Statistical Analysis of Quenching & Partitioning Effects on Mechanical Properties of 1.7102 Steel Using ANOVA Technique

Quenched and partitioned (Q&P) steels represent a new generation of advanced high-strength steels, characterized by their excellent combination of strength and ductility. The high ductility of Q&P steels is attributed to their unique micro-composite microstructure, consisting of a martensitic matrix and 10-15% residual austenite. This research aims to determine the process parameters and investigate their effect on the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, total elongation, reduction of area, and hardness of 1.7102 silicon medium carbon steel specimens subjected to quenching and partitioning processes. A full factorial design of experiments (DOE) was obtained using Minitab software for statistical analysis of the results. First, the normality of data was validated, and the main effects and interactions were analyzed through analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings reveal that quenching temperature, partitioning time, and their interaction had a significant effect on the response.