Technological application of the martensitic transformation of some austenitic stainless steels

The final heat treatment of austenitic stainless steels of types X 5 CrNi 18 9 (1.4301) and X 2 CrNi 18 10 (1.4306) normally is annealing at 1050°C and subsequent water quenching. The resulting structure is of a metastable fcc-type. Plastic deformation, especially at low temperatures, causes martensitic transformation of these metastable structures. The transformation is accompanied by a substantial flow stress increase. This strengthening mechanism should be used in practice, e.g. to save weight. The deformed structure consists of tetragonal α′-martensite, austenite and hcp ε-martensite. Whereas α′-martensite increases continuously with deformation, the content of ε-martensite reaches a maximum value at about 5% plastic strain at 77 K. The hcp phase is only detectable by means of X-ray analysis, whilst α′-martensite can be determined quantitatively by saturation magnetisation measurement. The flow stress increase during low temperature deformation of metastable austenitic stainless steels is based on normal work-hardening by dislocation accumulation, in addition to a distinct amount of work-hardening due to martensitic transformation. Analysis of the work-hardening behaviour in the range of stable deformation (T > M_D) can be used to predict the amount of normal work-hardening when deformation is performed in the instable temperature regime. Separation of the flow stress contributions according to the procedure described above enables the possible savings in weight to be predicted when using cryogenically stretched instable austenitic steels in comparison with stable grades deformed under the same conditions.     

Effect of Cold Rolling on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AISI 301LN Metastable Austenitic Stainless Steels

 The microstructure and mechanical properties evolution of AISI 301LN metastable austenitic stainless steels during cold rolling were investigated. A wide range of cold thickness reduction (10%-80%) was carried out in a four-high rolling mill at ambient temperature. The X-ray and Feritscope MP30 were used to identify the strain-induced α′-martensite phase and its volume fraction, respectively. The microstructure was observed by optical micrograph and the mechanical properties were determined by tensile tests and microhardness. The results show that the strain-induced α′-martensite nucleated at the shear bands intersections and the growth of α′-martensite occurred by the repeated nucleation of new embryos. The volume fraction of strain-induced α′-martensite increased with increasing the cold rolling reduction. In addition, the percentage increased in the tensile strength is the same as that of hardness. The ratio between the average tensile strength and the average microhardness was found to range between 2.82 and 3.17.     

Effect of Residual Stress and Strain-Induced α′-Martensite on Delayed Cracking of Metastable Austenitic Stainless Steels

The role of residual stresses and strain-induced α′-martensite in delayed cracking of metastable austenitic stainless steels was studied by means of Swift cup tests, measurement of residual stresses by X-ray diffraction and ring slitting, and α′-martensite content determination. Low-Ni, high-Mn austenitic stainless steels, e.g., AISI 201, were compared with Fe-Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steels. The presence of α′-martensite seemed to be a necessary prerequisite for delayed cracking to occur in austenitic stainless steels with typical internal hydrogen concentrations (<5 ppm). Stable low-Ni austenitic stainless steel was not prone to delayed cracking. The low-Ni metastable grades showed more severe cracking at lower degree of deformation and lower volume fraction of α′-martensite than that of the metastable 300-series grades. The limiting α′-martensite content, below which delayed cracking did not occur, decreased along with the nickel content of the material. The strain-induced martensitic transformation substantially increased the magnitude of residual stresses in deep-drawn cups. One explanation for high sensitivity of the low-Ni grades to delayed cracking after deep drawing is their higher residual stresses compared to that of the Fe-Cr-Ni grades. Alloying elements of the stainless steels, nickel, and carbon in particular, influence the sensitivity to delayed cracking through their effect on the properties of the α′-martensite.     

Work Hardening Behavior in Steel with Multiple TRIP Mechanisms

Transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) behavior was studied in steel with the composition Fe-0.07C-2.85Si-15.3Mn-2.4Al-0.017N that exhibited two TRIP mechanisms. The initial microstructure consisted of both ε- and α-martensites with 27 pct retained austenite. TRIP behavior in the first 5 pct strain was predominately austenite transforming to ε-martensite (Stage I), but upon saturation of Stage I, the ε-martensite transformed to α-martensite (Stage II). Alloy segregation also affected the TRIP behavior with alloy-rich regions producing TRIP just prior to necking. This behavior was explained by first-principles calculations which revealed that aluminum significantly affected the stacking fault energy in Fe-Mn-Al-C steels by decreasing the unstable stacking fault energy and promoting easy nucleation of ε-martensite. The addition of aluminum also raised the intrinsic stacking fault energy and caused the ε-martensite to be unstable and transform to α-martensite under further deformation. The two-stage TRIP behavior produced a high strain hardening exponent of 1.4 and led to an ultimate tensile strength of 1165 MPa and elongation to failure of 35 pct.     

