The role of grain size on the ductile-brittle transition of a 2.25 Pct Cr-1 Pct Mo steel

The ductile-brittle transition temperature of a 2 1/4 pct Cr-1 pct Mo steel has been meas-ured using ‘V’ notch Izod impact specimens for an unembrittled and embrittled 2 1/4 pct Cr-1 pct Mo steel with prior austenite grain sizes within the range 40 to 150 μm. The mi-crostructure of this steel was upper bainite. The variation of yield strength with grain size obeys a Hall-Petch relationship. The ductile-brittle transition temperature was found to have a pronounced grain size dependence for both unembrittled, 15 K mm^1/2, and embrittled, 19 K mm^1/2, specimens. The bainite colony size was found to vary as the prior austenite grain size. From the low temperature quasi-cleavage facet size, together with metallographic observations of crack path, it has been concluded that bainite colony size rather than prior austenite grain size is the effective grain size.