Analysis of the microstructural features of phase transformation during hardening processes of 3 martensitic stainless steels

Abstract

The present paper investigates the microstructural features and associated hardening state of three different martensitic stainless steels (CX13, XD15 and MLX17 produced by Aubert&Duval), subjected to three different thermomechanical treatments, aimed at producing hard materials for tribological applications. It is thus shown that all treatments (cementation, HF quenching or Age Hardening) are efficient to produce hard surfaces. The bulk martensitic state is also studied. Although the three martensites look somewhat different, it is shown that the transformation always obeys the KS orientation relationship with some variant selection, which produces a significant amount of twin boundaries. These results are quite different from those found in low C steels. Based on a quantitative analysis of the EBSD microstructures, a quantification of the various relative hardening contributions (phase transformation, grain size, dislocation density, solid solution effect or precipitation) is then proposed.