Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
The present study investigated the synthesis of nanocrystalline high speed steel M50 (4.5% Mo, 4.0% Cr, 1.0% V, 0.8% C, balance Fe) by cryogenic high energy ball milling (cryomilling). Pre-alloyed M50 steel was spray atomized, and subsequently cryomilled in liquid nitrogen for 25 hours. Elemental Al powder was added prior to cryomilling in order to promote the formation of nanoscale Al2O3 and AlN particles, which improved the thermal stability of the nanocrystalline M50 steel. Following annealing at 1373 K, the M50 steel was found to retain its nanocrystalline microstructure with the average grain size of 40–80 nm.