Electron Beam Surface Remelting of AISI D2 Cold-Worked Die Steel

Electron beam surface remelting has been carried out on AISI D2 cold-worked die steel. The microstructure and hardening behavior of the electron beam surface remelted AISI D2 cold-worked die steel have been studied by means of optical microscopy and Vickers hardness testing. It was found that AISI D2 steel can be successfully surface hardened by electron beam surface remelting. This surface hardening effect can be attributed to microstructural refinement following electron beam surface remelting. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.