Microstructure-composition relationships and Ms temperatures in Fe-Cr-Mn-N alloys

Microstructure-composition relationships and M_s temperatures have been determined in high purity nitrided Fe-Cr-Mn alloys, as part of a program to develop improved corrosion-abrasion resistant steels with unstable austenitic microstructures. Compositions in the range 8 to 12 pct Cr, 0 to 10 pct Mn, and 0 to 0.6 pct N were investigated by a resistivity technique to determine M_s temperatures and by X-ray diffraction and metallography to determine constitution. Hardness measurements were also made. At the low alloy end of the range, microstructures after annealing and air cooling are fully martensitic while at the high alloy end they are fully austenitic. At intermediate compositions, mixed martensite-austenite microstructures (with epsilon present as a minor phase in some cases) and unstable austenitic microstructures are obtained. The austenitic alloys contain a high density of stacking faults and the unstable austenitic alloys transform to martensite on deformation. At low N contents (up to at least 0.25 pct N) the M_s-composition relationship is linear and described by: M_s = 555 - 9(Cr - 8) - 40Mn - 450N [1] where M_s is in °C and Cr, Mn, and N are the weight percentages of these elements. At higher N contents, the M_s generally falls more rapidly with increasing nitrogen content. Nitrogen solubility at 1050 °C exceeds about 0.3 pct in all alloys and increases with increasing Cr and Mn content. In commercial purity steels, unstable austenitic microstructures are expected to be obtained in compositions around 10 to 14 pct Cr, 8 to 12 pct Mn, and 0.1 to 0.3 pct N when the total level of these elements is selected to ensure the M_s is below room temperature.     

Effect of Primary Factor on Cavitation Resistance of Some Austenitic Metals

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Some Strengthening Methods for Austenitic Stainless Steels

Austenitic stainless steels possessing good corrosion resistance have recently found growing applications as a constructional material. In this instance, increasing strength properties, which are typically quite low, is of great interest. Due to the low stacking fault energy, strain hardening of alloyed austenite is efficient for increasing tensile strength without impairing ductility seriously. In addition, certain grades are unstable, so that cold working creates strain‐induced martensite that enhances strengthening. Grain size refinement to micrometer scale or even finer can also increase the yield strength, still providing good ductility. In the present paper dislocation and phase transformation strengthening and thereby properties achievable in temper rolled austenitic stainless steels are discussed. Strengthening by the reversion annealing is also described and excellent results achievable are shown. Finally, the effect of bake hardening through the static strain ageing is presented. Long‐term research work in various projects indicates that the current knowledge of strengthening of austenitic stainless steels is close to the industrial utilisation.     

The microstructural,mechanical, and fracture properties of austenitic stainless steel alloyed with gallium

The mechanical and fracture properties of austenitic stainless steels (SSs) alloyed with gallium require assessment in order to determine the likelihood of premature storage-container failure following Ga uptake. AISI 304 L SS was cast with 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 wt pct Ga. Increased Ga concentration promoted duplex microstructure formation with the ferritic phase having a nearly identical composition to the austenitic phase. Room-temperature tests indicated that small additions of Ga (less than 3 wt pct) were beneficial to the mechanical behavior of 304 L SS but that 12 wt pct Ga resulted in a 95 pct loss in ductility. Small additions of Ga are beneficial to the cracking resistance of stainless steel. Elastic-plastic fracture mechanics analysis indicated that 3 wt pct Ga alloys showed the greatest resistance to crack initiation and propagation as measured by fatigue crack growth rate, fracture toughness, and tearing modulus. The 12 wt pct Ga alloys were least resistant to crack initiation and propagation and these alloys primarily failed by transgranular cleavage. It is hypothesized that Ga metal embrittlement is partially responsible for increased embrittlement.     