冷轧中锰钢的超塑性与组织结构演化行为

 为了研究含铝冷轧中锰钢的超塑性能和在超塑性变形下的组织结构演化过程,对冷轧含铝中锰钢在800 ℃进行了高温拉伸试验和不同变形量下的微观组织结构表征。研究结果表明,0.05C5Mn2Al、0.10C5Mn2Al和0.15C5Mn3Al钢伸长率分别达到了740%、850%和350%,都获得了超塑性现象,EBSD表征结果表明0.05C5Mn2Al、0.10C5Mn2Al两种冷轧组织均匀细小,在高温拉伸过程中具有较高的稳定性,拉伸过程中铁素体与原奥氏体均匀长大,且最大晶粒尺寸小于10 μm;但0.15C5Mn3Al冷轧组织存在条带状的铁素体,该组织易于通过吞并细小的铁素体和原奥氏体晶粒而异常长大,高温拉伸后的尺寸达到了20 μm。通过对3种含铝冷轧中锰钢的超塑性行为与微观组织结构演化关系分析,认为初始均匀一致的冷轧组织具有高的组织稳定性而有利于超塑性,而具有粗大条带状的铁素体组织易于发生异常长大而不利于超塑性。     

Deformation-induced microstructure and martensite effects on transgranular carbide precipitation in type 304 stainless steels

Plastic deformation of 304 stainless steel (SS) induces transgranular (TG) carbide precipitation, which is critically dependent on deformation-induced microstructural changes occurring during thermal treatment of the SS. Uniaxial deformation of the 304 SS to 40% strain produces a high density of intersecting micro-shear bands composed of heterogeneous bundles of twin-faults and about 12–17% strain-induced α′-martensite at the intersections of the twin-faults. Thermal treatment of 670°C for 0.1–10 h, however, results in a rapid annihilation/transformation of the strain-induced martensite and the concurrent formation of zones containing mixed thermal martensite laths and fine-grained austenite, though the thermal martensite also decreases with increasing heat treatment time. Simultaneous with these thermomechanically-induced microstructural changes, TG chromium-rich carbides form at intersections of twin-faults and on fine-austenite or thermal martensite boundaries in the SS; however, no correlation between strain-induced α′-martensite and carbides was observed in this work. The mechanisms of deformation-induced microstructure and (strain-induced and thermal) martensite effects on TG carbide precipitation in 304 SS are discussed.     

Strengthening via the Formation of Strain-Induced Martensite and the Effects of Laser Marking on the Microstructure of Austenitic Stainless Steel

The deformation behavior and microstructure characteristics of 304L stainless steel during strip rolling and bar extrusion at different strains and temperatures, from room to liquid-nitrogen temperature, were investigated with Vickers hardness, light microscopy, and electron-backscatter-diffraction. The relative volume fractions of transformed martensite at different stages of the deformation process were assessed using Ferritescope MP-30. It was found that during rolling and extrusion the relative volume fraction of martensite increases with increasing strain and decreasing temperature. According to the enhancement of the mechanical and magnetic properties after isothermal treatment at 673 K (400 °C), it is assumed that both, ε-martensite and α′-martensite, are present in the deformation microstructure, indicating the simultaneous stress-induced transformation and strain-induced transformation of austenite. The effects of the laser surface treatment and the local appearance of a non-magnetic phase due to the α′ → γ transformation after the laser surface treatment were also investigated.     

添加Si对FeMn阻尼合金组织及性能的影响

采用倒扭摆测试仪、SEM、TEM等方法研究了添加Si对FeMn阻尼合金组织和性能的影响.结果表明,Si的加入增加了FeMn合金的层错和ε马氏体片层的数量,但由于马氏体片的交叉及Si引起的晶格畸变都阻碍了合金阻尼源界面的移动,使得合金阻尼性能降低;预变形后Fe-19Mn合金阻尼性能呈现先增加后降低的趋势,而Fe-19Mn...     

