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Showing papers on "Maraging steel published in 2017"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a high-performance grade 300 maraging steels were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) and different heat treatments were applied for improving their mechanical properties.

326 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of process parameters (laser powder, scanning speed and scanning space) on the relative density of maraging steel 300 was investigated first and then a series of block and plate specimens were manufactured.
Abstract: Selective laser melting (SLM) is one kind of additive manufacturing process to fabricate metal parts through laser melting. A maraging steel 300 was manufactured by SLM. And the influence of process parameters (laser powder, scanning speed and scanning space) on the relative density of maraging steel 300 was investigated first. Then a series of block and plate specimens were manufactured. Some specimens were taken as control groups, and others underwent heat treatment by solution treatment (ST) and solution treatment +aging treatment (ST+AT) respectively. The investigation involved microstructure, microhardness, tensile strength and impact toughness. It is shown that: low or high laser power, scanning speed or scanning space all reduced the relative density, and the optimized process parameters could be obtained by orthogonal experiment. After ST, the cellular structure and microscopic segregation disappeared, and the new smaller particles precipitated out after AT. The Ni, Mo and Ti dissolved in the matrix during ST separated out again forming tiny Ni 3 Mo, Fe 2 Mo and Ni 3 Ti particles during AT. The microhardness and tensile strength dropped a little with elongation increasing after ST. While they increased significantly with elongation decreasing after AT. The impact toughness increased little after ST, but decreased sharply after AT.

211 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the Intrinsic Heat Treatment (IHT) was exploited to induce the precipitation of NiAl nanoparticles in an Fe-19Ni-xAl (at%) model maraging steel, a system known for rapid clustering.

204 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the microstructure and room temperature mechanical properties of a 18Ni (300) grade maraging steel (MS) fabricated using the selective laser melting (SLM) technique were studied, in both before-and after-aging conditions.

184 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the microstructure and mechanical properties of maraging steel parts were investigated and the micro-hardness and tensile strength of the as deposited alloy reduced from the bottom to the top due to the transient thermal cycling, which resulted in partial aging and non-uniform formation of intermetallic compounds along the building direction.

127 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, three different correction strategies are discussed for the correction of porosity during the selective laser melting (SLM) of 18Ni300 maraging steel, and the results indicate the capacity of improving the part density and reducing the part roughness effectively.
Abstract: One of the most critical defects in selective laser melting (SLM) is the porosity formation. Optimization of process parameters for reducing the porosity levels to lower than <1% is possible in most of the cases. Susceptibility to porosity formation can be higher for different alloys as function of chemical composition due to higher spark generation and molten pool instabilities. On the other hand, the probability of porosity formation increases in larger components due to an extended processing time. Powder recoater wear, increase in thermal load, and accumulation of particles in the processing chamber become more relevant as the processing time increases. Hence, the use of integrated monitoring and correction strategies becomes crucially important. In this work, three different correction strategies are discussed for the correction of porosity during the SLM of 18Ni300 maraging steel. The main aim is to develop a possible correction and prevention scheme to be used within a fully monitored SLM process. The 18Ni300 maraging steel is susceptible to high levels of porosity due to the empirically observed melt-pool instabilities as well as high spark and vapor generation. The correction methods consisted of remelting of the defected layer employing different scan strategies namely “double pass,” “soft melting,” and “polishing.” As a preventive strategy, preheating at 170 °C was also evaluated. At an initial stage, all the strategies were tested throughout the part built in order to assess their general capacity in improving the part density. Surface roughness, geometrical error, and material microhardness were also evaluated to assess the impact of the strategies on the other quality aspects. The results indicate the capacity of improving the part density and reduce the part roughness effectively.

