1、Designation: A561 08 (Reapproved 2014)Standard Practice forMacroetch Testing of Tool Steel Bars1This standard is issued under the fixed designation A561; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A
2、number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon () indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense.1. Scope1.1 This practice for macroetch testing has been foun
3、d to bea useful and reliable method for evaluating the quality of toolsteel bars. It is used as a quality control and inspection test toreveal by deep acid etching the macrostructure in specimenscut from bars and to show the presence of such conditions aspipe, cracks, porosity, segregation, or forei
4、gn material. Theetched surface is generally examined visually, but magnifica-tion up to about 10 is occasionally employed.1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regardedas standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematicalconversions to SI units that are provided for information
5、 onlyand are not considered standard.2. Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Adjuncts:2Six Photomacrographs3. Apparatus3.1 Etching ContainersMacroetching may be performedin a vessel of borosilicate glass, porcelain, corrosion-resistantmetals, or some other acid-resisting material.4. Reagent4.1 Etching Reage
6、ntA solution of equal volumes of con-centrated hydrochloric acid (HCl, sp gr 1.19) and water iscommonly used for macroetching tool steels. This solutionmust be used under a ventilating hood because HCl is volatileand the fumes are corrosive and irritating, although nontoxic.The solution may be reuse
7、d within limits. With use, theconcentration of dissolved iron and other metals increases andthe acidity of the solution decreases retarding the etchingaction. Spent solution shall be replaced with fresh solution, notreplenished with concentrated acid.5. Sampling5.1 The selection of specimens for mac
8、roetch testing mustbe done with care for interpretations to be of value.5.1.1 Specimens are usually cut from hot-rolled annealedbars, but may be cut from machined or ground bars if the barsare to be finish machined or ground.5.1.2 The specimen should be located at a sufficient distancefrom the end o
9、f the bar to avoid end effects.5.1.3 For ease in handling, use specimens14 to12 in. (6.35to 12.7 mm) thick.5.1.4 Cut specimens to expose a transverse section of thebar; however, the test is occasionally performed on a longitu-dinal section.5.1.5 Specimens may be taken from one or both ends of abar.
10、Each bar may be sampled, or a few typical specimens maybe tested as representative of a large number of bars.6. Specimen Preparation6.1 In all cutting and grinding operations on the specimen,care must be exercised to avoid heating the surface to anexcessively high temperature. Specimens are cut from
11、 bars bysawing, machining, abrasive wheel cutting, or other means.Cutting should be controlled to prevent smearing the cut faceand masking the structure.6.1.1 The “as-cut” surface of a specimen may be sufficientlysmooth to reveal the defects for which the examination isconducted. No additional surfa
12、ce preparation may then benecessary.6.1.2 Additional surface preparation may be required toremove cutting marks and to allow details to be revealed byetching. In such circumstances, machining, grinding, or pol-ishing may be necessary. Generally, the degree of surfacesmoothness required is greater th
13、e finer the detail that must beresolved. When the action of the etchant is drastic, a coarsersurface finish may be used.6.1.3 The surface must be free of adhering grease and oil.There should be no scale or oxide on the surface which will beexamined after etching.7. Procedure7.1 Temperature for Macro
14、etchingEtching characteristicsare influenced markedly by the temperature of the etchant.1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee A01 on Steel,Stainless Steel and Related Alloysand is the direct responsibility of SubcommitteeA01.29 on Tool Steels.Current edition approved March 1, 20
15、14. Published March 2014. Originallyapproved in 1966. Last previous edition approved in 2008 as A561 08. DOI:10.1520/A0561-08R14.2Available from ASTM International Headquarters. Order Adjunct No.ADJA0561. Original adjunct produced in 1984.Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C
16、700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States1Thus, the reagent temperature should be controlled for mac-roetching if comparative results are desired. Tool steels aregenerally macroetched at about 160F (71C). At thistemperature, the etching reaction is vigorous and solutionlosses through evap
17、oration are not excessive. The solution maybe heated on a gas or electric hot plate, by an acid-proofimmersion heater, or by steam.7.2 Etching TimeThe etching time should be sufficientlylong to completely reveal the structure in the specimen, yetshould not be so long as to develop artifacts such as
