Study of Cooling Rate Influence on SAF 2205 Duplex Stainless Steel Solution Annealed

Abstract

In this work was investigated the microstructural evolution process of the duplex stainless steel SAF 2205 as-cast after solution annealing treatment. The aim was to detect the effects on the material microstructure by the cooling rate variation. The studied material were submitted to solution anneal at 1100 °C for 240 min, followed by cooling in water, air and furnace. The results evaluation was based on micrographic analysis, energy dispersive spectrometry measurements (EDS), X-ray diffraction and hardness tests. The ferrite volume fraction obtained in the microstructure increased with the cooling rate, because it causes diffusion inhibition of the steel constituent elements, promoting retention of the ferrite. The volume fraction of austenite phase increased with a lower cooling rate. The cooling rate is an important factor in defining the steel microstructure, particularly about intermetallic phases precipitation, which occurred by the slow cooling rate. Additionally, it was observed the precipitation of sigma phase.