97 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors use laser additive manufacturing (LAM) as a combinatorial method for synthesizing microstructurally and compositionally piecewise graded bulk alloys.
Abstract: The authors uses laser additive manufacturing (LAM) as a combinatorial method for synthesizing microstructurally and compositionally piecewise graded bulk alloys. Authors fabricate blocks consisting of a sequence of ≈500 μm thick tool steel layers, each with different chemical composition, by laser metal deposition where alloy powders are deposited layer-wise on a substrate. The reference materials are a Cr–Mo–V hot working tool steel and a Ni-based maraging steel. The layers between them consist of corresponding blends of the two materials with varying composition from layer to layer (alloy volume fractions 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, and 20:80). The bulk alloy is hot rolled and heat treated. Subsequently each layer is characterized for microstructure, chemical composition and mechanical properties using electron back scatter diffraction, tensile testing, and indentation. The approach is an efficient high-throughput method enabling rapid probing of novel compositional alloy blends. It can be applied for finding new alloys both, by LAM and for LAM. For the tool steel blends synthesized here, authors observe that the Cr–Mo–V tool steel, when mixed with the Ni-base maraging steel, can be continuously tuned for a strength-ductility profile in the range of 800–1650 MPa strength and 15–25% tensile elongation.

74 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of the build orientation on static and axial fatigue properties of maraging steel specimens manufactured by Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) of EOS metal powders was analyzed.
Abstract: Additive manufacturing involves a layer-by-layer build-up of mechanical parts and it is a manufacturing technology that can be adopted with different engineering metal materials like steels, aluminium and titanium alloys. Aim of the present investigation is to analyse the influence of the build orientation on static and axial fatigue properties of maraging steel specimens manufactured by Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) of EOS metal powders. After manufacturing, some of the specimens were subjected to age hardening heat treatment (490 °C for 6 hours, followed by air cooling). Both heat treated and as-manufactured specimens have been built at 0° as well as at 90° orientation with respect to the specimen’s axis. Analyses of the crack initiation point are performed in order to investigate the fatigue failure mechanisms. Finally, the fatigue strength of the additively manufactured specimens was compared with that exhibited by vacuum melted specimens of the same steel reported in literature.

49 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used topology optimization to derive an optimal pore structure shape with high stiffness, which was verified experimentally and achieved 85% of the performance of the Hashin-Shtrikman (HS) upper bound in numerical simulations.
Abstract: Recent additive manufacturing technologies can be used to fabricate porous metals with precise internal pore structures and effective performance. We use topology optimization to derive an optimal pore structure shape with high stiffness that is verified experimentally. The design maximizes the effective bulk modulus and isotropic stiffness, and the performance is compared with Hashin–Shtrikman (HS) bounds. The optimized structure is fabricated via selective laser melting of maraging steel, which is a high-strength, iron-nickel steel that cannot easily be made porous with conventional methods. The optimal porous structure achieved 85% of the performance of the HS upper bound in numerical simulations, and at least 90% of them were realized in compressive testing. Finally, the performance is discussed relative to that of other metals.

40 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) properties of four 18Ni maraging steels were investigated, and they showed that the elimination of Ti and the increase in Co content (material B) lead to preferential crack initiation at aluminate-inclusions.
Abstract: The very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) properties of four 18Ni maraging steels were investigated. Ultrasonic fatigue tests were performed on thin sheets with nitrided surfaces at load ratio R = 0.1. Traditional maraging steel containing Ti (material A) showed crack initiation at TiN-inclusions. The elimination of Ti and the increase in Co content (material B) lead to preferential crack initiation at aluminate-inclusions. Aluminate-inclusions are less damaging than TiN-inclusions, and material B shows higher VHCF strength than material A. A further developed maraging steel (material C) with reduced Co content that is compensated for by alloying with Al showed crack initiation at aluminate- as well as at Zr(N,C)-inclusions. Zr(N,C)-inclusions are more damaging than aluminate-inclusions and less damaging than TiN-inclusions. The highest VHCF strength was found for a recently developed alloy with further increased Al content (material D). In addition to inclusion-initiated fracture, this material showed shear mode crack initiation in the nitrided zone at the surface.

