Effect of heat treatment on the behavior ofδ-ferrite in B410D martensitic stainless steel

The morphology and the evolution of δ-ferrite existing in B410D slabs, hot-rolled plates, annealed plates and quenched plates were studied through metallographic observation. Results show that δ-ferrite forms during the solidification process and that it easily grows and increases in quantity during high temperature annealing. Band-shaped δ-ferrite in hotrolled plates is difficult to be eliminated by conventional heat treatment and hard to recrystallize.

Processing maps and hot working mechanisms of supercritical martensitic stainless steel

The hot working mechanism of 2Cr11 MolVNbN steel was investigated by means of compression tests at temperatures of900-1150 ℃ and strain rates of 0.005-5 s^(-1).At strains of 0.2,0.3,0.5 and 0.7,the relationship among strain rate sensitivity,power dissipation efficiency and instability parameter under different conditions were studied.Power dissipation maps and instability maps at different strains were established.The optimal and the instable deformation regimes were established by the processing maps based on the dynamic material model.The processing maps were developed for the typical strains of 0.2,0.3,0.5 and 0.7,predicting the instability regions occurring at high strain rate more than 0.05 s^(-1),which should be avoided during hot deformation.The optimized processing parameters for hot working of 2CrllMolVNbN supercritical stainless steel were temperatures of 1080-1120 ℃ and strain rates of 0.005-0.01 s^(-1).

Effect of Ni Contents on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Martensitic Stainless Steel Guide Roll by Centrifugal Casting

A novel process based on centrifugal casting was developed to produce martensitic stainless steel for guideroll materials. Centrifugal casting provides a lower production cost and less of the thermal cracking defects which normally occur in the overlaid welding process. In this study, the effects of Ni on the microstructure and mechanical properties of martensitic stainless steel were investigated. The results show that the addition of Ni resulted in a decrease in the volume fraction of delta ferrite and an increase in the volume fraction of the retained austenite, respectively. Moreover, a tensile strength of 1600 MPa with an elongation of 4% were obtained after tempering at 500℃ for 2 h. These values were higher than those obtained by using the conventional overlaid process.

Influence of rapid heating process on the microstructure and tensile properties of high-strength ferrite–martensite dual-phase steel

Three low-carbon dual-phase （DP） steels with almost constant martensite contents of 20vo1% were produced by intercritical annealing at different heating rates and soaking temperatures. Microstructures prepared at low temperature （1043 K, FH1） with fast-heating （300 K/s） show banded ferrite/martensite structure, whereas those soaked at high temperature （1103 K, FH2） with fast heating reveal blocky martensite uniformly distributed in the fine-grained ferrite matrix. Their mechanical properties were tested under tensile conditions and compared to a slow-heated （5 K/s） reference material （SH0）. The tensile tests indicate that for a given martensite volume fraction, the yield strength and total elongation values are noticeably affected by the refinement of ferrite grains and the martensite morphology. Metallographic observations reveal the formation of microvoids at the ferrite/martensite interface in the SH0 and FH2 samples, whereas microvoids nucleate via the fracture of banded martensite particles in the FH1 specimen. In addition, analyses of the work-hardening behaviors of the DP microstructures using the differential Crussard-Jaoul technique demonstrate two stages of work hardening for all samples.

Effects of Heat Treatment and Nitrogen on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 1Cr12NiMo Martensitic Stainless Steel

A series of heat treatments using the orthogonal experiment method were performed to study the microstruc- ture and mechanical properties of 1Cr12NiMo martensitic stainless steel containing various nitrogen content addition. The results indicate that the optimal heat treatment is annealing at 830 ℃ for 1 h, austenitizing at 985 ℃ for 1 h followed by oil quenching, and tempering at 630 ℃ for 4 h followed by air cooling, Nitrogen addition to 1Cr12NiMo steel can effectively hinder the austenite grain growth, refine the martensite lath, and increase the strength and hardness. The impact toughness of this steel only shows a minor decrease as the nitrogen content increases.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Reversed Austenite in Cr15 Super Martensitic Stainless Steel

The effect of different heat treatments on the reversed austenite in Cr15 super martensitic stainless steel was investigated. The experimental results indicate that the microstructure of the steel is composed of tempered martensite and diffused reversed austenite after quenching at 1 050 ℃ and tempering from 550 to 750 ℃. The volume fraction and size of reversed austenite increase with increasing tempering temperature and both of them reach the maximum value at 700 ℃. The volume fraction and size of reversed austenite decrease when the temperature is above 700 ℃. The transmission electron microscope （TEM） results indicate that the orientation relationship between tempered martensite and reversed austenite belongs to Kurdjmov-Sach （K-S） relationship.

