Martensitic steels with carbide free microstructures containing retained austenite

Abstract

The concept of employing martensitic microstructures containing controlled quantities of carbon enriched retained austenite as a new route to high tonnage steels with improved properties is developed through an introduction to the novel non-equilibrium heat treatment procedure which has become known as quenching and partitioning (Q&P). This builds upon the earlier development of steels containing carbide free bainite and retained austenite, enabled by alloying with Si to suppress carbide precipitation, embracing a philosophy to produce refined ferritic microstructures by transformation to acicular forms, with the ferrite protected from the more damaging effects of carbon, which is partitioned to the austenite phase where it acts as a chemical stabiliser. This route offers enhanced strength from the martensite structure along with the promise of new properties from the behaviour of the retained austenite phase which could potentially contain a very high controlled concentration of carbon.     

Characterization of transformed and deformed microstructures in transformation induced plasticity steels using electron backscattering diffraction

The microstructure of transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steels was characterized by means of electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) technique to identify and quantify their different microstructures such as ferrite, bainite, and retained austenite. Further, the strain distribution in ferrite and retained austenite was analyzed during deformation. The TRIP steels were annealed by austempering for different durations to investigate the effect of the austempering time on the volume fraction change of the microstructural constituents. The quantitative analysis by EBSD coupled with an image contrast analysis revealed that the amount of retained austenite decreased and the amount of bainite increased with increasing austempering time. The mechanical properties of the TRIP steels were also affected by the austempering time. The maximum elongation was obtained in the sample austempered for 5 min, probably because of the good stability of retained austenite. The strain distribution in bcc and fcc phases during tensile deformation was characterized by evaluating the changes in the average local misorientation of the phases.     

The role of Cu and Al addition on the microstructure and fracture characteristics in the simulated coarse-grained heat-affected zone of high-strength low-alloy steels with superior toughness

The effects of Cu and Al addition on the microstructure and fracture in the coarse-grained heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) of high-strength low-alloy steels with superior toughness were studied and compared with the X70 pipeline base steel counterpart. The microstructure in base steel was dominated by a small fraction of acicular ferrite and predominantly bainite. However, acicular ferrite microstructure was obtained in Cu-bearing steel, which nucleated on complex oxide with outer layer of MnS and CuS because of Cu addition. The microstructure in Al-bearing steel consisted of bainite with ultrafine martensite–austenite constituent, which was refined by Al addition. CGHAZ in Cu-bearing and Al-bearing steels had superior impact toughness and ductile fracture, which were attributed to acicular ferrite and ultrafine martensite–austenite constituent, respectively.     

Isothermal transformations in advanced high strength steels below martensite start temperature

Abstract

The transformation products in advanced high strength steels have been studied during the isothermal decomposition of austenite, subsequent to initial martensite formation. Rapid cooling to various temperatures below martensite start was carried out in a dilatometer with the intention to form controlled volume fractions of initial martensite and austenite, followed by isothermal holding. The transformation kinetics was monitored by means of dilatometry and microstructural characterisation by scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction and X-ray diffraction. Hardness measurements of the resulting microstructures were analysed. The results revealed that the microstructures formed below M_S are mainly composed of different fractions of tempered martensite, isothermal bainite with carbide precipitation and retained austenite.     

Microstructure and cleavage in lath martensitic steels

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the microstructure of lath martensitic steels and the mechanisms by which it controls cleavage fracture. The specific experimental example is a 9Ni (9 wt% Ni) steel annealed to have a large prior austenite grain size, then examined and tested in the as-quenched condition to produce a relatively coarse lath martensite. The microstructure is shown to approximate the recently identified ‘classic’ lath martensite structure: prior austenite grains are divided into packets, packets are subdivided into blocks, and blocks contain interleaved laths whose variants are the two Kurjumov–Sachs relations that share the same Bain axis of the transformation. When the steel is fractured in brittle cleavage, the laths in the block share {100} cleavage planes and cleave as a unit. However, cleavage cracks deflect or blunt at the boundaries between blocks with different Bain axes. It follows that, as predicted, the block size governs the effective grain size for cleavage.     

