Investigation of morphological and mechanical properties of hardened and tempered AISI 4340 steel
Main Article Content
Abstract
AISI 4340 steel is widely used in risk-intensive industries due to its excellent mechanical strength and impact resistance. The mechanical properties of AISI 4340 steel can be significantly enhanced through heat treatment, particularly tempering at controlled temperatures. This study investigates the effect of tempering on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AISI 4340 steel. The experimental analysis includes characterization before and after heat treatment to assess changes in strength, toughness and ductility. The results demonstrate that tempering at 450 °C for 45 min provides the optimum balance of impact energy and ductility while slightly reducing hardness and strength. Conversely, tempering at 550 °C results in a more pronounced increase in impact energy and ductility, but at the cost of a greater reduction in hardness and strength. Microstructural examination confirms the formation of tempered martensite, contributing to the observed mechanical behaviour. The findings provide valuable insights into optimizing heat treatment parameters for AISI 4340 steel to achieve a balanced combination of strength, toughness, and ductility for industrial applications.
Downloads
Metrics
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
References
S. M. Safi, M. K. B. Givi, Met. Sci. Heat Treat. 56 (2014) 78 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11041-014-9707-z)
C. Aygüzer, MSc Thesis, Middle East Technical University, Turkey, 2023, (https://hdl.handle.net/11511/107732)
L. Sharma,R. Chhibber, Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. E: J. Process Mech. Eng. 235 (2021) 266 (https://doi.org/10.1177/0954408920958104)
L. Moravcikova-Gouvea, I. Moravcik, M. Omasta, J. Veselý, J. Cizek, P. Minárik, J. Cupera, A. Záděra, V. Jan, I. Dlouhy, Mater. Charact. 159 (2020) 110046 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2019.110046)
T. Siostrzonek, J. Wójcik, M. Dutka, W. Siostrzonek, Energies 17 (2024) 5675 (https://doi.org/10.3390/en17225675)
K. M. Groth, A. Al-Douri, M. West, K. Hartmann, G. Saur, W. Buttner, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 51 (2024) 1023 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.07.165)
A. Fande, S. Kavishwar, V. Tandon, D. C. Narayane, D. Bandhu, Mater. Res. Express. 11 (2024) 056519 (https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/ad4bab)
R. Seede, B. Zhang, A. Whitt, S. Picak, S. Gibbons, P. Flater, A. Elwany, R. Arroyave, I. Karaman, Addit. Manuf. 47 (2021) 102255 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2021.102255)
Y. Zhang, J. Yang, D. Xiao, D. Luo, C. Tuo, H. Wu, Metals 12 (2022) 1087 (https://doi.org/10.3390/met12071087)
F. Deirmina, N. Peghini, B. AlMangour, D. Grzesiak, M. Pellizzari, Mater. Sci. Eng., A 753 (2019) 109 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2019.03.027)
F. Hosseinifar, A. Ekrami, Mater. Sci. Eng., A 830 (2022) 142314 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2021.142314)
A. Khodabandeh, D. Sayadi, S. Rajabi, M. Khosrojerdi, M. Khajehzadeh, M. R. Razfar, Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng., C.: J. Mech. Eng. Sci. 238 (2024) 7607 (https://doi.org/10.1177/09544062241232236)
M. Parvinzadeh, S. S. Karganroudi, N. Omidi, N. Barka, M. Kh Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol. 115 (2021) 1 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-07351-5)
M. K. Sanij, S. G. Banadkouki, A. Mashreghi, M. Moshrefifar, Mater. Des.42 (2012) 339 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2012.06.017)
A. Kokosza, J. Pacyna, Arch. Metall. Mater. 59 (2014) 1017 (https://doi.org/10.2478/amm-2014-0170)
I. Dey, R. Saha, B. Mahato, M. Ghosh, S. Ghosh, Metall. Mater. Trans., A 55 (2024) 1 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-024-07431-7)
M. de Souza, L. F. Serrão, J. M. Pardal, S. S. M. Tavares, M. C. Fonseca, Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol. 120 (2021) 1123 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-08880-3)