18、etch pitsor to obscure or obliterate the structure. Generally, etchingtimes under 10 min or over 40 min are avoided with tool steels.The time of etching is best adjusted by trial to develop thedegree of etching desired. Where recovery of temperature ofthe solution is slow after immersion of cold spe
19、cimens,reproducibility is enhanced by preheating the specimens in hotwater prior to immersing in the etchant.7.3 Macroetching Technique:7.3.1 After preparation as described above, clean the speci-men of dirt and grease with a solvent, if necessary. Then placedirectly into the etching solution alread
20、y heated to the propertemperature, or preheat in water as in 7.2 and then transfer tothe hot etching bath. The purpose of preheating the specimen isto obtain better control of the etching conditions where closereproducibility of degree of development is desired. Thespecimen must be completely immers
21、ed.7.3.2 Moderate agitation (stirring) of the solution duringmacroetching promotes uniform development by eliminatingtemperature and composition gradients. Provision for agitatingthe etchant may be desirable where the volume of solution isrelatively small.7.3.3 At the end of the etching period, remo
22、ve the specimenfrom the hot acid and rinse immediately in a stream of water.Flush off the sludge which forms on the surfaces of thespecimen during etching with the aid of a stiff brush. Then drythe specimen with alcohol, a clean air blast, or live steam.7.3.4 After drying, protect the etched surface
23、 from rustingby an application of oil, grease, glycerine, or transparentlacquer.8. Interpretation of Results8.1 Examine the etched surface visually or at up to 10magnification to determine its structure. Note the presence,absence, and severity of the following conditions:8.1.1 Internal:8.1.1.1 Pipe,
24、8.1.1.2 Bursts,8.1.1.3 Carbide (see Note 1) or alloy segregation,8.1.1.4 Concentrations of nonmetallic inclusions,8.1.1.5 Porosity, and8.1.1.6 Internal cracks or thermal flakes.NOTE 1Carbide segregation is better determined by examination of apolished surface after etching in 4 % nital solution.8.1.
25、2 Surface and Subsurface:8.1.2.1 Seams, laps, cracks, etc.,8.1.2.2 Ingot corner segregation or cracks, and8.1.2.3 Pinholes.8.1.3 Miscellaneous:8.1.3.1 Entrapped metallic or nonmetallic material, and8.1.3.2 Ingot pattern (dendritic segregation, columnar grainstructure, etc.).8.2 Six Photomacrographs
26、provide a numerical rating ofseverity levels of porosity (8.1.1.5) and ingot pattern (8.1.3.2)that may be present in tool steel bars.8.2.1 These conditions identified in general as porosity andingot pattern are described as follows:8.2.1.1 Center PorosityA center concentration of minutevoids related
27、 to etched out carbides, or nonmetallic inclusions,etc.8.2.1.2 Ring Ingot PatternOne or more concentric ringscharacterized by differential etching associated with a minorgradient in chemical composition or ingot solidification.8.2.2 Ratings for the conditions can be determined bycomparing macroetche
28、d disks with these photographs.8.2.3 The photographs are not intended as standards foracceptance or rejection. The numerical identity listed with eachfigure only refers to a degree of severity. The extent that eachcondition is permissible for a given application should bestated by the tool steel spe
29、cification covering the application oras negotiated between the supplier and purchaser.9. Keywords9.1 ingot structure; macroetch; macrostructure; porosity;segregationASTM International takes no position respecting the validity of any patent rights asserted in connection with any item mentionedin thi
30、s standard. Users of this standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights, and the riskof infringement of such rights, are entirely their own responsibility.This standard is subject to revision at any time by the responsible technical committee and must be
31、 reviewed every five years andif not revised, either reapproved or withdrawn. Your comments are invited either for revision of this standard or for additional standardsand should be addressed to ASTM International Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful consideration at a meeting of theresp
32、onsible technical committee, which you may attend. If you feel that your comments have not received a fair hearing you shouldmake your views known to the ASTM Committee on Standards, at the address shown below.This standard is copyrighted by ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, We
33、st Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959,United States. Individual reprints (single or multiple copies) of this standard may be obtained by contacting ASTM at the aboveaddress or at 610-832-9585 (phone), 610-832-9555 (fax), or serviceastm.org (e-mail); or through the ASTM website(www.astm.org). Permission rights to photocopy the standard may also be secured from the ASTM website (www.astm.org/COPYRIGHT/).A561 08 (2014)2