Relationship between microstructure and hydrogen induced cracking behavior in a low alloy pipeline steel

Hydrogen induced cracking(HIC) behaviors of a high strength pipeline steel with three different microstructures, granular bainite lath bainite(GB + LB), granular bainite acicular ferrite(GB + AF), and quasi-polygonal ferrite(QF), were studied by using corrosion experiment based on standard NACE TM0284. The HIC experiment was conducted in hydrogen sulfide(H_2S)-saturated solution. The experimental results show that the steel with GB + AF and QF microstructure present excellent corrosion resistance to HIC, whereas the phases of bainite lath and martensite/austenite in LB + GB microstructure are responsible for poor corrosion resistance. Compared with ferrite phase, the bainite microstructure exhibits higher strength and crack susceptibility of HIC. The AF + GB microstructure is believed to have the best combination of mechanical properties and resistance to HIC among the designed steels.     

Effect of acicular ferrite formation on grain refinement in the coarse-grained region of heat-affected zone

The microstructure of acicular ferrite and its formation for the grain refinement of coarse-grained region of heat-affected zone of high strength low-alloy bainite steels were studied using three-dimensional reconstruction technique. Crystallographic grain size was analyzed by means of electron backscatter diffraction. It was revealed that the microstructure in the coarse-grained region of the heat-affected zone consisted of predominantly bainite packets and a small proportion of acicular ferrite. Acicular ferrite was of lath or plate-like rather than needle or rod-like morphology. Tempering of the coarse-grained region of heat-affected zone showed that the acicular ferrite was more stable than the bainite, indicating that the acicular ferrite was formed prior to bainite. The acicular ferrite laths or plates divided the prior austenite grains into smaller and separate regions, and confining the bainite transformed at lower temperatures in the smaller regions and hence leading to the grain refinement in the coarse-grained region of the heat-affected zone.     

Transformation processes and products for C–Mn steels during continuous cooling

Abstract

The continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams for four C–Mn steels were constructed using dilatometry and metallography. All diagrams involved the formation curves of second phases and the formation curves of matrix structures. Between polygonal ferrite and martensite, acicularferrite and bainite were observed. The formation of acicularferrite was associated with a kinetic change which was an indication of the formation of second phases such as pearlite, pseudopearlite, and martensite. The pseudopearlite wasfound to form by separate precipitation of cementite and ferrite in austenite. It was thought that the transformation of martensite second phases followed a Kurdjumov–Sachs relationship. Three types of carbide, i.e. upper bainitic, lower bainitic, and Widmanstätten, were observed in continuously cooled bainite. An increase of manganese content suppressed the formation of polygonal ferrite, promoted the formation of acicular ferrite and bainite, and changed the second phase from pearlite to pseudopearlite and to martensite.

MST/913     

Crystallographic analysis of plate martensite in Fe–28.5 at.% Ni by FE-SEM/EBSD

Crystallographic analysis of plate martensite in an Fe–28.5 at.% Ni alloy was studied by electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) in a scanning electron microscope equipped with a field emission gun (FE-SEM). It was shown that sound orientation mapping was possible even for the martensite having a high density of lattice defects and the FE-SEM/EBSD could be a strong tool for crystallographic/microstructural analysis of martensite in steels. It was confirmed that the martensite in this alloy held the Nishiyama–Wassermann (N–W) orientation relationship. Variant analysis of every martensite crystal was successfully done from orientation mapping data. It was clarified that a certain rule of variant selection operated within local areas. The procedures of crystallographic analysis of N–W martensite were explained in detail.     

Evaluation and review of simultaneous transformation model in high strength low alloy steels

Abstract

This work briefly describes and evaluates one of the most complete transformation models, which deals with the non-isothermal decomposition of austenite. The model, that does not consider the effect of precipitation on phase transformations, has been experimentally validated in high strength low alloy steels in order to evaluate how it works for microalloyed steels, where precipitation may play an important role. It has been found that the simultaneous transformation model is able to predict with an excellent agreement in microalloyed steels the formation of microstructures consisting of ferrite plus pearlite. However, the bainite formation is not successfully described by the model. The calculations incorrectly predict the formation of martensite instead of bainite in many situations.     