High Strength Stainless Austenitic CrMnCN Steels – Part I: Alloy Design and Properties

Generally the strength of stainless austenitic steels does not live up to their good corrosion resistance. Solid solution hardening by interstitial elements is a means of raising the strength, but is used only moderately because of poor weldability, which, however, is not required in various applications. The solubility of nitrogen is high in stainless austenite of steels with 18 mass% of Cr and Mn each, but low in the melt. Carbon reveals the opposite behaviour. Instead of producing high nitrogen steels by pressure metallurgy, about 1 mass% of C+N is dissolved in the melt at ambient pressure. The new cost‐effective C+N steel reaches a yield strength of 600 MPa, a true fracture strength above 2500 MPa and an elongation above 70 %. Conduction electron spin resonance revealed a high concentration of free electrons. Thus, the ductile metallic character of the C+N steel is enhanced, explaining the high product of strength times toughness. The high interstitial content requires rapid quenching to avoid an embrittling precipitation and respective intercrystalline corrosion.     

Recent developments in stainless steels:austenitic,ferritic,duplex

A review is given concerning some of the recent industrial developments of stainless steels. In austenitic stainless steels,two different directions of alloy development are noticeable:low nickel austenitic stainless steels and high nitrogen stainless steels.In these two cases the aims are different,particularly in terms of strength,but the philosophy of alloy development and the scientific approaches are very similar and they all revolve about the role of nitrogen as an alloying element and how this affects strength,ductility and corrosion resistance. There is now a broad and useful basis of information as to how nitrogen affects solid solution hardening,grain boundary hardening and work hardening and how to make use of these effects in developing materials required by the world market. In the field of corrosion resistance,ferritic,duplex and austenitic stainless steels compete with each other and now there is a growing body of information concerning the relative corrosion resistance based on laboratory data. However,for practical applications and for alloy selection,more than just laboratory data are needed,and thus,the first results are presented here of a many years comparison of the corrosion resistance of 24 commercial stainless steels exposed to corrosion in outdoors marine atmosphere.Hope is expressed to involve in the near future even more steels from a wider range of manufacturers in such corrosion studies.This might help consumers in appropriate alloy selection.It might also help steel makers in developing appropriate stainless steel grades.     

Solidification structure and abrasion resistance of high chromium white irons

Superior abrasive wear resistance, combined with relatively low production costs, makes high Cr white cast irons (WCIs) particularly attractive for applications in the grinding, milling, and pumping apparatus used to process hard materials. Hypoeutectic, eutectic, and hypereutectic cast iron compositions, containing either 15 or 26 wt pct chromium, were studied with respect to the macrostructural transitions of the castings, solidification paths, and resulting microstructures when poured with varying superheats. Completely equiaxed macrostructures were produced in thick section castings with slightly hypereutectic compositions. High-stress abrasive wear tests were then performed on the various alloys to examine the influence of both macrostructure and microstructure on wear resistance. Results indicated that the alloys with a primarily austenitic matrix had a higher abrasion resistance than similar alloys with a pearlitic/bainitic matrix. Improvement in abrasion resistance was partially attributed to the ability of the austenite to transform to martensite at the wear surface during the abrasion process.     

Mechanical Properties and Corrosion–Abrasion Wear Behavior of Low-Alloy MnSiCrB Cast Steels Containing Cu

Two medium carbon low-alloy MnSiCrB cast steels containing different Cu contents (0.01 wt pct and 0.62 wt pct) were designed, and the effect of Cu on the mechanical properties and corrosion–abrasion wear behavior of the cast steels was studied. The results showed that the low-alloy MnSiCrB cast steels obtained excellent hardenability by a cheap alloying scheme. The microstructure of the MnSiCrB cast steels after water quenching from 1123 K (850 °C) consists of lath martensite and retained austenite. After tempering at 503 K (230 °C), carbides precipitated, and the hardness of the cast steels reached 51 to 52 HRC. The addition of Cu was detrimental to the ductility and impact toughness but was beneficial to the wear resistance in a corrosion–abrasion wear test. The MnSiCrB cast steel with Cu by the simple alloying scheme and heat treatment has the advantages of being high performance, low cost, and environmentally friendly. It is a potential, advanced wear-resistant cast steel for corrosion–abrasion wear conditions.     