S. Sharma, J. Singh, M. K. Gupta, M. Mia, S. P. Dwivedi, A. Saxena, S. Chattopadhyaya, R. Singh, D. Y. Pimenov, M. E. Korkmaz, J. Mater. Res. Technol. 12 (2021) 1564 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.03.095)
M. Kumaran, S. Ravi, Mater. Lett. 377 (2024) 137427 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2024.137427)
D. Schröpfer, A. Kromm, T. Lausch, M. Rhode, R. Wimpory, T. Kannengießer, Weld. World. 14 (2021) 1 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-021-01101-7)
J. Yang, Z. Zhu, S. Han, Y. Gu, Z. Zhu, H. Zhang, J. Alloys Compd. 1008 (2024) 176707 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2024.176707)
T. Sonar, S. Lomte, C. Gogte, Mater. Today: Proc. 5 (2018) 25219 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2018.10.324)
V. S. J. Milton, Z. C. J. Wilmer, H. A. D. Bryan, Z. C. J. Gregorio, Á. R. A. Linzan, M. E. C. Guaigua, A. C. Z. Rodríguez, Nanotechnol. Perceptions 20 (2024) 307 (https://doi.org/10.62441/nano-ntp.vi.408)
E. Tkachev, S. Borisov, A. Belyakov, T. Kniaziuk, O. Vagina, S. Gaidar, R. Kaibyshev, Mater. Sci. Eng., A 868 (2023) 144757 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2023.144757)
A. Panda, R. Bag, A. K. Sahoo, R. Kumar, Int. J. Integr. Eng. 12 (2020) 61 (https://publisher.uthm.edu.my/ojs/index.php/ijie/article/view/5667)
A. Saboori, A. Aversa, G. Marchese, S. Biamino, M. Lombardi, P. Fino, Appl. Sci. 9 (2019) 3316 (https://doi.org/10.3390/app9163316)
J. Miao, L.-l. Yu, X.-g. Liu, B.-f. Guo, Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China 28 (2018) 2082 (https://doi.org/10.1016/S1003-6326(18)64852-6)
J. Yan, C. Zhang, J. Guo, G. Dong, S. Wang, J. Gao, H. Wu, H. Zhao, J. Lu, Y. Huang, X. Mao, J. Mater. Res. Technol. 38 (2025) 3264 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2025.08.142)
M. A. Hafeez, M. Usman, M. A. Arshad, M. AdeelUmer, Crystals 10 (2020) 508 (https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10060508)
L. F. Monaheng, W. B. du Preez, C. Polese, Metals 11 (2021) 1736 (https://doi.org/10.3390/met11111736)
J. Na, J. Middendorf, M. Lander, J. Waller, R. Rauser, in Structural Integrity of Additive Manufactured Parts, N. Shamsaei, S. Daniewicz, N. Hrabe, S. Beretta, J. Waller, M. Seifi, Eds., ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PN, 2020, p. 206 (https://doi.org/10.1520/STP162020180095)
S. Bakhshi, M. Asadi Asadabad, S. Bakhshi, S. Bakhshi, Ironmak. Steelmak. 50 (2023) 295 (https://doi.org/10.1080/03019233.2022.2107111)
S. Khatai, A. K. Sahoo, R. Kumar, A. Panda, Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng., C: J. Mech. Eng. Sci. 238 (2024) 10997 (https://doi.org/10.1177/09544062241276347)
W. Tan, , PhD Thesis, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, 2017, (http://hdl.handle.net/10829/24629)
M. M. Bilal, K. Yaqoob, M. H. Zahid, W. H. Tanveer, A. Wadood, B. Ahmed, J. Mater. Res. Technol. 8 (2019) 5194 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2019.08.042)
S. Sharma, A. Kini, G. Shankar, T. Rakesh, H. Raja, K. Chaitanya, M. Shettar, J. Mech. Eng. Sci. 12 (2018) 3866 (https://doi.org/10.15282/jmes.12.3.2018.8.0339)
A. F. Brust, PhD Thesis, Ohio State University, 2019 (http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555523646156822)
M. Motyka, Metals 11 (2021) 481 (https://doi.org/10.3390/met11030481)
F. P. Li, N. Li, X. L. Wang, M. H. Liang, Mater. Sci. Forum 1035 (2021) 424 (https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.1035.424)
X. Wang, C. Liu, Y. Qin, Y. Li, Z. Yang, X. Long, M. Wang, F. Zhang, Mater. Sci. Eng., A 832 (2022) 142357 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2021.142357)
M. Elitas, Mater. Test. 63 (2021) 124 (https://doi.org/10.1515/mt-2020-0019)
G. Muthukumaran,P. D. Babu, Arab. J. Sci. Eng. 1008 (2022) 1 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-021-06350-8)
F. A. Khatir, M. H. Sadeghi,S. Akar, J. Manuf. Process. 61 (2021) 173 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2020.09.073).