39 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the optimal fatigue strength of maraging steel was investigated under different conditions, and the fracture surface and microstructural differences were also investigated, and it was found that decreasing the ageing temperature can bring about the decrement in interparticle spacing and austenite fraction.
Abstract: It is confirmed that the fatigue strength of high-strength metals would not continuously increase as the tensile strength enhances. In order to find out the optimal fatigue strength of maraging steel, the tensile and cyclic pull-push (R = − 1) loading tests of 18Ni maraging steel (250 grade) aged under different conditions were carried out in the present study. Meanwhile, the fracture surface and microstructural differences were also investigated. It is detected that decreasing the ageing temperature can bring about the decrement in interparticle spacing and austenite fraction, which would further improve the tensile strength and change the tensile fracture mode. Increasing tensile strength can effectively improve the fatigue strength in the low-strength region. However, as the strength further increases, the intergranular fracture would happen, which means intense deformation inhomogeneity at grain boundaries, contrarily causing the decrement in fatigue strength. Finally, it is believed that the optimal fatigue strength can be obtained in the high-strength region where there is a transition in the fracture mode. Moreover, it is found that the specimen aged at 550 °C for 5 h with an ultimate tensile strength of 1838 MPa exhibiting the transgranular fracture possesses the highest fatigue strength of 685 MPa.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a combination of the characterisation techniques small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and atom probe tomography (APT) are used to study the precipitation in a maraging steel.
Abstract: In this work a combination of the characterisation techniques small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and atom probe tomography (APT) are used to study the precipitation in a maraging steel. Three similar maraging steel alloys were aged at different temperatures and ageing times, and then characterised using SANS, APT and microhardness. The alloys consist of two types of precipitates, namely Laves phase and β-NiAl, the precipitates have different composition and hence precipitate ageing, which makes it complicated to model. The SANS experimental set-up was relatively simple and allowed the precipitate size and fraction of a large number of samples to be measured in a single experiment. The APT results were used for constraining the SANS modelling, particularly the composition, shape and distribution of phases. The characterisation led to the following description of precipitation: NiAl phase reaches coarsening at early stages of ageing and shifts its strength mechanisms from shearing to Orowan looping, which cause the characteristic peak strength; the Laves phase is in growth throughout and its strength contribution increases with ageing time. These observations were shown to be consistent with precipitate evolution and strengthening models, and the work of others. Although, there are some issues with the combination of SANS and APT approach, which are discussed, the methodology provides a valuable tool to understand complex precipitation behaviours.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The influence of martensitic microstructure and prior austenite grain (PAG) size on the mechanical properties of novel maraging steel was studied and it is shown that for the shorter ageing treatment the smaller PAG size resulted in significant improvements in strength, ductility, Creep life, creep life, and fatigue life.
Abstract: The influence of martensitic microstructure and prior austenite grain (PAG) size on the mechanical properties of novel maraging steel was studied. This was achieved by looking at two different martensitic structures with PAG sizes of approximately 40 µm and 80 µm, produced by hot rolling to different reductions. Two ageing heat-treatments were considered: both heat-treatments consisted of austenisation at 960 °C, then aging at 560 °C for 5 h, but while one was rapidly cooled the other was slow cooled and then extended aged at 480 °C for 64 h. It is shown that for the shorter ageing treatment the smaller PAG size resulted in significant improvements in strength (increase of more than 150 MPa), ductility (four times increase), creep life (almost four times increase in creep life) and fatigue life (almost doubled). Whereas, the extended aged sample showed similar changes in the fatigue life, elongation and hardness it displayed yet showed no difference in tensile strength and creep. These results display the complexity of microstructural contributions to mechanical properties in maraging steels.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, isothermal uniaxial compression test results of M300 grade maraging steel over a wide range of temperatures (900 − 1200 ) and strain rates (0.001 −100s −1 ) were examined to examine hot deformability and concurrent microstructural evolution.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a backscatter diffraction analysis of a fractured steel specimen revealed that cracks initially propagated intergranulary along prior-austenite grain boundaries, and when cracks faced martensitic { 111 } α planes parallel to normal direction (ND), they were deflected and continued to propagate transgranular through { 001 } α / / ND planes.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a constitutive model was developed to represent the hot deformation behavior of M350 grade maraging steel, which was used as an input in the finite element analysis to obtain the flow stress at any given strain, strain rate, and temperature useful for predicting the flow localization or fracture.