Corrosion Behavior of High Nitrogen Nickel-Free Fe-16Cr-Mn-Mo-N Stainless Steels

The purpose of the current study is to develop austenitic nickel-free stainless steels with lower chromium content and higher manganese and nitrogen contents. In order to prevent nickel-induced skin allergy, cobalt, manganese, and nitrogen were used to substitute nickel in the designed steel. Our results demonstrated that manganese content greater than 14 wt pct results in a structure that is in full austenite phase. The manganese content appears to increase the solubility of nitrogen; however, a lower corrosion potential was found in steel with high manganese content. Molybdenum appears to be able to increase the pitting potential. The effects of Cr, Mn, Mo, and N on corrosion behavior of Fe-16Cr-2Co-Mn-Mo-N high nitrogen stainless steels were evaluated with potentiodynamic tests and XPS surface analysis. The results reveal that anodic current and pits formation of the Fe-16Cr-2Co-Mn-Mo-N high nitrogen stainless steels were smaller than those of lower manganese and nitrogen content stainless steel.     

超级高氮奥氏体不锈钢的耐腐蚀性能及氮的影响

用电化学测试、化学浸泡等方法研究了超级奥氏体不锈钢00Cr24Ni22Mo7Mn3CuN(654SMO)的耐点腐蚀和耐缝隙腐蚀的性能。通过改变氮含量,研究了氮对奥氏体不锈钢的耐点腐蚀和耐缝隙腐蚀性能的影响,结果表明,氮和适量的铬、钼结合,能显提高奥氏体不锈钢的耐点腐蚀和缝隙腐蚀的能力,并且随着氮含量的增国,砥体不锈钢的耐点腐蚀和耐缝隙腐蚀的能力也增强,对比实验表明,超级奥氏体不锈钢在耐点腐蚀,缝隙腐蚀等局部腐蚀性能方面可以和镍基合金C－276媲美,甚至优于镍基合金。     

Microstructural and Stress Corrosion Cracking Characteristics of Austenitic Stainless Steels Containing Silicon

Austenitic stainless steels (SSs) core internal components in nuclear light water reactors (LWRs) are susceptible to irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC). One of the effects of irradiation is the hardening of the SS and a change in the dislocation distribution in the alloy. Irradiation may also alter the local chemistry of the austenitic alloys; for example, silicon may segregate and chromium may deplete at the grain boundaries. The segregation or depletion phenomena at near-grain boundaries may enhance the susceptibility of these alloys to environmentally assisted cracking (EAC). The objective of the present work was to perform laboratory tests in order to better understand the role of Si in the microstructure, properties, electrochemical behavior, and susceptibility to EAC of austenitic SSs. Type 304 SS can dissolve up to 2 pct Si in the bulk while maintaining a single austenite microstructure. Stainless steels containing 12 pct Cr can dissolve up to 5 pct bulk Si while maintaining an austenite structure. The crack growth rate (CGR) results are not conclusive about the effect of the bulk concentration of Si on the EAC behavior of SSs.     

Fe-Cr-Mn microduplex ferritic-martensitic stainless steels

An alloy development program has been undertaken with the aim of identifying an Fe-Cr-Mn stainless steel with ferritic-martensitic microduplex phase balance of sufficient stability to produce moderate strength and ductility, good impact resistance and acceptable as-welded properties. A microduplex, low C and N, Ti stabilized composition of Fe-11.5 pct Cr-3 pct Mn has been found to provide a yield strength of ⋍550 MPa, a tensile strength of ≃650 MPa, tensile elongation of 20 pct, a CVN impact transition temperature of-115°C (at 0.33 cm gage) and good weldability as determined by bend, impact, and intergranular corrosion testing. The alloy possesses general corrosion resistance roughly comparable to T405 and T430 ferritic stainless steels. The impact resistance achieved with the mixture of ferrite and martensite is inconsistent with previous concepts of second phase toughening in microduplex alloys, with the mixture apparently being significantly tougher than either of its components in bulk form. J.R. WOOD formerly with Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corporation, Brackenridge, PA     

