Unveiling the cellular microstructure-property relations in martensitic stainless steel via laser powder bed fusion

Laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)is a widely recognized additive manufacturing technology that can fabricate complex components rapidly through layer-by-layer formation.However,there is a paucity of research on the effect of laser scanning speed on the cellular microstructure and mechanical properties of martensitic stainless steel.This study systematically investigated the influence of laser scanning speed on the cellular microstructure and mechanical properties of a developed Fe11Cr8Ni5Co3Mo martensitic stainless steel produced by LPBF.The results show that increasing the laser scanning speed from 400 to 1000 mm/s does not lead to a noticeable change in the phase fraction,but it reduces the average size of the cellular microstructure from 0.60 to 0.35μm.The scanning speeds of 400 and 1000 mm/s both had adverse effects on performances of sample,resulting in inadequate fusion and keyhole defects respectively.The optimal scanning speed for fabricating samples was determined to be 800 mm/s,which obtained the highest room temperature tensile strength and elongation,with the ultimate tensile strength measured at(1088.3±2.0)MPa and the elongation of(16.76±0.10)%.Furthermore,the mechanism of the evolution of surface morphology,defects,and energy input were clarified,and the relationship between cellular microstructure size and mechanical properties was also established.

Grain boundary engineering for enhancing intergranular damage resistance of ferritic/martensitic steel P92

Ferritic/martensitic(F/M)steel is widely used as a structural material in thermal and nuclear power plants.However,it is susceptible to intergranular damage,which is a critical issue,under service conditions.In this study,to improve the resistance to intergranular damage of F/M steel,a thermomechanical process(TMP)was employed to achieve a grain boundary engineering(GBE)microstructure in F/M steel P92.The TMP,including cold-rolling thickness reduction of 6%,9%,and 12%,followed by austenitization at 1323 K for 40 min and tempering at 1053 K for 45 min,was applied to the as-received(AR)P92 steel.The prior austenite grain(PAG)size,prior austenite grain boundary character distribution(GBCD),and connectivity of prior austenite grain boundaries(PAGBs)were investigated.Compared to the AR specimen,the PAG size did not change significantly.The fraction of coincident site lattice boundaries(CSLBs,3≤Σ≤29)and Σ3^(n) boundaries along PAGBs decreased with increasing reduction ratio because the recrystallization fraction increased with increasing reduction ratio.The PAGB connectivity of the 6%deformed specimen slightly deteriorated compared with that of the AR specimen.Moreover,potentiodynamic polarization studies revealed that the intergranular damage resistance of the studied steel could be improved by increasing the fraction of CSLBs along the PAGBs,indicating that the TMP,which involves low deformation,could enhance the intergranular damage resistance.

Effect of lower bainite/martensite/retained austenite triplex microstructure on the mechanical properties of a low-carbon steel with quenching and partitioning process

We present a study concerning Fe-0. 176C-1.31Si-1.58Mn-0.26Al-0.3Cr （wt%） steel subjected to a quenching and partitioning （Q＆P） process. The results of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and tensile tests demon- strate that the microstructures primarily consist of lath martensite, retained austenite, lower bainite （LB）, and a small amount of tempered martensite; moreover, few twin austenite grains were observed. In the microstrucmre, three types of retained austenite with different sizes and morphologies were observed： blocky retained austenite （-300 nm in width）, film-like retained austenite （80-120 nm in width）, and ul- tra-fine film-like retained austenite （30-40 nm in width）. Because of the effect of the retained austenite/martensite/LB triplex microstructure, the specimens prepared using different quenching temperatures exhibit high ultimate tensile strength and yield strength. Furthermore, the strength effect of LB can partially counteract the decreasing strength effect of martensite. The formation of LB substantially reduces the amount of retained austenite. Analyses of the retained austenite and the amount of blocky retained austenite indicated that the carbon content is critical to the total elongation of Q＆P steel.

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.