Strength-toughness improvement of 13Cr4NiMo martensitic stainless steel with thermal cyclic heat treatment

To improve the strength-toughness of 13Cr4NiMo martensitic stainless steel(13-4MSS),a thermal cyclic heat treatment(TCHT)combined with the advantage of tempering was proposed.The microstructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction and electron backscattered diffraction,and the mechanical behaviors in terms of tensile properties and impact toughness were analyzed in correlation with microstructural evolution.It was found that grains and the martensitic matrix were refined by TCHT through the cyclic quenching transformation and austenite recrystallization,which was conducive to more nucleation quantity of reversed austenite during tempering.Two-sphericalcap nucleation model was used to explain the effect of refined grains of TCHT on the nucleation of reversed austenite.Grain refinement by TCHT improved the brittle fracture stress to reduce the ductile-brittle transition temperature and thus improved the cryogenic impact toughness of 13-4MSS.Reversed austenite distributed at the martensitic lath boundary enhances the crack arrest performance and increases the britle fracture stress.It is concluded that reasonable TCHT plus tempering process significantly improves the strength-toughness of 13-4MSS,reflecting the comprehensive effect of grain refinement and reversed austenite.

Hot Deformation Behavior and Processing Maps of 0.3C-15Cr-1Mo-0.5N High Nitrogen Martensitic Stainless Steel

Hot deformation behavior of 0.3 C-15 Cr-1 Mo-0.5 N high nitrogen martensitic stainless steel(HNMSS)was investigated in the temperature range of 1173-1473 K and at strain rates of 0.001-10 s-1 using a Gleeble 3500 thermal-mechanical simulator.The true stress-strain curves of the studied HNMSS were measured and corrected to eliminate the effect of friction on the flow stress.The relationship between the flow stress and Zener-Hollomon parameter for the studied HNMSS wsa analyzed in the Arrhenius hyperbolic sine constitutive model by the law of Z=3.76×1015 sinh(0.004979σp)7.5022.The processing maps at different strains of the studied HNMSS were plotted,and its flow instability regions in hot working were also confirmed in combination with the microstructure examination.Moreover,the optimal hot deformation parameters of the studied HNMSS could be suggested at T=1303-1423 K andε=5-10 s-1 or T=1273-1473 K andε=0.005-0.04 s-1.

Structure change of 430 stainless steel in the heating process

The microstructure analysis was employed for the ferrific stainless steel （SUS430） with the carbon content from 0.029wt% to 0.100wt% under the simulated heating process condition. The higher carbon sample （430H） contains the duplex phase microstructure at the temperature of 1150℃; on the other hand, the lower carbon content sample （430L） does not touch two phase area even at the temperature of 1450℃ and has the single phase ferritic microstructure. The carbon content need be well controlled for the 430 ferritic stainless steel since it can significantly affect the heating process curve, and the heating process may not be done in the two phase area due to the uncontrolled carbon content. With the low carbon content and the proper soaking time, the grain size is not sensitive to the heating process temperature and the soaking time. In the present heat treatment experiments, the soaking time is about 10 min, and the processing parameters can be chosen according to the requirement of the gross energy, the efficiency and the continual forming. 2008 University of Science and Technology Beijing. All rights reserved.

Development of high strength ferrite-martensite stainless steels ( FMSSs) for railway cargo transportation

Two ferrite-martensite stainless steels （FMSSs） were developed by Baosteel based on the T4003 composition, through optimizing the manganese and nickel contents ,reducing silicon, carbon and nitrogen contents, controlling remnant niobium and molybdenum ,adding sufficient titanium and controlling the processing. In this study ,the physical metallurgy of such FMSSs was investigated with the emphasis on the alloying effect on the phase balance during processing and the transformation behavior during welding for different microstructures. In addition, the mechanical behavior and the weldability were investigated. The results indicate that such steels have a good combination of strength and toughness and better weldability compared with the traditional 1. 4003 steel. Such high strength steels are highly suitable for railway cargo transportation where the wall thickness of the wagons can be reduced,resulting in weight savings.

Precipitation behavior and martensite lath coarsening during tempering of T/P92 ferritic heat-resistant steel

Tempering is an important process for T/P92 ferritic heat-resistant steel from the viewpoint of microstructure control, as it facili- tates the formation of final tempered martensite under serving conditions. In this study, we have gained deeper insights on the mechanism underlying the microstructural evolution during tempering treatment, including the precipitation of carbides and the coarsening of martensite laths, as systematically analyzed by optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron mi- croscopy. The chemical composition of the precipitates was analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Results indicate the for- mation of M3C （cementite） precipitates under normalized conditions. However, they tend to dissolve within a short time of tempering, owing to their low thermal stability. This phenomenon was substantiated by X-ray diffraction analysis. Besides, we could observe the precipitation of fine carbonitrides （MX） along the dislocations. The mechanism of carbon diffusion controlled growth of M23C6 can be expressed by the Zener＇s equation. The movement of Y-junctions was determined to be the fundamental mechanism underlying the martensite lath coarsening process. Vickers hardness was estimated to determine their mechanical properties. Based on the comprehensive analysis of both the micro- structural evolution and hardness variation, the process of tempering can be separated into three steps.

