Characterization of the Carbon and Retained Austenite Distributions in Martensitic Medium Carbon, High Silicon Steel

The retained austenite content and carbon distribution in martensite were determined as a function of cooling rate and temper temperature in steel that contained 1.31 at. pct C, 3.2 at. pct Si, and 3.2 at. pct noniron metallic elements. Mössbauer spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), transmission synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atom probe tomography were used for the microstructural analyses. The retained austenite content was an inverse, linear function of cooling rate between 25 and 560 K/s. The elevated Si content of 3.2 at. pct did not shift the start of austenite decomposition to higher tempering temperatures relative to SAE 4130 steel. The minimum tempering temperature for complete austenite decomposition was significantly higher (>650 °C) than for SAE 4130 steel (～300 °C). The tempering temperatures for the precipitation of transition carbides and cementite were significantly higher (>400 °C) than for carbon steels (100 °C to 200 °C and 200 °C to 350 °C), respectively. Approximately 90 pct of the carbon atoms were trapped in Cottrell atmospheres in the vicinity of the dislocation cores in dislocation tangles in the martensite matrix after cooling at 560 K/s and aging at 22 °C. The 3.2 at. pct Si content increased the upper temperature limit for stable carbon clusters to above 215 °C. Significant autotempering occurred during cooling at 25 K/s. The proportion of total carbon that segregated to the interlath austenite films decreased from 34 to 8 pct as the cooling rate increased from 25 to 560 K/s. Developing a model for the transfer of carbon from martensite to austenite during quenching should provide a means for calculating the retained austenite. The maximum carbon content in the austenite films was 6 to 7 at. pct, both in specimens cooled at 560 K/s and at 25 K/s. Approximately 6 to 7 at. pct carbon was sufficient to arrest the transformation of austenite to martensite. The chemical potential of carbon is the same in martensite that contains 0.5 to 1.0 at. pct carbon and in austenite that contains 6 to 7 at. pct carbon. There was no segregation of any substitutional elements.     

Effects of Heating and Cooling Rates on Phase Transformations in 10 Wt Pct Ni Steel and Their Application to Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

10 wt pct Ni steel is a high-strength steel that possesses good ballistic resistance from the deformation induced transformation of austenite to martensite, known as the transformation-induced-plasticity effect. The effects of rapid heating and cooling rates associated with welding thermal cycles on the phase transformations and microstructures, specifically in the heat-affected zone, were determined using dilatometry, microhardness, and microstructural characterization. Heating rate experiments demonstrate that the Ac₃ temperature is dependent on heating rate, varying from 1094 K (821 °C) at a heating rate of 1 °C/s to 1324 K (1051 °C) at a heating rate of 1830 °C/s. A continuous cooling transformation diagram produced for 10 wt pct Ni steel reveals that martensite will form over a wide range of cooling rates, which reflects a very high hardenability of this alloy. These results were applied to a single pass, autogenous, gas tungsten arc weld. The diffusion of nickel from regions of austenite to martensite during the welding thermal cycle manifests itself in a muddled, rod-like lath martensitic microstructure. The results of these studies show that the nickel enrichment of the austenite in 10 wt pct Ni steel plays a critical role in phase transformations during welding.     

Thermally Stable Ni-rich Austenite Formed Utilizing Multistep Intercritical Heat Treatment in a Low-Carbon 10 Wt Pct Ni Martensitic Steel

Austenite reversion and its thermal stability attained during the transformation is key to enhanced toughness and blast resistance in transformation-induced-plasticity martensitic steels. We demonstrate that the thermal stability of Ni-stabilized austenite and kinetics of the transformation can be controlled by forming Ni-rich regions in proximity of pre-existing (retained) austenite. Atom probe tomography (APT) in conjunction with thermodynamic and kinetic modeling elucidates the role of Ni-rich regions in enhancing growth kinetics of thermally stable austenite, formed utilizing a multistep intercritical (Quench-Lamellarization-Tempering (QLT)-type) heat treatment for a low-carbon 10 wt pct Ni steel. Direct evidence of austenite formation is provided by dilatometry, and the volume fraction is quantified by synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The results indicate the growth of nm-thick austenite layers during the second intercritical tempering treatment (T-step) at 863 K (590 °C), with austenite retained from first intercritical treatment (L-step) at 923 K (650 °C) acting as a nucleation template. For the first time, the thermal stability of austenite is quantified with respect to its compositional evolution during the multistep intercritical treatment of these steels. Austenite compositions measured by APT are used in combination with the thermodynamic and kinetic approach formulated by Ghosh and Olson to assess thermal stability and predict the martensite-start temperature. This approach is particularly useful as empirical relations cannot be extrapolated for the highly Ni-enriched austenite investigated in the present study.     