Ultra-high cycle fatigue behavior of high strength steel with carbide-free bainite/martensite complex microstructure

The ultra-high cycle fatigue behavior of a novel high strength steel with carbide-free bainite/martensite （CFB/M） complex microstructure was studied. The ultra-high cycle fatigue properties were measured by ultrasonic fatigue testing equipment at a frequency of 20 kHz. It is found that there is no horizontal part in the S-N curve and fatigue fracture occurs when the life of specimens exceeds 10^7 cycles. In addition, the origination of fatigue cracks tends to transfer from the surface to interior of specimens as the fatigue cycle exceeds 10^7, and the fatigue crack originations of many specimens are not induced by inclusions, but by some kind of ＂soft structure＂. It is shown that the studied high strength steel performs good ultra-high cycle fatigue properties. The ultra-high fatigue mechanism was discussed and it is suggested that specific CFB/M complex microstructure of the studied steel contributes to its superior properties.

Martensite transformation induced by deformation and its phase electrochemical behavior for stainless steels AISI 304 and 316L

The martensite transformation induced by tensile elongation and its effect onthe behavior of phase electrochemistry of AISI 304 and 316L in 3.5% NaCl solution were studied. Theresults show that the content of α′-martensite in stainless steel 304 increases with the truestrain. As α′-martensite content increased, free corrosion potential and pitting potential ofstainless steel 304 in 3.5% NaCl solution appeared the change trend of a minimum. It was also foundthat pitting nucleated preferentially at the phase interfaces between martensite and austenite.There existed apparent difference between electrochemical properties of austenite and of martensitefor stainless steel 304 and 316L in 3.5% NaCl solution.

Apparent Morphologies and Nature of Packet Martensite in High Carbon Steels

The apparent morphologies of packet martensite in eight high carbon steels were researched by using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope. It was found that the apparent morphologies, substructures, and habit plane of packet martensite in high carbon steels are entirely different from that in low carbon steels; the substructures of packet martensite in high carbon steels possess fully twinned structure, while the substructures of individual coarse martensite plates in these steels bear both fully and partially twinned structures. The formation reason for apparent morphologies, substructures and two habit planes （i. e, { 111 }, and { 225}r） of high carbon martensite were discussed in detail.

Effect of microstructure on corrosion behavior of high strength martensite steel-A literature review

The high strength martensite steels are widely used in aerospace,ocean engineering,etc.,due to their high strength,good ductility and acceptable corrosion resistance.This paper provides a review for the influence of microstructure on corrosion behavior of high strength martensite steels.Pitting is the most common corrosion type of high strength stainless steels,which always occurs at weak area of passive film such as inclusions,carbide/intermetallic interfaces.Meanwhile,the chromium carbide precipitations in the martensitic lath/prior austenite boundaries always result in intergranular corrosion.The precipitation,dislocation and grain/lath boundary are also used as crack nucleation and hydrogen traps,leading to hydrogen embrittlement and stress corrosion cracking for high strength martensite steels.Yet,the retained/reversed austenite has beneficial effects on the corrosion resistance and could reduce the sensitivity of stress corrosion cracking for high strength martensite steels.Finally,the corrosion mechanisms of additive manufacturing high strength steels and the ideas for designing new high strength martensite steel are explored.

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 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.

Effects of Orthogonal Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of GN9 Ferritic/Martensitic Steel

Microstructure and mechanical properties of GN9 Ferritic/Martensitic steel for sodium-cooled fast reactors have been investigated through orthogonal design and analysis.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),differential scanning calorimeter(DSC),tensile and impact tests were used to evaluate the heat treatment parameters on yield strength,elongation and ductile-to-brittle transition temperature(DBTT).The results indicate that the microstructures of GN9 steel after orthogonal heat treatments consist of tempered martensite,M23C6,MX carbides and MX carbonitrides.The average prior austenite grains increase and the lath width decreases with the austenitizing temperature increasing from 1000°C to 1080°C.Tempering temperature is the most important factor that influences the dislocation evolution,yield strength and elongation compared with austenitizing tempera-ture and cooling methods.Austenitizing temperature,tempering temperature and cooling methods show interactive effects on DBTT.Carbide morphology and distribution,which is influenced by austenitizing and tempering tempera-tures,is the critical microstructural factor that influences the Charpy impact energy and DBTT.Based on the orthogo-nal design and microstructural analysis,the optimal heat treatment of GN9 steel is austenitizing at 1000°C for 0.5 h followed by air cooling and tempering at 760°C for 1.5 h.