Tensile fracture behaviour of microstructurally engineered Cu bearing high strength low alloy steel

Abstract

An attempt has been made to highlight the influence of precipitation and microstructural constituents on tensile fracture behaviour in Cu bearing HSLA 100 steel. Variations in the microconstituents have been incorporated in the steel by engineering the microstructures through thermal treatments consisting of solutionising, water quenching and aging at various temperatures. The microstructure in quenched condition consists of mainly lath martensite, bainite and acicular ferrite besides little amount of retained austenite, carbides and carbonitrides. Aging up to 500°C facilitated fine coherent ?-Cu precipitation that lost its coherency at >550°C. Simultaneously, recovery and recrystallisation of martensite and acicular ferrite occurred at higher temperatures. The formation of new martensite islands occurred on aging at >650°C. Carbides, carbonitrides and retained austenite remained essentially unchanged. Tensile tests were conducted at a slow strain rate to study the tensile fracture behaviour of the steel. Microstructural and fractographic evidences indicating that coherent Cu precipitate causes the brittleness in the material in initial stages of aging whereas loss of coherency of Cu precipitate in later stages results in the reappearance of ductility in the material.     

Effect of Cu addition on microstructure and impact toughness in the simulated coarse-grained heat-affected zone of high-strength low-alloy steels

The effects of Cu content on microstructure and impact toughness in the simulated coarse-grained heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) of high-strength low-alloy steels were investigated. It has been observed that the microstructure in the simulated CGHAZ of Cu-free steel is dominated by a small proportion of acicular ferrite and predominantly bainite with martensite–austenite constituent. Whereas, in the 0.45 and 1.01% Cu-containing steels, the acicular ferrite increased significantly due to the effective nucleation on intragranular inclusions with outer layer of MnS and CuS. The formation of acicular ferrite is attributed to superior high heat-affected zone impact toughness in the 0.45% Cu-containing steel. Furthermore, the increasing martensite–austenite constituent and ε-Cu precipitates in the simulated CGHAZ of 1.01% Cu-containing steel caused degradation in impact toughness.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of C–Si–Mn(–Nb) TRIP steels after simulated thermomechanical processing

Abstract

Continuous and discontinuous cooling tests were performed using a quench deformation dilatometer to develop a comprehensive understanding of the structural and kinetic aspects of the bainite transformation in low carbon TRIP (transformation induced plasticity) steels as a function of thermomechanical processing and composition. Deformation in the unrecrystallised austenite region refined the ferrite grain size and increased the ferrite and bainite transformation temperatures for cooling rates from 10 to 90 K s^-1. The influence of niobium on the transformation kinetics was also investigated. Niobium increases the ferrite start transformation temperature, refines the ferrite microstructure, and stimulates the formation of acicular ferrite. The effect of the bainite isothermal transformation temperature on the final microstructure of steels with and without a small addition of niobium was studied. Niobium promotes the formation of stable retained austenite, which influences the mechanical properties of TRIP steels. The optimum mechanical properties were obtained after isothermal holding at 400°C in the niobium steel containing the maximum volume fraction of retained austenite with acicular ferrite as the predominant second phase.     

Texture development in cold rolled and annealed C-Mn-Si and C-Mn-Al-Si TRIP steels

Abstract

The texture of two transformation induced plasticity steels has been studied by means of crystallographic orientation mapping. Texture measurements were carried out on ferrite, bainite, and austenite. The polygonal ferrite and the bainite texture, both bcc, could be distinguished based on the image quality parameter of the electron backscattering diffraction measurement. Both bcc textures were very similar, the main difference being the more pronounced 111alpha ND ND=normal direction and 110alpha RD RD=rolling direction fibre textures in the polygonal ferrite. The fcc texture was a strong gamma deformation texture, characterised by the beta fibre. The presence of the alpha fibre confirmed the strong 110gamma ND direction, which was previously detected by means of X ray diffraction XRD. The measured fcc and bcc textures were used to calculate orientation distribution function transformations according the Bain, Kurdjumov-Sachs, and Nishiyama-Wasserman orientation relationships. The predicted cube component {001}gamma 100gamma, which was missing in the measured texture, of gammaret indicates a variant selection for the gammaalphaB transformation. In addition it was shown that crystallographic orientation mapping could be used to make reliable phase fraction determinations, which were previously based on the light optical microscopy of colour etched specimens. This also proves that XRD determination of gammaret is flawed owing to the strong texturing of all phases present in the microstructure.     

