Abstract: As the aircraft and aerospace industry and the automobile industry are developed, the demand of reliable materials with high strength and high toughness is steadily increased. The grain miniature method which improves the ductility and the toughness simultaneously under high strength is the miniature of the casting microstructure. In this paper, the Nb which affects the austenite grain miniature is added by 0.00%, 0.03% and 0.06% in this steel and the ingot is manufactured in a vacuum induction melting furnace (VIM). The casting microstructure and the mechanical property of the maraging steel according to Nb contents are analyzed by conducting the solution annealing and the age hardening after hot rolling. In this result, a specimen containing 0.03% Nb is most miniature. When it does the long time age hardening, the precipitation estimated as the carbide is appeared. The mechanical properties are excellent if a specimen containing 0.06% Nb does the age hardening during 8 h in 482°C.

Key words: High strength steel, Maraging steel, Nb, Vacuum induction melting furnace (VIM)