Deformation at Room and Low Temperatures and Martensite Transformation in Resistance Spot Welding Duplexγ&α(δ) Materials of 301L Stainless Steel

Transformation induced plasticity （TRIP） and twinning induced plasticity （TWlP） effects had been widely studied in single austenite steel. But in duplex γ ＆ α（δ） phase, such as welding materials of stainless steel, they had been less studied. Tensile shear loading experiment of resistance spot welding specimens prepared with 2 mm 301L sheets, was carried out at 15℃ and -50℃. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） as well as X-ray diffraction （XRD） were used to investigate the microstructure of weld nugget, and specimens fracture surface. The results showed that the initial weld nugget was composed of 8.4% α（δ） ferrite and 91.6% austenite. Tensile shear load bearing capacity of spot welding specimen at -50℃ was 24.8 kN, 17.7% higher than that at 15℃. About 78.5 vol. pct. martensite transformation was induced by plastic deformation at -50℃, while about 67.9 vol. pct transformation induced at 15℃. The plasticity of spot welding joint decreased with the decline of experimental temperature.

Effect of low-temperature tempering on the mechanical properties of cold-rolled martensitic steel

Cold-rolled martensitic steel is an important type of advanced high-strength steel for automobile production.With martensite as its primary microstructure constituent, martensitic steel possesses exceptional high strength despite its low alloy content.As the strength of cold-rolled martensitic steel increases, the martensite and carbon content also increases, leading to a decrease in bending properties and toughness.In this paper, the effect of various tempering parameters on the bending property and impact toughness of a quenched cold-rolled martensitic steel sheet was studied.It is found that after quenching, the ductility and impact toughness of the experimental steel are improved using low-temperature heat treatment.The optimal tempering conditions for ductility and toughness are analyzed.

Effects of quenching and over-aging temperatures on mechanical properties of ultra-high strength cold-rolled martensite steels

As cold-formed steel has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any material,ultra-high strength martensitic steel is attracting great interest from global car manufacturers. This paper explores the effects of the quenching and over-aging temperatures on the strength and cold bendability of C-Mn-Si martensitic steel. Due to its high carbon content,water-quenched C-Mn-Si martensitic steel has high hardenability and can obtain ultra-high tensile strength and uniform martensitic morphology when the water-quenching temperature is higher than 710 ℃.Increasing the over-aging temperature of this experimental steel decreases its tensile strength,increases the total elongation,and first increases then decreases the yield point until reaching a peak at 180 ℃. Besides,when increasing the over-aging temperature,the bendability of this experimental steel initially improves and then decreases,and reaches its optimal bendability at an over-aging temperature of 180 ℃. Based on SEM characterization and a microhardness distribution analysis,the over-aging temperatures were found to affect the size of the carbides and differences in the microhardness of the experimental steel. Therefore,they have significant influence on bendability.

Simulation of the Behaviour Laws in the Thermal Affected Zones of the 13Cr-4Ni Martensitic Stainless Steel

During the welding, many phenomena occur. The materials deform under the action of residual stresses. This tendency is due to the high gradients of temperature during the process. These deformations are really difficult for many professionals operating in the area. In the goal to predict these variations, one has established the behaviour laws which will be applied to evaluate residual stresses and strains. This research is focused on the study of the Thermal Affected Zone (TAZ) during the welding of the 13Cr-4Ni martensitic stainless steel. The TAZ does not know any change of state (solid/liquid). It only knows the metallurgical phase change (austenite/martensite). There are three types of behaviour laws in this study: thermal, mechanical and metallurgical behaviour laws. The thermal behaviour law serves to evaluate the temperature field which induces the mechanical strains. The mechanical behaviour law serves to evaluate spherical stress (pressure) and deviatoric stress which compose the residual stress. It also helps to measure the total strain. The metallurgical behaviour law serves for the evaluation of the metallurgical phase proportions. To validate the modelling developed in this study, one has made the simulations to compare the results obtained with the analytical and experimental data.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of the 25Si2MnCrMo Martensite Microalloyed Steel

