Influence of deformation on the structure and mechanical and corrosion properties of high-nitrogen austenitic 07Kh16AG13M3 steel

The correlation has been studied between the structure of a high-nitrogen austenitic Cr-Mn-N steel formed in the process of combined hardening treatment, including cold plastic deformation (CPD), and its mechanical and corrosion properties. The structure and properties of commercial high-nitrogen (0.8% N) 07Kh16AG13M3 steel is analyzed after rolling by CPD and aging at 500 and 800°C. It is shown that CPD of the steel occurs by dislocation slip and deformation twinning. Deformation twinning and also high resistance of austenite to martensitic transformations at true strains of 0.2 and 0.4 determine the high plasticity of the steel. The contribution of the structure imperfection parameters to the broadening of the austenite lines during CPD is estimated by X-ray diffraction. The main hardening factor is stated to be lattice microdistortions. Transmission electron microscopy study shows that heating of the deformed steel to 500°C leads to the formation of the intermediate CrN phase by a homogeneous mechanism, and the intermtallic χ phase forms along the austenite grain boundaries in the case of heating at 800°C. After hardening by all investigated technological schemes, exception for aging at 800°C, the steel does not undergo pitting corrosion and is slightly prone to a stress corrosion cracking during static bending tests, while aging at 800°C causes pitting corrosion at a pitting formation potential E _pf = ?0.25 V.