Effect of retained austenite on mechanical properties of steel with 15 % Cr

Abstract

The paper considers the study of influence of retained austenite on the mechanical properties of steel of the austenite-martensitic class based on 15 % Cr after various heat treatment. Significant amount of retained austenite remains in the steel microstructure after quenching and subsequent tempering or heating in the intercritical temperature range that makes difficult to achieve a high yield strength. Destabilization of retained austenite with subsequent transformation into newly formed martensite is provided by multi-stage heat treatment which includes quenching, heating in the intercritical temperature range or above the AC3 point and final tempering. It was established that retained austenite remains in the microstructure of two-phase steel and has the form of blocks and thin layers located in the inter-lath space. Tensile testing of steel based on 15 % Cr showed that multi-stage heat treatment provides a high-strength condition corresponding to strength groups Q125 and Q135. A comparative analysis of deformation behavior of semi-austenitic steel in various states indicates that the beginning of the martensitic transformation after the final tempering shifts into the elastic region during tension and leads to the formation of stress-assisted martensite. It was determined that block-shaped retained austenite in steel with 15 % Cr predominantly undergoes martensitic transformation during tensile and impact tests at a subzero temperature. This is supposed to be the reason for the noticeably lower impact toughness of semi-austenitic steel with 15 % Cr compared to martensitic steel with 13 % Cr at equal strength.