Analysis of the Effect of Al on the Static Softening Kinetics of C-Mn Steels Using a Physically Based Model

The effect of Al addition on the static softening behavior of C-Mn steels was investigated. Double-hit torsion tests were performed at different deformation temperatures ranging from 1198 K to 1338 K (925 °C to 1065 °C) with pass strains of ε = 0.2 and 0.35. It was found that solute Al produced a significant delay on the static softening kinetics. Additionally, at the lowest temperatures [1198 K to 1238 K (925 °C to 965 °C)] and highest Al level (2 wt pct), austenite to ferrite phase transformation was found to be concurrent with softening, leading this to higher softening retardation. The softening kinetics of the steels investigated were analyzed using a physically based model which couples recovery and recrystallization mechanisms. The main parameters of the model were identified for the present alloys. An expression for the grain boundary mobility of the base C-Mn steel was derived and the retarding effect of Al in solid solution on the static recrystallization kinetics was introduced in the model. Reasonable agreement was obtained between model and experimental results for a variety of deformation conditions.     

Nanoscale Analyses of High-Nickel Concentration Martensitic High-Strength Steels

Austenite reversion in martensitic steels is known to improve fracture toughness. This research focuses on characterizing mechanical properties and the microstructure of low-carbon, high-nickel steels containing 4.5 and 10 wt pct Ni after a QLT-type austenite reversion heat treatment: first, martensite is formed by quenching (Q) from a temperature in the single-phase austenite field, then austenite is precipitated by annealing in the upper part of the intercritical region in a lamellarization step (L), followed by a tempering (T) step at lower temperatures. For the 10 wt pct Ni steel, the tensile strength after the QLT heat treatment is 910 MPa (132 ksi) at 293 K (20 °C), and the Charpy V-notch impact toughness is 144 J (106 ft-lb) at 188.8 K (?84.4 °C, ?120 °F). For the 4.5 wt pct Ni steel, the tensile strength is 731 MPa (106 ksi) at 293 K (20 °C) and the impact toughness is 209 J (154 ft-lb) at 188.8 K (?84.4 °C, ?120 °F). Light optical microscopy, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopies, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and local-electrode atom-probe tomography (APT) are utilized to determine the morphologies, volume fractions, and local chemical compositions of the precipitated phases with sub-nanometer spatial resolution. The austenite lamellae are up to 200 nm in thickness, and up to several micrometers in length. In addition to the expected partitioning of Ni to austenite, APT reveals a substantial segregation of Ni at the austenite/martensite interface with concentration maxima of 10 and 23 wt pct Ni for the austenite lamellae in the 4.5 and 10 wt pct Ni steels, respectively. Copper-rich and M₂C-type metal carbide precipitates were detected both at the austenite/martensite interface and within the bulk of the austenite lamellae. Thermodynamic phase stability, equilibrium compositions, and volume fractions are discussed in the context of Thermo-Calc calculations.     

Austenitization kinetics of pearlite and ferrite aggregates in a low carbon steel containing 0.15 wt pct C

Austenitization kinetics of pearlite and ferrite aggregates, in a low carbon steel containing 0.15 wt pct C. were studied in the temperature range of 800 to 870 °C. The transformation was monitored by estimating the volume fraction of austenite and the surface area per unit volume of the austenite-ferrite interfaces by quantitative microscopy. It is concluded that the austenite growth geometry is two dimensional. Between 800 and 840 °C, the two dimensional radial growth of the austenite particles can be described by a simple parabolic law. This suggests a diffusion controlled growth mechanism. However, at 870 °C, the kinetics of the process are different from those at the lower temperatures studied, and the radial growth rate approaches a constant value at long times.     

