Nanoindentation Properties of 18CrNiMo7-6 Steel after Carburizing and Quenching Determined by Continuous Stiffness Measurement Method

Abstract

In this work, the nanomechanical properties involving the indentation size effect (ISE) and yield strength of a surface-modified layer of 18CrNiMo7-6 steel after case hardening were investigated via nanoindentation experiments. The experimental results showed that the hardness increased with an increase in strain rate; the contact stiffness versus indentation depth curves take the form of upper convexity due to residual compressive stress relaxation. On the basis of the Ruiz-Moreno model, a modified model considering the cutoff parameter as a function of indentation depth was proposed. This model was able to better describe the ISE of the surface-modified layer. With the Hough transform error angle of 0.1° as the critical value (h0.1° is the corresponding depth), when h > h0.1°, the yield strength calculated by the Ma model started to disperse at the depth of h0.1°. These results provide useful insight into the local mechanical properties of 18CrNiMo7-6 steel after carburizing and quenching treatment.