Effect of welding parameters on the heat-affected zone of AISI409 ferritic stainless steel

One of the main problems during the welding of ferritic stainless steels is severe grain growth within the heat-affected zone （HAZ） In the present study, the microstmctural characteristics of tungsten inert gas （TIG） welded AISI409 ferritic stainless steel were investigated by electron backscattered diffraction （EBSD）, and the effects of welding parameters on the grain size, local misorientation, and low-angle grain boundaries were studied. A 3-D finite element model （FEM） was developed to predict the effects of welding parameters on the holding time of the HAZ above the critical temperature of grain growth. It is found that the base metal is not fully recrystallized. During the welding, complete recrystallization is followed by severe grain growth. A decrease in the number of low-angle grain boundaries is observed within the HAZ. FEM results show that the final state of residual sWains is caused by competition between welding plastic strains and their release by recrystallization. Still, the decisive factor for grain growth is heat input.

Effect of cold-rolled annealing processes on microstructure and properties of ultra-pure ferritic stainless steel

In this study, the influence of annealing processes for cold-rolled sheets on the microstructure and mechanical performance of ultra-pure 430 ferritic stainless steel was investigated. Thermo-Calc calculation, organization observation, SEM detection,and tensile tests were used to discern the optimal annealing process. It is found that the microstructure is made up by the fine and uniform recrystallized ferritic grains after annealing. The optimum annealing process for ultra-pure 430 stainless steel is 950 ℃ for 90 s. After annealing, the stainless steel can obtain the optimum microstructure,recrystallization texture, and mechanical properties.

Effect of hot-band annealing process on microstructure,texture,and r-value of final sheets of ferritic stainless steel

In this paper,the effect of different annealing processes on the microstructure,texture,and formability of ferritic stainless steel was studied in detail.The results showed that the grain size in the final sheet was larger and the recrystallization texture was more uniform after the final recrystallization annealing of hot-rolled steel with continuous annealing than that without annealing or with batch annealing.In addition,the final sheet had a higher average r-value and the lowest planar anisotropy.

Study on the microstructure of 12%chromium low carbon stainless steel in a high temperature heat-affected zone

Coarsening, embrittlement and corrosion sensitization in a high temperature heat-affected zone （HTHAZ） are the major problems when 12% chromium low carbon stainless steel is being welded, which induce the deterioration of the impact toughness at a low temperature and intergranular corrosion resistance property. This study investigates the corresponding microstructures in HTHAZ with different chemical compositions and heat inputs through thermal simulation tests. The results show that the martensite content increases with the descending of ferrite factor （FF） when FF is below 9.0 and heat input influences the microstructure of high FF steel in HTHAZ. Martensite of 12% Cr stainless steel in HTHAZ with only Nb stabilization reticularly distributes at ferrite grain boundaries.

Effects of Austenite Stabilization on the Onset of Martensite Transformation in T91 Steel

The influences of thermal stabilization of austenitic on the onset temperature for a martensite transformation in T91 ferritic heat-resistant steel were studied by high-resolution differential dilatometer. The phase transformation kinetic information was obtained by adopting lever rule from the recorded dilatometric curves. The results show that an inverse stabilization, featured by the damage of ＂the atmosphere of carbon atoms＂ and the increase of the starting temperature for martensite transformation takes place when the T91 ferritic steel is isothermally treated above the Ms point, and it becomes strong with increasing the holding time. While the continued temperature for martensite transformation decreases gradually when isothermally holding at a temperature below Ms point. The observed inverse stabilization behavior could be attributed to the relatively high temperature of Ms point in the explored T91 ferritic heat-resistant steel.