Effect of Destabilizing Heat Treatment on Solid-State Phase Transformation in High-Chromium Cast Irons

This work describes the influence of secondary carbide precipitation at destabilizing heat treatment on kinetics of austenite phase transformation at a subcritical range of temperatures in high-Cr cast irons, alloyed with 4 to 6 wt pct of Mn or by complex Mn-Ni-Mo (Mn-Cu-Mo). The samples were soaked at 1073 K to 1373 K (800  °C to 1100  °C) (destabilization) or at 573 K to 973 K (300  °C to 700  °C) (subcritical treatment); the combination of destabilization and subcritical treatment was also used. The investigation was carried out with application of optical and electron microscopy and bulk hardness measurement. Time-temperature-transformation (TTT) curves of secondary carbide precipitation and pearlite transformation for as-cast austenite and destabilized austenite were built in this work. It was determined that the secondary carbide precipitation significantly inhibited the pearlite transformation rate at 823 K to 973 K (550  °C to 700  °C). The inhibition effect is more evident in cast irons alloyed with complex Mn-Ni-Mo or Mn-Cu-Mo. The possible reasons for transformation decelerating could be austenite chemical composition change (enriching by Ni, Si, and Cu, and depleting by Cr) and stresses induced by secondary carbide precipitation.     

Carbon Diffusion Measurement in Austenite in the Temperature Range 500 °C to 900 °C

Carbon diffusion in austenite plays a critical role in phase transformation in steel. However, it can only be estimated in the fully austenitic range and has then to be extrapolated to the temperature range of the phase transformation. Therefore, published data are limited to temperatures above 750 °C. In this study, new experiments are carried out to determine the carbon diffusion coefficient in austenite at temperatures as low as 500 °C. Carburization experiments are performed in the austenitic range for a Fe-1.5 pct Mn 0.13 pct C and a Fe-31 pct Ni alloy (wt pct). Composition profile measurements, which are done using glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES), show that the surface composition is not constant with time. A methodology has been developed to assess the diffusion coefficient of carbon in austenite combining the measured carbon profiles and a numerical method to compute the diffusion profile taking into account the time evolution of the boundary condition. This method is first validated on the Fe-C-Mn steel. Carburization experiments are carried out on a Fe-31 pct Ni alloy at 900 °C, 800 °C, 700 °C, 600 °C, and 500 °C. The carbon diffusion coefficient is assessed using the method described above and fitted with the following expression (T in Kelvin): \( D = 1.23\cdot10^{{ - 6}} \cdot e^{{ - \frac{{15,050}} {{T{\left( {\text{K}} \right)}}}}} ({\text{m}}^{{\text{2}}} {\text{/s}}) \). The new expression is compared with previous experimental results measured for comparable nickel content at higher temperatures, and it shows a reasonable agreement. The model proposed by Ågren for carbon diffusion has been modified to take into account the thermodynamic contribution of nickel. This model also shows good agreement with the present experimental results, even if it was fitted to experiments performed at higher temperatures.     

Effect of Boron on the Strength and Toughness of Direct-Quenched Low-Carbon Niobium Bearing Ultra-High-Strength Martensitic Steel

The effect of boron on the microstructures and mechanical properties of laboratory-control-rolled and direct-quenched 6-mm-thick steels containing 0.08 wt pct C and 0.02 wt pct Nb were studied. The boron contents were 24 ppm and a residual amount of 4 ppm. Two different finish rolling temperatures (FRTs) of 1093 K and 1193 K (820 °C and 920 °C) were used in the hot rolling trials to obtain different levels of pancaked austenite prior to DQ. Continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams were constructed to reveal the effect of boron on the transformation behavior of these steels. Microstructural characterization was carried out using various microscopy techniques, such as light optical microscopy (LOM) and scanning electron microscopy-electron backscatter diffraction (SEM-EBSD). The resultant microstructures after hot rolling were mixtures of autotempered martensite and lower bainite (LB), having yield strengths in the range 918 to 1067 MPa with total elongations to fracture higher than 10 pct. The lower FRT of 1093 K (820 °C) produced better combinations of strength and toughness as a consequence of a higher degree of pancaking in the austenite. Removal of boron lowered the 34 J/cm² Charpy-V impact toughness transition temperature from 206 K to 158 K (?67 °C to ?115 °C) when the finishing rolling temperature of 1093 K (820 °C) was used without any loss in the strength values compared to the boron-bearing steel. This was due to the finer and more uniform grain structure in the boron-free steel. Contrary to expectations, the difference was not caused by the formation of borocarbide precipitates, as verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations, but through the grain coarsening effect of boron.     