Austenite stability for quenching and partitioning treated steel revealed by colour tint-etching method

Abstract

The complex microstructures of quenching and partitioning treated (QP980) steel have been investigated using two-step colour tint-etching method and further verified by X-ray diffraction, electron backscattering diffraction, magnetisation measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The colour tint-etching method can quantitatively discriminate the ferrite, martensite and retained austenite by obviously colour differences. It is found that retained austenite was observed inside both martensite and ferrite, and the fraction of retained austenite in martensite was statistically higher but more scattering than that in ferrite. Moreover, the retained austenite in martensite is a little bit more stable than that in ferrite by comparing the change of volume fraction retained austenite in both phases after tension.     

10Ni5CrMoV钢奥氏体焊缝接头熔合区马氏体带的显微组织

本文研究了A507填充10Ni5CrMoV钢接头熔合区马氏体带的显微组织。"原位取样"TEM分析表明熔合区存在板条马氏体、孪晶马氏体、奥氏体、贝氏体和部分分解的板条马氏体混合组织;彩色金相显示熔合区存在马氏体和奥氏体混合组织;结合Schaeffler图分析结果,可以确定这种混合组织位于OM下熔合区后续熔化滞留层的马氏体带。     

高钢级管线钢的特征参量及其与强韧性的关系

利用力学实验及EBSD等微观分析手段,研究表征高钢级管线钢的特征参数,并探讨其对强韧性的影响.结果表明:在X70,X80高钢级管线钢中,C,Cu,Mn对材料的强韧性有重要的影响;其组织特征为针状铁素体、粒状贝氏体和少量下贝氏体组成;有效晶粒尺寸、组织均匀性、贝氏体含量是表征高钢级管线钢组织特征的重要参数;随着有效晶粒尺寸的降低、贝氏体含量的增加及组织的均匀性的提高,高钢级管线钢表现出更加优异的强韧性匹配特征.     

Investigation of idiomorphic ferrite and allotriomorphic ferrite using electron backscatter diffraction technique

A heat treatment for a vanadium-containing steel involving high-temperature austenitisation followed by two-stage isothermal holding was deliberately conducted to produce allotriomorphic ferrite (ALF), idiomorphic ferrite (IDF) and martensite. The resulting microstructures and crystallographic relationships with respect to the parent austenite grains were examined using the electron backscatter diffraction technique. Results indicated that IDF grains did not possess a specific orientation relationship (OR) with respect to the surrounding austenite matrix. The detailed substructures of IDF were also examined. In contrast, the ALF grains had an approximate Kurdjumov–Sachs OR with respect to one or both of the adjacent austenite grains; the latter case was termed a dual OR and was analysed in detail.     

Effect of Post-weld Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Fracture Toughness of 30CrMnSiNi2A Steel Welded Joints

The electron beam local post-weld heat treatment (EBLPWHT) is a rather new method that provides the advantages of high precision, flexibility and efficiency, energy saving and higher productivity. This paper studies the effect of two post-weld heat treatment processes on the microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture toughness of an electron beam welded joints in 30CrMnSiNi2A steel. EBLPWHT, in a vacuum chamber, immediately after welding and a traditional furnace whole post-weld heat treatment (FWPWHT) were compared. The experimental results show that, after EBLPWHT treatment, the main microstructure of weld was changed from coarse acicular martensite into lath rnartensite, HAZ was changed from lath martensite, bainite into lower bainite, and base metal was changed from ferrite and pearlite into upper bainite and residual austenite. The microstructures of different zones of joints in FWPWHT condition were tempered sorbite. The properties of welded joints can be improved by the EBLPWHT in some extent, and especially largely for the fracture toughness of welded joints. However the value of fracture toughness of base metal is comparatively low, so appropriate heat treatment parameters should be explored in the future.     

SEM/EBSD based in situ studies of deformation induced phase transformations in supermartensitic stainless steels

Abstract

Recent year's equipment design has enabled the combination of in situ deformation tests with near real time electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) mapping of the microstructure evolution in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The present work involves studies of deformation induced phase transformations in supermartensitic steel containing ～40 vol.-% retained austenite at room temperature. The martensite formation was initiated already at low strains, and increased gradually with increasing plastic strains up to ～10%. It was observed that the martensite formed homogeneously within the microstructure, independent of the crystallographic orientations of the retained austenite. But no new martensite variants, besides those already present in the as received condition, did form during deformation. At the same time, the mutual distribution of these variants remained approximately constant throughout the deformation process.