Abstract: Maraging steels exhibit extraordinary strength coupled with toughness and are therefore materials of choice for critical structural applications in defense, aerospace and nuclear engineering. Thermo-mechanical processing is an important step in the manufacture of these structural components. This process assumes significance as these materials are expensive and the mechanical properties obtained depend on the microstructure evolved during thermo-mechanical processing. In the present study, M350 grade maraging steel specimens were hot isothermally compressed in the temperature range of 900-1200 °C and in the strain rate range of 0.001-100 s−1, and true stress-true strain curves were generated. The microstructural evolution as a function of strain rate and temperature in the deformed compression specimens was studied. The effect of friction between sample and compression dies was evaluated, and the same was found to be low. The measured flow stress data was used for the development of a constitutive model to represent the hot deformation behavior of this alloy. The proposed equation can be used as an input in the finite element analysis to obtain the flow stress at any given strain, strain rate, and temperature useful for predicting the flow localization or fracture during thermo-mechanical simulation. The activation energy for hot deformation was calculated and is found to be 370.88 kJ/mol, which is similar to that of M250 grade maraging steel.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that a higher austenitisation temperature leads to a greater volume fraction of smaller Laves phase precipitates formed during ageing, which increase the strength and creep resistance but reduces toughness.
Abstract: Maraging steels gain many of their beneficial properties from heat treatments which induce the precipitation of intermetallic compounds. We consider here a two-stage heat-treatment, first involving austenitisation, followed by quenching to produce martensite and then an ageing treatment at a lower temperature to precipitation harden the martensite of a maraging steel. It is shown that with a suitable choice of the initial austenitisation temperature, the steel can be heat treated to produce enhanced toughness, strength and creep resistance. A combination of small angle neutron scattering, scanning electron microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction, and atom probe tomography were used to relate the microstructural changes to mechanical properties. It is shown that such a combination of characterisation methods is necessary to quantify this complex alloy, and relate these microstructural changes to mechanical properties. It is concluded that a higher austenitisation temperature leads to a greater volume fraction of smaller Laves phase precipitates formed during ageing, which increase the strength and creep resistance but reduces toughness.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the optimal machining condition to obtain a good surface finish and a lesser width of flank wear land during hard turning of nickel maraging steels is reported. And the working ranges of these machining parameters are set through the design of experiments, and an L27 orthogonal array is used for conducting the machining trials in a CNC lathe using cubic boron nitride (CBN) cutting inserts.
Abstract: The hardened 18 % nickel maraging steels find potential application as an engine component for heavy vehicles and as armour metal in defence. The task lies in obtaining a good surface finish and minimal tool wear in hard machining of this high-strength material in a solution annealed and aged condition. The present work reports the optimal machining condition to obtain a good surface finish and lesser width of flank wear land during hard turning of maraging steel. The cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut are identified as the dominant parameters influencing the process responses. The working ranges of these machining parameters are set through the design of experiments, and an L27 orthogonal array is used for conducting the machining trials in a CNC lathe using cubic boron nitride (CBN) cutting inserts. The surface roughness is measured using a surface profilometer, while the width of flank wear land is found out using a video measuring system. The grey-based response surface methodology is used for analysis. A lower value of surface roughness (0.434 µm Ra) and lesser flank wear (0.0234 VBmax, mm) is obtained at optimal machining condition (cutting speed 174.28 m/min, feed rate 0.01 mm/rev, and depth of cut 0.3549 mm). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images and P-profile graphs of machined surface are also examined. Furthermore, the temperature distribution is also simulated for the optimal machining condition using the DEFORM 3D software.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of austenitization time on the fatigue crack resistance of transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)-maraging steel was investigated by observing the crack initiation site, propagation path and fracture surface.

Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2017
TL;DR: In this article, the heat treatment of some important commercial steels is discussed and the physical metallurgical principles underlying the design of the concerned heat-treatment cycles are also discussed to enable the readers to gain a deeper understanding about the subject.
Abstract: This chapter discusses the heat treatment of some important commercial steels. It has enumerated the heat-treatment practices of the steels of commercial importance like low-carbon lean-alloy steels, medium-carbon high-alloy steels, structural steels, and ultra high-strength maraging steel. Elaborate discussion is made on the different varieties of stainless steels. Moreover the criticality of heat treatment of high-manganese austenitic steel is highlighted. Special care is given to analyze the practical problems of heat treating the above commercial steels in industrial situation. Besides discussion on the heat-treatment practices of the aforesaid steels, physical metallurgical principles underlying the design of the concerned heat-treatment cycles are also discussed to enable the readers to gain a deeper understanding about the subject.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the non-equilibrium precipitation reactions in Fe-Ni-Co-Mo maraging steels are studied during an aging heat treatment executed in a nitriding atmosphere, and the precipitates formed during the initial stages of precipitation are characterized with transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors demonstrate the importance of taking into account the strength differential (SD) effect during strength analysis of turbine components and compare the equivalent stresses produced by these conditions in the elastic state are compared.
Abstract: The strength differential (SD) effect has been observed in many iron-based metals such as 4310, 4330, maraging steel, and HY80 steels as well as titanium, aluminium 2024-T351, magnesium, and nickel-based super alloys such as aged Inconel 718. Moreover, the SD effect increases with temperature. The Huber–Mises–Hencky (HMH) J2 yield condition is insufficient to simulate the response of metals that exhibit the SD effect. Our work demonstrates the importance of taking into account the SD effect during strength analysis of turbine components. Two yield conditions are considered: the HMH condition and the SD-dependent Burzynski condition. The equivalent stresses produced by these conditions in the elastic state are compared. Plastic zone areas and effective strain values predicted by the two conditions are compared. Our investigation was performed based on thermal-fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis of a turbine guide vane made of a nickel-based super alloy that exhibits the SD effect. Conjugate he...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a laser-welded Fe-19Ni-3Mo-1.5Ti maraging steel joint with high strength and toughness was obtained using the approach of the combination of Cu and aging temperature.
Abstract: The laser-welded Fe-19Ni-3Mo-1.5Ti maraging steel joints with high strength and toughness were successfully obtained using the approach of the combination of Cu and aging temperature. This study underscores that the element of Cu has a significant effect on precipitates and reverted austenite, by influencing the element diffusion and phase transformation. For the strength, the element of Cu in the weld metal brings a lot of e-Cu precipitates during the aging period. The amount of e-Cu precipitates increases gradually with the increase of the aging temperature, which is beneficial to the strength. For the toughness, the addition of Cu changes the diffusion kinetic condition to promote the diffusion of Ni, resulting in the decrease of segregation of elements. The reverted austenite in grain boundaries which has an adverse effect on the toughness is correspondingly reduced. Meanwhile, Cu makes the thermodynamic condition different, with a lower critical driving force of phase transformation. This causes the increase of reverted austenite in the matrix, which is advantageous to the toughness. An excellent combination of strength and toughness of laser-welded maraging steel joint can be optimized by the appropriate content of Cu and aging temperature.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of austenitization temperature, aging temperature, and, aging time on the development of precipitates in a novel maraging steel known as F1E was investigated.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of welding technique on the width of soft zone and in-turn on the hardness has been investigated and all the dissimilar joints have been investigated for microstructures, microhardness and tensile properties.
Abstract: The present investigation reports on a study that has been taken up to understand and control the extent of softening in heat affected zone of dissimilar gas tungsten arc (GTA) welds of high strength steels: AISI 4130 steel and 18 % Ni maraging steel which are in hardened condition i.e., maraging steel in solution treated and aged condition and AISI 4130 steel in hardened and tempered condition before welding. The influence of welding technique on the width of soft zone and in-turn on the hardness has been investigated. All the dissimilar joints have been investigated for microstructures, microhardness and tensile properties. It is observed that continuous current GTA welding process results in a wider soft zone, leading to poor mechanical properties, which can be attributed to softer microstructural constituents.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the early stages of Cu clustering upon continuous aging have been carried out, and the experimental characterization of the mechanisms governing these reactions in a comprehensive manner, where the authors first present the results of this analysis based on dilatometry, differential scanning calorimetry, hardness testing, and 3D atom probe tomography.
Abstract: Even though Cu precipitation during isothermal aging of binary Fe–Cu alloys and of Cu-alloyed maraging steel has been carefully studied in the past, no detailed investigations of the early stages of Cu clustering upon continuous aging have been carried out so far. During continuous aging with a heating rate around 15 K min−1 of as-quenched 15–5 PH maraging steel in a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), two exothermal reactions are observed, one at approximately 300 °C and the other one around 500 °C. These DSC signals are attributed to the nucleation and growth of Fe-rich Cu clusters in the lower temperature range, followed by Cu-enrichment of these clusters and seamless transformation into bcc-Cu precipitates at higher temperatures. Part I of this investigation focuses on the experimental characterization of the mechanisms governing these reactions in a comprehensive manner, where the authors first present the results of this analysis based on dilatometry, differential scanning calorimetry, hardness testing, and 3D atom probe tomography. The latter method is capable of detecting early clusters, which are not yet accessible by transmission electron microscopy. In the companion paper, part II, thermo-kinetic simulations are presented, which support the interpretation of the observed reactions and substantially aid in understanding the underlying mechanisms.