Influence of Cobalt on Bainite Formation Kinetics in 1 Pct C Steel

The effect of cobalt on bainite kinetics formation in a 1C-1.5Si wt pct steel is investigated. Two laboratory casts were manufactured with no or 2.5Co wt pct. Bainite transformation kinetics at 493 K, 523 K, and 573 K (220 °C, 250 °C, and 300 °C) were measured using dilatometry. Careful control of the alloy composition, in particular with respect to carbon content, allowed unambiguous identification of the expected accelerating effect of Co. This effect was quantified and compared to that of other possible alloying additions. It is shown that Co has an acceleration effect of around 18 to 29 pct (per wt pct added) for bainite formation between 220 °C and 300 °C. Comparison with published data indicates that this influence is orders of magnitude smaller than that achieved through reduction of C, Mn, or Cr. The influence on hardness is quantified and shown to be significant, and possible origins for hardening are discussed.     

Influence of Temperature and Holding Time on the Interaction of V,Al, and N in Microalloyed Forging Steels

A medium-carbon vanadium microalloyed steel (38MnSiVS5) with three different aluminum levels (0.006, 0.020, and 0.03 wt pct) was used to examine the interaction of vanadium, aluminum, and nitrogen during the heating and cooling cycle for forging. The thermal cycle was simulated using a Gleeble^® 1500. Hold times varied from 5 to 45 minutes and temperature varied from 1323 K to 1523 K (1050 °C to 1250 °C). Thermal simulation specimens and as-received material were characterized by quantitative metallography, hardness, and chemical analysis of electrolytically extracted precipitates. The hardness was observed to be relatively constant for all aluminum levels after all thermal simulations at and above 1423 K (1150 °C). Hardness, pearlite fraction, and austenite grain size decreased with increasing aluminum content at the two lowest temperatures examined, which were 1323 K and 1373 K (1050 °C and 1100 °C). The amount of vanadium precipitated in the lowest aluminum steel was very consistent, approximately 70 pct, for the thermal simulations. The amount of precipitated vanadium decreased with increasing amount of aluminum nitride for the 0.03 wt pct Al level.     

Warm Formability of 0.2 Pct C-1.5 Pct Si-5 Pct Mn Transformation-Induced Plasticity-Aided Steel

The warm stretch formability and flangeability of 0.2 pct C-1.5 pct Si-5 pct Mn transformation-induced plasticity-aided sheet steel with annealed martensite matrix were investigated for automotive applications. Both formabilities were enhanced by warm forming at peak temperatures of 423 K to 573 K and 423 K to 523 K (150 °C to 300 °C and 150 °C to 250 °C), respectively. The superior warm formabilities were mainly due to the stabilization of a large amount of retained austenite by warm forming and the consequent considerably suppressed void growth at the interface between the matrix and transformed martensite, despite there being large hole punching damage for the stretch flangeability. High peak temperatures for stretch formability and flangeability were associated with apparently increased M _S of the retained austenite resulting from the increased mean normal stress on stretch forming and hole expansion.     

Austenitic Nickel- and Manganese-Free Fe-15Cr-1Mo-0.4N-0.3C Steel: Tensile Behavior and Deformation-Induced Processes between 298 K and 503 K (25 °C and 230 °C)

The high-temperature austenite phase of a high-interstitial Mn- and Ni-free stainless steel was stabilized at room temperature by the full dissolution of precipitates after solution annealing at 1523 K (1250 °C). The austenitic steel was subsequently tensile-tested in the temperature range of 298 K to 503 K (25 °C to 230 °C). Tensile elongation progressively enhanced at higher tensile test temperatures and reached 79 pct at 503 K (230 °C). The enhancement at higher temperatures of tensile ductility was attributed to the increased mechanical stability of austenite and the delayed formation of deformation-induced martensite. Microstructural examinations after tensile deformation at 433 K (160 °C) and 503 K (230 °C) revealed the presence of a high density of planar glide features, most noticeably deformation twins. Furthermore, the deformation twin to deformation-induced martensite transformation was observed at these temperatures. The results confirm that the high tensile ductility of conventional Fe-Cr-Ni and Fe-Cr-Ni-Mn austenitic stainless steels may be similarly reproduced in Ni- and Mn-free high-interstitial stainless steels solution annealed at sufficiently high temperatures. The tensile ductility of the alloy was found to deteriorate with decarburization and denitriding processes during heat treatment which contributed to the formation of martensite in an outermost rim of tensile specimens.     

