Residual Stresses in Quenched and Tempered Plain Carbon Steels

An investigation was made of factors contributing to maximum compressive residual stress. Stresses from furnace hardening heat treatment were shown to be highest at high hardness, medium carbon content, large section size, and minimum hardenability over the range investigated. Shot peening was found to decrease high heat treatment stresses. An example showed very high fatigue strength in plain carbon steel at high hardness which was related to the very high compressive residual stress induced by severe water quenching during heat treatment.