Microstructure Refinement and Mechanical Properties of 304 Stainless Steel by Repetitive Thermomechanical Processing

Repetitive thermomechanical processing (TMP) was applied for evaluating the effect of strain-induced α′-martensite transformation and reversion annealing on microstructure refinement and mechanical properties of 304 austenitic stainless steel. The first TMP scheme consisted of four cycles of tensile deformation to strain of 0.4, while the second TMP scheme applied two cycles of tensile straining to 0.6. For both schemes, tensile tests were conducted at 173 K (? 100 °C) followed by 5-minute annealing at 1073 K (800 °C). The volume fraction of α′-martensite in deformed samples increased with increasing cycles, reaching a maximum of 98 vol pct. Examination of annealed microstructure by electron backscattered diffraction indicated that increasing strain and/or number of cycles resulted in stronger reversion to austenite with finer grain size of 1 μm. Yet, increasing strain reduced the formation of Σ3 boundaries. The annealing textures generally show reversion of α′-martensite texture components to the austenite texture of brass and copper orientations. The increase in strain and/or number of cycles resulted in stronger intensity of copper orientation, accompanied by the formation of recrystallization texture components of Goss, cube, and rotated cube. The reduction in grain size with increasing cycles caused an increase in yield strength. It also resulted in an increase in strain hardening rate during deformation due to the increase in the formation of α′-martensite. The increase in strain hardening rate occurred in two consecutive stages, marked as stages II and III. The strain hardening in stage II is due to the formation of α′-martensite from either austenite or ε-martensite, while the stage-III strain hardening is attributed to the necessity to break the α′-martensite-banded structure for forming block-type martensite at high strains.     

Fe-Mn-Si-Al系和Fe-Mn-C系TWIP钢加工硬化行为

研究了在不同应变量下Fe-Mn-Si-Al系和Fe-Mn-C系孪晶诱导塑性(TWIP)钢的力学性能以及微观组织,分析了TWIP效应在两种不同系列TWIP钢中发挥的作用,阐明了TWIP钢的强化机制.两种系列的TWIP钢都具有高加工硬化能力,但层错能较低的Fe-Mn-C系TWIP钢加工硬化能力更强.两种系列的TWIP钢加工硬化表现为多加工硬化指数行为,这是由多种强化机理在不同阶段起主导作用的结果.微观组织形态与加工硬化强度之间存在着较强的关联性.位错的增殖和形变孪晶的产生对两个系列TWIP钢硬化曲线形态有着明显的影响.在高应变阶段,Fe-Mn-C系TWIP钢大量的第一位向形变孪晶T1和第二位向形变孪晶T2,以及附着在孪晶界旁的高密度位错区域是造成其具有高加工硬化能力的原因,而Fe-Mn-Si-Al系TWIP钢细密的第一位向形变条纹和孪晶片层间的位错是其高加工硬化原因,且其微观组织更为均匀细致.      

In-Situ Measurements of Load Partitioning in a Metastable Austenitic Stainless Steel: Neutron and Magnetomechanical Measurements

In order to construct physically based models of the mechanical response of metastable austenitic steels, one must know the load partitioning between the austenite and the strain-induced martensitic phases. While diffraction-based techniques have become common for such measurements, they often require access to large facilities. In this work, we have explored a simple magnetic technique capable of providing a measure of the stresses in an embedded ferromagnetic phase. This technique makes use of the coupling between the elastic strain and the magnetic response of the $\alpha^{\prime}$ -martensite in an austenitic stainless steel undergoing straining. The magnetic technique proposed here is compared to neutron diffraction measurements made on the same material and is shown to give nearly identical results. The resulting predictions of the load partitioning to the $\alpha^{\prime}$ -martensite phase suggest that $\alpha^{\prime}$ deforms in a complex fashion, reflecting the fact that the microstructure is progressively transformed from austenite to martensite with straining. In particular, it is shown that the apparent hardening of the $\alpha^{\prime}$ -martensite suggests elastic deformation as an important source of high macroscopic work-hardening rate in this material.     

