Based on your recommendation, the company changed their material but selected a material, which was irrelevant to your suggestion due to cost. They begin to produce forging die made of D3 tool steel but it fractured after only a short service life. The cause of the failure was found to be severe carbon segregation. A client has asked for your recommendation for correction of this problem. In response to this request, please address the topics (a) to (c) first and then provide your recommendation. (a) Find out the nominal composition of D3 tool steel.
(b) Is this steel suitable for such applications? Why?
(c) Why is D3 tool steel prone to severe carbon segregation?
(d) Provide your recommendation to correct the problem. (Your can recommend changing materials, modifying the heat treatment schedule, or anything else you think will work. Remember, this is a real-world problem; thus, the solution is not bounded by anything.)