Effects of Chromium and Nickel Additions on the Austenite Grain Coarsening of Low Carbon Structural Steels Containing 0.13% C

Abstract

The austenite grain coarsening behavior of low carbon (0.13% C) structural steels containing chromium and nickel singly or in combination were studied by heating the steels at successive high temperature in the austenite zone in the temperature range of 900-1100°C with an interval of 50°C. The carburizing technique has been adopted to reveal the prior austenite grain boundaries and mean linear intercept method was used to measure the austenite grain size.It was found that on heating the undissolved particles of chromium carbide, Cr2C refine the austenite grain size at temperature below 1000°C, but the effect decreases with increasing temperature. Nickel does not produce any austenite grain refinement. In the presence of nickel particles of chromium carbide are less effective than chromium carbide particles in the absence of nickel in the refinement of austenite grain size.