Characterization of stainless steels melted under high nitrogen pressure

Mechanical properties of stainless steels increase with increasing nitrogen concentration. Currently, the maximum nitrogen concentration in commercial stainless steels is 0.8 wt pct. In this study, type 304 and 316 stainless steels were melted and cooled in a hot-isostatic-pressur(HIP) furnace using nitrogen as the pressurizing gas, producing alloys with nitrogen concentrations between 1 and 4 wt pct. These nitrogen levels exceeded the alloys’ solubility limits, resulting in the formation of nitride precipitates with several different microstructures. A new phase diagram for high nitrogen stainless steel alloys is proposed. Several properties of these nitrogen stainless steel alloys with chromium nitrides present were studied: tensile strength was proportional to the interstitial nitrogen concentration; hardness, wear, and elastic modules were proportional to the total nitrogen concentration. Formerly Research Scientist, National Institute of Science and Technology, Boulder, CO, is retired.     

Optimization of Fe/Cr/C base structural Steels for improved strength and toughness

Optimization of the composition and the heat treatments to provide a microduplex structure of dislocated-autotempered lath martensite and thin film retained austenite for good combinations of mechanical properties has been attained for Fe/Cr/C base steels. Substituting 0.5 wt pct Mo to reduce Cr from 4 pct to 3 pct did not affect the microstructures nor the properties. It was found that air melting as compared to vacuum melting does not cause deterioration of toughness in Mn containing alloys but does so in Ni containing alloys. Tempered martensite embrittlement was confirmed as being due to the decomposition of retained austenite. Further improvements in the fracture toughness are achieved by double heat treatments which provide grain refinement. These alloys are considered to be very promising for structural applications.     

Stress corrosion cracking of stainless steels in NaCl solutions

The metallurgical influences on the stress corrosion resistance of many commercial stainless steels have been studied using the fracture mechanics approach. The straight-chromium ferritic stainless steels, two-phase ferritic-austenitic stainless steels and high-nickel solid solutions (like alloys 800 and 600) investigated are all fully resistant to stress corrosion cracking at stress intensity (K₁) levels ≤ MN • m-^3/2 in 22 pct NaCl solutions at 105 °C. Martensitic stainless steels, austenitic stainless steels and precipitation hardened superalloys, all with about 18 pct chromium, may be highly susceptible to stress corrosion cracking, depending on heat treatment and other alloying elements. Molybdenum additions improve the stress corrosion cracking resistance of austenitic stainless steels significantly. The fracture mechanics approach to stress corrosion testing of stainless steels yields results which are consistent with both the service experience and the results from testing with smooth specimens. In particular, the well known “Copson curve” is reproduced by plotting the stress corrosion threshold stress intensity (AT_ISCC) vs the nickel content of stainless steels with about 18 pct chromium. Formerly with the BBC Brown Boveri Company, Baden, Switzerland     

Structure and mechanical properties of tempered martensite and lower bainite in Fe−Ni−Mn−C steels

The structure and mechanical properties of tempered martensite and lower bainite were investigated in a series of high purity 0.25 pct C steels with varying amounts of nickel and manganese. The martensites in 0.25 C-5 Ni?Fe and 0.25 C-3 Mn?Fe alloys were mainly untwinned, while those in 0.25 C-5 Ni-7 Mn?Fe and 0.25 C-7 Mn?Fe alloys were heavily twinned. Manganese appears to promote carbide precipitation along the lath boundaries in tempered martensite. At equivalent yield and ultimate tensile strength levels, the tempered martensite of lower manganese steels showed better impact toughness than the tempered martensite of higher manganese steels. The impact toughness (compared at similar strength levels) of untwinned tempered martensite of 0.25 pct C steel with Widmanstatten precipitation of carbide was higher than that of lower bainite, which showed unidirectional carbides. The reasons for the difference in impact toughness between the alloys, and also between the structures are rationalized in terms of internal twinning, grain boundary precipitation and carbide morphology together with other microstructural features.     

