Experimental Setup and Procedure
1. Heating the Specimen
The specimen is placed in a furnace capable of reaching temperatures above the
austenitizing temperature of AISI 1020 Steel, heated uniformly to 925°C, and maintained
at this temperature long enough for the microstructure to fully transform to austenite.
2. Jominy Test Setup
The heated specimen is securely positioned in the Jominy test fixture with one end
protruding. Firm fixations are applied to prevent any displacement during the quenching
process.
3. Quenching Process
After removal from the furnace and secure positioning, water is promptly directed onto
the specimen, maintaining a consistent flow throughout. This creates a cooling rate
difference between the top and bottom of the specimen, continuing until the entire length
reaches room temperature.
4. Post-Quenching
The specimen is carefully removed from the fixture, then machined to eliminate any scale
formed due to exposure to elevated temperatures. This step ensures more accurate results
during hardness testing.
5. Hardness Test
The Rockwell B hardness testing method was chosen for this phase. It employs a 1.6 mm
diameter sphere indenter with a minor load of 10 kg and a major load of 90 kg. The
machined and polished specimen is positioned in the testing machine, with the machine's
height adjusted. A preload is applied to minimize surface irregularities, followed by the
testing load. Once the load is removed, the hardness value is displayed on the screen.
Then the distance is measured by hand and noted. This procedure is repeated 20 times
from the quenched end to the opposite end