A martensitic microalloyed steel, 25Si2MnCrMo, was developed to meet the demands of the high-strength bars. Microstructure and mechanical properties of the steel were evaluated by using optical metallography, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dilatometry and tensometry. Those measurements suggested that the steel consisted of martensite and retained austenite, which existed between the martensitic laths in a stable thin film, and that the steel showed very high tensile strength of 1400 MPa and good ductility of 15% in elongation after 300°C tempering.

Prospects for green steelmaking technology with low carbon emissions in China

The steel industry is a major source of CO_(2) emissions,and thus,the mitigation of carbon emissions is the most pressing challenge in this sector.In this paper,international environmental governance in the steel industry is reviewed,and the current state of development of low-carbon technologies is discussed.Additionally,low-carbon pathways for the steel industry at the current time are proposed,emphasizing prevention and treatment strategies.Furthermore,the prospects of low-carbon technologies are explored from the perspective of transitioning the energy structure to a“carbon-electricity-hydrogen”relationship.Overall,steel enterprises should adopt hydrogen-rich metallurgical technologies that are compatible with current needs and process flows in the short term,based on the carbon substitution with hydrogen(prevention)and the CCU(CO_(2) capture and utilization)concepts(treatment).Additionally,the capture and utilization of CO_(2) for steelmaking,which can assist in achieving short-term emission reduction targets but is not a long-term solution,is discussed.In conclusion,in the long term,the carbon metallurgical process should be gradually supplanted by a hydrogen-electric synergistic approach,thus transforming the energy structure of existing steelmaking processes and attaining near-zero carbon emission steelmaking technology.

TUDY OFSTRAIN INDUCED MARTENSITE TRANSFORMATION FOR A MEDIUM MANGANE SESTEEL

The distribution of Cand Mn atomsinthe austenitic matrix isheterogeneous,the Mn atoms tendtooccupythefirst neighbour position ofthe Catomsin theaustenite. During deforma tion thethreekindsof martensitearestraininduced , havinginternal magneticfield valuese qualto33 0T, 30 5Tand 28 2Trespectively, andthe martensiteisstraininduced firstin the austenitecontainingless Cand Mn atoms.

Effects of Applied Stresses on Martensite Transformation in AISI4340 Steel

This study aims at the experimental analysis of the transformation induced plasticity （TRIP） phenomenon. Experiments are conducted in which martensite is allowed to grow under the influence of a series of externally applied stresses. The magnitude of the applied stresses is less than 67% of the yield strength of austenite σγ （Ts）. Since there is no obvious difference between the transformation plasticity under tension and the compression for the lower applied stresses, only compressive stresses are applied. The results confirm that the transformation plasticity is proportional to the applied stress if the latter does not exceed 67 % of σγ （Ts）. The TRiP-strain, the kinetics, and their dependence on the applied stresses are studied. The comparison between calculated results and experimental results shows that the model accurately describes the phenomenon.

Influence of Carbides and Strain-induced Martensite on Wear Resistance of Austenitic Medium Manganese Steels

The abrasive wear behaviour of austenitic medium manganese steels was studied under weak corrosion-abrasive wear simulating the liner plate in wet metallic ore bail mill under non-severe impact-loading working condition. Results show that the work-hardening mechanism and the wear resistance of high carbon austenitic medium manganese steels differ from those of medium carbon austenitic medium manganese steel. Under non-severe impact and weak corrosion-abrasive wear,the wear resistances of high carbon and medium carbon austenitic medium manganese steels are 50-90% and 20-40% higher than that of Hadfield steel respectively.