(C+N)复合强化的Fe-Cr-Mn(W,V)钢高温性能的研究

研究了用于核反应推低放射性结构材料Ｆｅ－Ｃｒ－Ｍｎ（Ｗ,Ｖ）奥氏体钢。通过（Ｃ＋Ｎ）复合强化有效地提高Ｆｅ－１２％Ｃｒ０１５％Ｍｎ（Ｗ,Ｖ）钢高温强度和蠕变断裂寿命,并改善高温塑性。在温度６７３Ｋ以下,合金比ＳＵＳ３１６钢和ＪＰＣＡＳ钢强度和塑性优良。合金强度和塑性与形变的相互关系是和合金形变组织变化;密切相关。对６７３Ｋ以上塑性降低的原因进行断口和显微组织分析,控制晶界碳化物粗化是进一步提高高温     

Microstructural Study of the Phase Transformations Upon Cooling to Room Temperature of High Mn Steels

The phase transformations of high Mn steels during cooling have been characterized in this study. Widmanstätten plates occur in the austenite matrix upon cooling the steels from 1373 K (1100 °C). The Widmanstätten plates are composed of not only the hexagonal close-packed ε-martensite but also the face-centered cubic (FCC) micro-twins. The formation mechanism of the Widmanstätten phases is probably various stacking faults induced from Shockley partial dislocations in the austenite. The ε-martensitic plates, along with the κ-carbides, were observed in a Mn-Al steel at 873 K (600 °C). As most of the FCC matrix has transformed to κ-carbides, the partial dislocations neighboring ε-martensitic plates could not glide. The ε-martensite retained in the transformed matrix is the strongest evidence to support the above mechanism.     

Effect of cryoforming of austenitic Cr Ni-steels at 77 K on martensitic transformation and work-hardening characteristics

The effect of cryoforming at 77 K on the flow and work-hardening characteristics was investigated considering the martensitic transformation behaviour in austenitic Cr Ni steels with different nickel contents. The test steels can be divided into two groups relating to the flow and work-hardening characteristics and martensitic transformation behaviour at 77 K. The first group comprises steels with less than 16 % nickel, the second group those with more than 16 % nickel. The flow curves of the first-group steels show two inflection points on the basis of γ → α'-transformation. α_γ'-martensite is observed and ?- and α_?'-martensite too. The flow curves of the second-group steels do not show any inflection points. The γ → α'-martensitic transformation is not induced, ?- and α_?'-martensite are provable by light and scanning microscopy. The stress-strain intervals were determined for the individual martensite transformations at 77 K in the test steels. They are dependent from the nickel content. The stress which specifies the first inflection point on the flow curve and the minimum of the work-hardening rate, respectively, characterizes the stress for initiating the deformation-induced α_γ'-martensite formation. Transformation of the austenite to α' martensite will end in achieving a stress of 1200 to 1400 MPa, i.e. in achieving the second inflection point of the flow curve and the maximum of the work-hardening rate, respectively. The stress interval is not dependent from the nickel content.     

Mechanical properties of new stainless steels based on the system Fe‐30Mn‐5A1‐XCr‐0.5C

New stainless steels based on the system Fe‐30Mn‐5AI‐XCr‐0.5C (Cr mass contents of ≤ 9 %) were developed and evaluated as a replacement of conventional AISI 304 steel. The alloys were produced by induction melting and thermomechanically processed to obtain a fine equiaxed microstructure. A typical thermomechanical processing for AISI 300 austenitic stainless steels was used and included forging at 1200°C, rolling at 850 °C and final recrystallization at 1050 °C. A final fully austenitic microstructure with grains of about 150 μm in size was obtained in all the steels. Tensile tests at temperatures ranging from ‐196 to 400 °C showed similar results for the various alloys tested. In accordance with the values for the elongation to fracture, this temperature range was subdivided into three regions. In the temperature range of ‐196 °C to room temperature, elongation to fracture increases with decreasing temperature. At temperatures ranging from 100 to 300 °C, elongation to fracture increases with testing temperature and serrations on the stress‐strain curve were observed. Finally, higher testing temperatures were accompanied by a decrease in ductility. Examination of the microstructures after deformation led to the conclusion that mechanical twinning was the dominant mechanism of deformation at the tested temperatures.     

