A Transmission Electron Microscopy Study of Plate Martensite Formation in High-carbon Low Alloy Steels

The martensitic microstructures in two high-carbon low alloy steels have been investigated by classical and automated crystallographic analysis under a transmission electron microscope. It is found that the martensitic substructure changes from consisting mostly of transformation twins for 1.20 mass% carbon （C） steel to both transformation twins and planar defects on {101}M for 1.67 mass% C steel. In the 1.67 mass% C steel it is further found that small martensite units have a rather homogeneous substructure, while large martensite units are more inhomogeneous. In addition, the martensite units in both steels are frequently found to be of zigzag patterns and have distinct crystallographic relationships with neighboring martensite units, e.g. kink or wedge couplings. Based on the present findings the development of martensite in high-carbon low alloy steels is discussed and a schematic of the martensite formation is presented. Moreover, whether the schematic view can be applied to plate martensite formation in general, is discussed.

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.

NUCLEATION AND GROWTH OF FERROUS MARTENSITES ALONG BOUNDARIES

Martensites distributed along the austenite grain boundaries and twin boundaries have been examined in Fe-C,Fe-Ni-C and Fe-Cr-Mn-Mo-C alloys.The martensites may nucleate preferentially and grow easily along these boundaries.In the mixed martensites,the preferentially formed one is plate or butterfly martensite

GROWTH OF ISOTHERMAL MARTENSITE IN AN Fe-Ni-Mn ALLOY

The substructural development of martensite plates at different stage of the transformation for an Fe-21Ni-4Mn alloy has been investigated by using transmission electron microscope. Twinning was found in small thin platelets at the initial stage.Fine twins extend to the whole platelet.The dislocations and twins were found in the thick platelets at a later stage.Bending of the twins was also observed frequently at this stage.Finally,several platelets coalesce with each other to form a macroscopic(252)_f martensite“plate”.The original habit plane of the individual platelet was measured to be close to(121)_f.

Influence of austenitizing temperature on apparent morphologies of as-quenched microstructures of steels

The effects of austenitizing temperature on the morphologies and substructures of as-quenched microstructure were investigated by using 13 medium and high carbon steels. The formation reasons of various morphologies of martensite quenched at different austenitizing temperatures were also studied. The results show that the packet martensite in medium and high carbon steels quenched at higher austenitizing temperature is entirely different from that in as-quenched low carbon steels, which is still plate martensite, and not lath martensite. All the change laws of as-quenched microstructures in medium and high carbon steels are identical with an increase in austenitizing temperature, and the austenitizing temperature can merely change the combined morphology of martensitic platelets, but cannot alter the type of product of martensitic transformation in commercial steels.

Microstructural Transformation and Precipitation of an Ultra-high Strength Steel under Continuous Cooling

We investigated phase transition and precipitation of ultra-high strength steel（UHSS）in a new ＂short process＂ with controlled rolling and controlled cooling.Thermalexpansion test combined with metallographic observation was used to research the continuous cooling transformation（CCT）curve.Moreover,the microstructuraltransformation and precipitation law was revealed by morphologicalobservation and alloying elements by electron probe micro-analyzer（EPMA）.Transmission electron microscopy（TEM）was utilized to analyze the composition and grain orientation of microstructure.The study showed that the measured criticaltransformation temperatures of Ac1 and Ac3 were 746 and 868 ℃,respectively.The CCT curve indicated that the undercooled austenite was transformed into proeutectoid ferrite and bainite with HV 520 in a broad range of cooling rate 0.1^（-1） ℃·s^（-1）.When subjected to a cooling rate of 1 ℃·s^（-1）,the undercooled austenite was divided into small-sized blocks by formed martensite.With further increase of cooling rate,micro-hardness increased dramatically,the microstructure of specimen was mainly lathe bainite（LB）,granular bainite（GB）,lath martensite（LM）and residualaustenite.By diffraction test analysis,it was identified that there was K-S orientation relationship between martensite and austenite for {110}_α//{111}_γ,{111}_α//{101}_γ.EPMA clearly showed that carbon diffused adequately due to staying for a long time at high temperature with a lower cooling rate of 2 ℃·s-1.Phase transition drive force was lower and the residualaustenite existed in the block form of Martensite austenite island（M-A）.With the increase of cooling rate to 10 ℃·s^（-1）,the block residualaustenite reduced,the carbon content of residualaustenite increased and α phase around the residualaustenite formed into a low carbon bainite form.

Twinned Martensitic Substructure in a Water Quenched Fe–1.0 wt%C Alloy

A Fe–1.0 wt%C alloy was quenched into water from 1100 ℃,leading to lath martensite and plate martensite of body-centered tetragonal structure.Both these two martensites have the twinned substructure that generates mirror symmetric diff raction patterns with extra diff raction spots around n/3(112).The twinned substructure has the origin from twinned martensitic variants,namely twin-related crystals separated by{110},rather than{112}<111>deformation twins.Tetragonality eff ect on the electron double diff raction of twinned variants was discussed.