Effect of cerium and lanthanum on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AISI D2 tool steel

AISI D2 tool steel has excellent wear resistance with high dimensional stability. This type of steel is suitable for making molds. This paper describes investigations into the effect of adding Ce/La on microstructure of AISI D2 type cold work tool steels obtained by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) and image analyzer. The results showed that after modification with Ce/La, the morphology, size and distribution of M7C3 carbides change greatly. The carbide network tends to break, and all carbides are refined and distributed homogeneously in the matrix, and also reduce the size of chromium carbides and increase the dissolution of carbides during heat treatment. The results of mechanical tests show that the toughness of the alloy increased about 75% without reducing the hardness of the alloy.