Formation and reversion of strain induced martensite on Fe-Cr-Ni alloys

Abstract

Austenitic stainless steels represent a significant portion of the alloys used in the aeronautical, chemical, shipbuilding, food processing and biomechanical industries. They combine good mechanical properties with high corrosion resistance. When subjected to cold deformation, these steels exhibit a metastable phase called: strain induced martensite (ferromagnetic), whose formation increases mechanical strength and formability, allowing for a wide range of applications. Heated from room temperature, the strain induced martensite transforms to austenite (non-magnetic). It is easy to find information in literature about the strain induced martensite for 18Cr/8Ni austenitic steels, but there is no data for high nickel alloys like A286 (26Ni, 15Cr), Incoloy 800 (30-40 Ni, 21Cr) and Inconel (50Ni, 19Cr). Therefore, this study aimed to verify the formation of strain induced martensite after cold working in Fe-18Cr base alloys with the addition of up to 60 %Ni. The reversion of this phase to austenite after annealing up to 600 ºC was also studied. Optical microscopy, magnetic characterization tests, and x-ray diffraction were used to analyze the transformations.