Journal ArticleDOI
22 Dec 2017
TL;DR: Gladkovsky et al. as discussed by the authors described the fracture resistance characteristics of sandwich composites based on the 09G2S steel and the EP678 high-strength steel of various dispersion.
Abstract: Gladkovsky S.V. et al. / Formation of the mechanical properties and fracture resistance characteristics of sandwich composites based on the 09G2S steel and the EP678 high-strength steel of various dispersion http://dream-journal.org page 71÷90 FORMATION OF THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND FRACTURE RESISTANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF SANDWICH COMPOSITES BASED ON THE 09G2S STEEL AND THE EP678 HIGH-STRENGTH STEEL OF VARIOUS DISPERSION

Journal ArticleDOI
Q.Q. Duan1, Wang Bin1, Peng Zhang1, Ke Yang1, Zhefeng Zhang1 
TL;DR: In this article, shot-peened CM400 maraging steel was used to study the mechanism of enhanced notch fatigue properties of ultra-high strength materials, and the authors analyzed the influencing factors of fatigue properties.
Abstract: Shot-peened CM400 maraging steel was used to study the mechanism of enhanced notch fatigue properties of ultra-high strength materials. After shot peening, the specimen surface became rougher, but the transversal machining traces were reduced. The yield strength was slightly improved while the ultimate tensile strength and hardness maintained constant; as a result, the fatigue limit was promoted by about 1.5 times. The nucleated sites of the fatigue fracture were partly changed from the surface to subsurface/interior of the specimen. To further analyze the influencing factors of fatigue properties, the fatigue damage process may be resolved to two aspects: (a) fatigue damage rate affected by shear deformation and (b) fatigue damage tolerance controlled by the dilatation fracture process. Considering the stress state near the notch tip, the hydrostatic stress and maximum shear stress are considered for better understanding these two aspects. It is observed that the fatigue damage tolerance increased while the fatigue damage rate decreased after shot peening. Therefore, the notch fatigue properties of CM400 maraging steels can effectively be improved.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the total and partial mass attenuation coefficients for different Maraging steel compositions have been determined by using the WinXCom and MCNP5 programs, and the calculated results of the calculated data clarify that the different steel compositions under investigation have so far the same ability of gamma attenuation.
Abstract: The total and partial mass attenuation coefficients for different Maraging steel compositions have been determined by using the WinXCom and MCNP5 programs. The effective atomic number, Zeff, and effective electron number, Neff, for the studied steels have been determined via the total mass attenuation coefficients μ/ρ, the total atomic and electronic cross sections (σa and σe) of the investigated steels. The shielding parameters μ/ρ, Zeff, and Neff have been calculated at the incident photon energy range of 1 keV–100 MeV. The calculated results of total and partial mass attenuation coefficients, the effective atomic number and the effective electron number by using MCNP5 program were found to be in good agreement with the theoretical results of the WinXCom program. The calculated data clarify that the different steel compositions under investigation have so far the same ability of gamma attenuation. Also, it was found that the total mass attenuation coefficients of the different investigated steels (cobalt free-Maraging steels) are comparable to the C250 standard steel (cobalt Maraging steel). Key words: Gamma rays, shielding, mass attenuation coefficients, effective atomic number, effective electron number.