Retained Austenite Transformation during Heat Treatment of a 5 Wt Pct Cr Cold Work Tool Steel

Retained austenite transformation was studied for a 5 wt pct Cr cold work tool steel tempered at 798 K and 873 K (525 °C and 600 °C) followed by cooling to room temperature. Tempering cycles with variations in holding times were conducted to observe the mechanisms involved. Phase transformations were studied with dilatometry, and the resulting microstructures were characterized with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Tempering treatments at 798 K (525 °C) resulted in retained austenite transformation to martensite on cooling. The martensite start (M _s ) and martensite finish (M _f ) temperatures increased with longer holding times at tempering temperature. At the same time, the lattice parameter of retained austenite decreased. Calculations from the M _s temperatures and lattice parameters suggested that there was a decrease in carbon content of retained austenite as a result of precipitation of carbides prior to transformation. This was in agreement with the resulting microstructure and the contraction of the specimen during tempering, as observed by dilatometry. Tempering at 873 K (600 °C) resulted in precipitation of carbides in retained austenite followed by transformation to ferrite and carbides. This was further supported by the initial contraction and later expansion of the dilatometry specimen, the resulting microstructure, and the absence of any phase transformation on cooling from the tempering treatment. It was concluded that there are two mechanisms of retained austenite transformation occurring depending on tempering temperature and time. This was found useful in understanding the standard tempering treatment, and suggestions regarding alternative tempering treatments are discussed.     

In Situ Thermo-magnetic Investigation of the Austenitic Phase During Tempering of a 13Cr6Ni2Mo Supermartensitic Stainless Steel

The formation of austenite during tempering of a 13Cr6Ni2Mo supermartensitic stainless steel (X2CrNiMoV13-5-2) was investigated using an in situ thermo-magnetic technique to establish the kinetics of the martensite to austenite transformation and the stability of austenite. The austenite fraction was obtained from in situ magnetization measurements. It was found that during heating to the tempering temperature 1 to 2 vol pct of austenite, retained during quenching after the austenitization treatment, decomposed between 623 K and 753 K (350 °C and 480 °C). The activation energy for martensite to austenite transformation was found by JMAK-fitting to be 233 kJ/mol. This value is similar to the activation energy for Ni and Mn diffusion in iron and supports the assumption that partitioning of Ni and Mn to austenite are mainly rate determining for the austenite formation during tempering. This also indicates that the stability of austenite during cooling after tempering depends on these elements. With increasing tempering temperature the thermal stability of austenite is decreasing due to the lower concentrations of austenite-stabilizing elements in the increased fraction of austenite. After cooling from the tempering temperature the retained austenite was further partially decomposed during holding at room temperature. This appears to be related to previous martensite formation during cooling.     

An investigation of the high-temperature and solidification microstructures of PH 13-8 Mo stainless steel

Differential thermal analysis (DTA), high-temperature water-quench (WQ) experiments, and optical and electron microscopy were used to establish the near-solidus and solidification microstructures in PH 13-8 Mo. On heating at a rate of 0. 33 °C/s, this alloy begins to transform from austenite to δ-ferrite at ≈1350 °C. Transformation is complete by ≈1435 °C. The solidus is reached at ≈1447 °C, and the liquidus is ≈1493 °C. On cooling from the liquid state at a rate of 0. 33 °C/s, solidification is completed as δ-ferrite with subsequent transformation to austenite beginning in the solid state at ≈1364 °C. Insufficient time at temperature is available for complete transformation and the resulting room-temperature microstructure consists of matrix martensite (derived from the shear decomposition of the austenite) and residual δ-ferrite. The residual δ-ferrite in the DTA sample is enriched in Cr (≈16 wt pct), Mo (≈4 wt pct), and Al (≈1. 5 wt pct) and depleted in Ni (≈4 wt pct) relative to the martensite (≈12. 5 wt pct Cr, ≈2 wt pct Mo, ≈1 wt pct Al, ≈9 wt pct Ni). Solid-state transformation of δσ γ was found to be quench-rate sensitive with large grain, fully ferritic microstructures undergoing a massive transformation as a result of water quenching, while a diffusionally controlled Widmanstätten structure was produced in air-cooled samples.     

Ductility and strain-induced transformation in a high-strength transformation-induced plasticity-aided dual-phase steel

The influence of forming temperature and strain rate on the ductility and strain-induced transformation behavior of retained austenite in a ferritic 0.4C-1.5Si-1.5Mn (wt pct) dual-phase steel containing fine retained austenite islands of about 15 vol pct has been investigated. Ex- cellent combinations of total elongations (TELs), about 48 pct, and tensile strength (TS), about 1000 MPa, were obtained at temperatures between 100 °C and 200 °C and at a strain rate of 2.8 X 10_-4/s. Under these optimum forming conditions, the flow curves were characterized by intensive serrations and increased strain-hardening rate over a large strain range. The retained austenite islands were mechanically the most stable at temperatures between 100 °C and 200 °C, and the retained austenite stability appeared to be mainly controlled by strain-induced martensite and bainite transformations (SIMT and SIBT, respectively), with deformation twinning occur- ring in the retained austenite. The enhanced TEL and forming temperature dependence of TEL were primarily connected with both the strain-induced transformation behavior and retained aus- tenite stability.     

