10 and 15 wt.%) are added to Vanadis 4 Extra steel powders. The composite powders are sintered at 1260, 1280, 1300, 1320, 1340 and 1360°C for 1 h, respectively. The experimental results showed that good mechanical properties (hardness 79.7 HRA, TRS 2246 MPa) were obtained by the addition of 10% TaC sintered at 1320°C for 1 h. Furthermore, the optimal sintered V4ES/TaC (Vanadis 4 Extra steel / TaC) composites after sub-zero treatment possess the highest hardness (80.9 HRA) and transverse rupture strength (TRS) values (2445 MPa), as well as a better polarization resistance (658.99 Ω·cm2). After sub-zero treatment, the VC carbides decompose and re-precipitate refined VC carbides within the grains (VC carbides are formed in steel powder); moreover, the TaC particles are still uniformly distributed around the grain boundaries, which results in dispersion strengthening and precipitation hardening. The results clearly reveal that sub-zero heat treatment effectively improves the microstructure and strengthens the V4ES/TaC composite.