Effect of Tempering Temperature on Microstructure and Properties of 65Mn Spring Steel for Track and Field Starter

Haiyan Ma, Tong Tong, Heyu Shi and Baihang Wang

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64486/m.65.3.7
Online publication date: January 7, 2026

Abstract: 65Mn spring steel is a candidate material for elastic components in track and field starters due to its favorable combination of strength and elasticity. To optimize its performance for this demanding application, this work investigates the influence of tempering temperature on its mechanical properties and microstructure. The microstructure, hardness and tensile properties of the experimental spring steel after different tempering temperatures were studied. The effect of tempering tem-perature on the microstructure, hardness, strength, elongation and reduction of area of the alloy was clarified. The results indicate that a tempering temperature of 250 °C yields the optimal mechanical property profile, with a peak hardness of 631 HV, tensile strength of 2030.5 MPa, section shrinkage of 36.1 %, and elongation of 14.9 %. This combination of properties is deemed most suitable for application in track and field starters. This work provides a clear optimization of tempering pa-rameters for this specific application, which has not been systematically reported in previous studies.

Keywords: track and field starter; 65Mn spring steel; microstructure; mechanical properties

This article is published online first and will appear in Metalurgija, Vol. 65, Issue 3 (2026).