The Mechanism of High Strength-Ductility Steel Produced by a Novel Quenching-Partitioning-Tempering Process and the Mechanical Stability of Retained Austenite at Elevated Temperatures

The designed steel of Fe-0.25C-1.5Mn-1.2Si-1.5Ni-0.05Nb (wt pct) treated by a novel quenching-partitioning-tempering (Q-P-T) process demonstrates an excellent product of strength and elongation (PSE) at deformed temperatures from 298 K to 573 K (25 °C to 300 °C) and shows a maximum value of PSE (over 27,000 MPa pct) at 473 K (200 °C). The results fitted by the exponent decay law indicate that the retained austenite fraction with strain at a deformed temperature of 473 K (200 °C) decreases slower than that at 298 K (25 °C); namely, the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) effect occurs in a larger strain range at 473 K (200 °C) than at 298 K (25 °C), showing better mechanical stability. The work-hardening exponent curves of Q-P-T steel further indicate that the largest plateau before necking appears at the deformed temperature of 473 K (200 °C), showing the maximum TRIP effect, which is due to the mechanical stability of considerable retained austenite. The microstructural characterization reveals that the high strength of Q-P-T steels results from dislocation-type martensite laths and dispersively distributed fcc NbC or hcp ε-carbides in martensite matrix, while excellent ductility is attributed to the TRIP effect produced by considerable retained austenite.     

Chromium partitioning during isothermal transformation of a eutectoid steel

Partitioning of chromium between ferrite and cementite during the isothermal decomposition of austenite to pearlitic or pearlitic/bainitic decomposition products has been studied in a 1.4 wt pct Cr eutectoid steel using analytical electron microscopy on two-stage extraction replicas. Chromium was observed to segregate preferentially to cementite at the pearlite reaction front for temperatures in the range 730 to 550 °C. Although the extent of partitioning decreased with decreasing reaction temperature, a no-partition temperature could not be identified for the steel. It is clear that previous studies on thin foils have underestimated the temperature range over which partitioning of chromium can occur. At high reaction temperatures measured values of pearlite growth rates were found to be in excellent agreement with those calculated, using the assumption that phase boundary diffusion of chromium was rate controlling. At lower reaction temperatures models based on volume diffusion of carbon and on phase boundary diffusion of chromium both gave reasonable predictions of measured growth rates. However, it seems likely that solute drag effects influence pearlite growth at temperatures in the austenite bay region which the chromium addition produces in the T.T.T. diagram. Measurements made on upper bainite which co-existed with pearlite following transformation at 500 and 550 °C showed that preferential partitioning of chromium to cementite did not occur during this reaction. Formerly Graduate Student, University of Manchester     

Effect of Mn Addition on Microstructural Modification and Cracking Behavior of Ferritic Light-Weight Steels

In the present study, effects of Mn addition on cracking phenomenon occurring during cold rolling of ferritic light-weight steels were clarified in relation to microstructural modification involving κ-carbide, austenite, and martensite. Four steels were fabricated by varying Mn contents of 3 to 12 wt pct, and edge areas of steel sheets containing 6 to 9 wt pct Mn were cracked during the cold rolling. The steels were basically composed of ferrite and austenite in a band shape, but a considerable amount of κ-carbide or martensite existed in the steels containing 3 to 6 wt pct Mn. Microstructural observation of the deformed region of fractured tensile specimens revealed that cracks which were initiated at ferrite/martensite interfacial κ-carbides readily propagated along ferrite/martensite interfaces or into martensite areas in the steel containing 6 wt pct Mn, thereby leading to the center or edge cracking during the cold rolling. In the steel containing 9 wt pct Mn, edge cracks were found in the final stage of cold rolling because of the formation of martensite by the strain-induced austenite to martensite transformation, whereas they were hardly formed in the steel containing 12 wt pct Mn. To prevent or minimize the cracking, it was recommended that the formation of martensite during the cooling from the hot rolling temperature or during the cold rolling should be suppressed, which could be achieved by the enhancement of thermal or mechanical stability of austenite with decreasing austenite grain size or increasing contents of austenite stabilizers.