Influence of the microstructure of higher carbon steels on fracture mechanics properties

By varying the cooling rate in the region of the γ-α-transformation different parameters of pearlite microstructure, such as interlamellar spacing and pearlite colony size, were adjusted in a pearlitic steel with 0.79% C. Refinement of the microstructure improved the mechanical properties and the fracture mechanical properties, expressed by the J_R-curve. Partial spheroidization of pearlite was achieved by deformation just after the pearlite formation (at the deformation temperature of 600°C). Investigations on ferritic-pearlitic steels with 0.19, 0.35 and 0.45% C, thermomechanically treated in such a way, showed a significant influence of the change in pearlite morphology on the fracture properties, especially with a pearlite fraction larger than about 80%.     

Deformation-induced phase transformation and strain hardening in type 304 austenitic stainless steel

Deformation-induced phase transformation in a type 304 austenitic stainless steel has been studied in tension at room temperature and −50 °C. The evolution of transformation products was monitored using X-ray diffraction (XRD) line profile analysis of diffraction peaks from a single XRD scan employing the direct comparison method. Crystallographic texture transitions due to deformation strain have been evaluated using (111) _γ pole figures. The tensile stress-strain data have been analyzed to explain the influence of underlying deformation-induced microstructural changes and associated texture changes in the steel. It is found that the initial stage of rapidly decreasing strain hardening rate in type 304 steel is primarily influenced by hcp ɛ-martensite formation, and the second stage of increasing strain hardening rate is associated with an increase in the α′-martensite formation. The formation of ɛ-martensite is associated with a gradual strengthening of the copper-type texture components up to 15 pct strain and decreasing with further strain at −50 °C. Texture changes during low-temperature deformation not only change the mechanism of ɛ-martensite formation but also influence the strain rate sensitivity of the present steel.     

1000MPa级高延伸率Q&P钢的实验室研究

以C-Si-Mn系TRIP钢成分为基础,设计了四种不同Si和Mn含量的合金成分,并采用不同两相区奥氏体化温度的淬火—配分(QP)工艺进行处理,得到了兼具高强度和高塑性的QP钢。其中,当奥氏体化温度为820℃时,0.18C-1.8Si-2.2Mn(质量分数,%)钢和0.18C-1.8Si-2.5Mn钢在抗拉强度达到1 000 MPa以上的同时断后延伸率仍不低于20%,显示了极佳的强塑性结合。利用SEM和XRD等对热处理材料的显微组织进行了表征,结果显示,其显微组织为铁素体、板条马氏体和一定量的残余奥氏体,残余奥氏体多呈块状且被铁素体所包围,且奥氏体化温度为820℃时,材料中的残余奥氏体含量和平均碳浓度均较高。更多且稳定的残余奥氏体在变形过程中发生TRIP效应,可以在不显著降低材料强度的情况下更有效地改善材料的塑性,这也是四种试验用钢经820℃的QP工艺处理后显示出更佳强塑性结合的主要原因。     

Understanding contribution of microstructure to fracture behaviour of sintered steels

Abstract

Microstructural features of sintered steels, which comprise both phases and porosity, strongly condition the mechanical behaviour of the material under service conditions. Many research activities have dealt with this relationship since better understanding of the microstructure–property correlation is the key of improvement of current powder metallurgy (PM) steels. Up to now, fractographic investigation after testing has been successfully applied for this purpose and, more recently, the in situ analysis of crack evolution through the microstructure as well as some advanced computer assisted tools. However, there is still a lack of information about local mechanical behaviour and strain distributions at the microscale in relation to the local microstructure of these steels, i.e. which phases in heterogeneous PM microstructures contribute to localisation of plastic deformation or which phases can impede crack propagation during loading. In the present work, these questions are addressed through the combination of three techniques: (i) in situ tensile testing (performed in the SEM) to monitor crack initiation and propagation; (ii) digital image correlation technique to trace the progress of local strain distributions during loading; (iii) fractographic examination of the loaded samples. Three PM steels, all obtained from commercially available powders but presenting different microstructures, are examined: a ferritic–pearlitic Fe–C steel, a bainitic prealloyed Fe–Mo–C steel and a diffusion alloyed Fe–Ni–Cu–Mo–C steel, with more heterogeneous microstructure (ferrite, pearlite, upper and lower bainite, martensite and Ni rich austenite).