Relationship between Work Hardening Behaviour and Deformation Structure in Ni‐free High Nitrogen Austenitic Stainless Steels

The work hardening behaviour of high nitrogen austenitic steel (HNS) depends not only on the nitrogen content but also on the addition of substitutional alloying elements such as Mn and Ni, although the effect of nitrogen content has been considered to be a main factor controlling the work hardening rate in HNS. In this study, two kinds of high nitrogen austenitic steels containing nearly 1 mass‐% of nitrogen with and without Mn (Fe‐25%Cr‐1.1%N and Fe‐21%Cr‐0.9%N‐23%Mn alloys) were tensile‐tested and their work hardening behaviour was investigated for the purpose of clarifying the effect of Mn on the work hardening behaviour. Then the results were related to the change in deformation substructure. In the Fe‐25Cr‐1.1N alloy, the work hardening rate kept high until fracture occurred, while in the Fe‐21Cr‐0.9N‐23Mn alloy it tended to decrease gradually with tensile deformation in the high strain region. It was concluded that the difference in work hardening behaviour between both alloys is attributed to the change in dislocation substructure from planar dislocation array to dislocation cell by the addition of Mn.     

The effect of nitrogen additions upon the pitting resistance of 18 pct Cr, 18 pct Mn Stainless Steel

The effect of nitrogen additions upon the pitting resistance of 18 pct Cr, 18 pct Mn stainless steel has been investigated by potentiokinetic techniques in a 1000 ppm NaCl solution. Nitrogen additions increased the pitting resistance of the steel irrespective of structure, however, the ferritic steel was less pit resistant than the (duplex) steels containing both austenite and ferrite which, in turn, were less pit resistant than the totally austenitic steels. For steels having a duplex structure, the effect of nitrogen on the pitting resistance was observed to follow a linear function of the relative amount of austenite in these steels due to the area effects of the austenite and ferrite which are galvanically coupled in these steels. The addition of nitrogen was found to increase the amount of austenite at a rate of approximately 200 times the percent nitrogen addition from 36 pct austenite for the 0.02 pct N steel to 100 pct for the 0.40 pct nitrogen steel. The addition of nitrogen to the totally austenitic steels increased the pitting resistance at the rate of approximately 0.31 volts per pct nitrogen added, but no mechanism was found for the increased resistance. This paper is based on a presentation made at a symposium on “New Developments in Ferritic and Duplex Stainless Steels,” held at the Fall Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 19, 1972, under the sponsorship of the Corrosion Resistant Metals Committee of TMS-IMD and the Corrosion and Oxidation Activity of the ASM.     

High‐Interstitial Stainless Austenitic Steel Castings

Interstitial atoms are most effective in strengthening austenitic steels. In stainless grades, chromium strongly reduces the solubility limit of carbon. High‐nitrogen contents require costly pressure or powder metallurgy to dissolve N in the melt. The combination of both elements comes with a high‐interstitial solubility at normal pressure of air. Sand casting with 18 mass% Cr and Mn each and 0.85 mass% (C + N) were industrially produced. The investigation revealed: proof strength R_p0.2 = 457 [MPa], true fracture strength R = 1714 [MPa], fracture elongation A = 44%, notch impact toughness KV = 290 J combined with a DBTT of ?94°C, an impact wear resistance comparable to Hadfield steel X120Mn12 but combined with a good corrosion resistance. Deep freezing and cold working does not effect the low relative magnetic permeability. This unique combination of properties offers advantages in application.     

The influence of martensite and ferrite on the properties of two-phase stainless steels having microduplex structures

The mechanical properties of a series of stainless steels ranging in composition from 16.5 pct Cr, 5.5 pct Ni to 23.9 pct Cr, 2.9 pct Ni have been determined. The series of alloys lie along an approximate 1700°F tie line with room temperature microstructures ranging from 100 pct martensite to 100 pct ferrite. Yield and tensile strengths increased directly with increasing martensite content. In alloys containing on the order of 40 to 60 pet martensite, the presence of a fine dispersion of tougher, albeit stronger, martensite was quite effective in lowering the ductile-to-brittle impact transition temperature.