Effect of welding processes and consumables on fatigue crack growth behaviour of armour grade quenched and tempered steel joints

Quenched and Tempered(Q&T) steels are widely used in the construction of military vehicles due to its high strength to weight ratio and high hardness. These steels are prone to hydrogen induced cracking(HIC) in the heat affected zone(HAZ) after welding. The use of austenitic stainless steel(ASS) consumables to weld the above steel was the only available remedy because of higher solubility for hydrogen in austenitic phase. The use of stainless steel consumables for a non-stainless steel base metal is not economical. Hence, alternate consumables for welding Q&T steels and their vulnerability to HIC need to be explored. Recent studies proved that low hydrogen ferritic steel(LHF) consumables can be used to weld Q&T steels, which can give very low hydrogen levels in the weld deposits. The use of ASS and LHF consumables will lead to distinct microstructures in their respective welds. This microstructural heterogeneity will have a drastic influence in the fatigue crack growth resistance of armour grade Q&T steel welds. Hence, in this investigation an attempt has been made to study the influence of welding consumables and welding processes on fatigue crack growth behaviour of armour grade Q&T Steel joints. Shielded metal arc welding(SMAW) and Flux cored arc welding(FCAW) were used for fabrication of joints using ASS and LHF consumables. The joints fabricated by SMAW process using LHF consumable exhibited superior fatigue crack growth resistance than all other joints.

Phase Transformation During Intercritical Tempering with High Heating Rate in a Fe-13%Cr-4%Ni-Mo Stainless Steel

The phase transformation from martensite to austenite during intercritical tempering with high heating rate in a low carbon martensitic stainless steel Fe-13%Cr-4%Ni-Mo has been investigated to clarify the microstructure evolution in some regions of the weld joint heat affected zone （HAZ）. The experimental results indicate that the start and finish temperatures of the martensite to austenite transformation keep constant when the heating rate is higher than 10 K/s, and the transformation is much faster than nickel diffusion. The mechanism of the martensite to austenite transformation changes from diffusion to diffusionless during the intercritical tempering when the heating rate is higher than 10 K/s. The diffusionless transformation and higher As temperature render it difficult for any austenite to remain at room temperature during the intercritical tempering with high heating rate that occurs in the HAZ. Adding a proper intercritical tempering with low heating rate can induce some reversed austenite in the rapid heated sample.

A Study of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties for the Autogenous Single-Pass Butt Weldment of a Ferritic/Martensitic Steel Using Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

A 12%Cr ferritic/martensitic steel,HT-9,has been used as a primary core material for nuclear reactors.The microstructure and mechanical properties of gas tungsten arc butt welded joints of HT-9 in as-welded,and as-tempered conditions have been explored.In as-welded condition,the fusion zone(FZ)contained a fresh martensite matrix with delta(δ)-ferrite.Theδ-ferrite was rich in Cr and depleted in C compared with the matrix.The heat-aff ected zone(HAZ)could be divided into three areas as the distance from the fusion line increased:δ-ferrite/martensite duplex zone,fully recrystallized zone,and partly recrystallized zone.Prior austenitic grains did not coarsen in theδ-ferrite/martensite duplex zone due to the newly nucleatedδ-ferrite grains and incompletely ferritizing(δ-ferrite)during the welding thermal cycle.The weldment microhardness distributed heterogeneously with values above 600 HV_(1.0)in the HAZ and FZ and 250 HV_(1.0)in the base metal(BM).Solute C in the matrix,induced by the dissolution of carbide during the welding process,dominated the microhardness variation.Low toughness was observed in the FZ with a quasi-cleavage fracture tested from-80 to 20℃.The tensile fracture occurred in the relatively soft BM tested from 20 to 600℃.In as-tempered condition(760℃for 1 h),M_(23)C_6-type carbides precipitated within the martensitic laths,the lath boundaries,and theδ-ferrite/martensite interfaces.Moreover,V,Cr,Mo-rich nitrides with very small size also precipitated in theδ-ferrite/martensite interface.The tempering treatment improved the homogenous distribution of weldment hardness significantly.Tensile fracture still occurred in the BM of the weldment specimens tested from 20 to 600℃.The impact toughness improved significantly,but the ductile–brittle transaction temperature was-12℃which was higher than that of the normalized and tempered(N&T)BM.δ-ferrite was considered to be one of the major factors aggravating the impact toughness in the FZ.

Effects of Microalloying and Heat-Treatment Temperature on the Toughness of 26Cr–3.5Mo Super Ferritic Stainless Steels

The effects of Ni content and heat-treatment process on the toughness of a super ferritic stainless steel with 26 wt% Cr and 3.5 wt% Mo were investigated. It was found that with the increase of Ni content, the Charpy impact toughness improved remarkably, and transformed from cleavage brittle fracture to the most ductile fracture. There were no obvious differences between the high- and low-Ni contents on the microstructure and mechanical properties since the addition of Ni did not influence crystal structure, phase composition, and precipitation of ultra pure ferritic stainless steels. Meanwhile, the heat-treatment process was a key point to maintain a high level of toughness by optimizing structure and removing detrimental precipitation, i.e., chi phase.