Effect of vanadium on the grain boundary carbide nucleation of pearlite in high-carbon steels

Journal Article · Sun May 15 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Scripta Metallurgica et Materialia; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0956-716X(94)90254-2· OSTI ID:7236602

Khalid, F A; Edmonds, D V ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Leeds (United Kingdom). School of Materials

There has been significant interest in recent years in the addition of microalloying elements, particularly vanadium, to medium- and high-carbon steels with predominantly pearlitic microstructures, since it was recognized that a fine strengthening dispersion of vanadium carbide could be precipitated within the pearlitic ferrite lamellae during the pearlite transformation. Metallographic studies have recently confirmed the apparently anomalous behavior first reported by Zimmerman et al that vanadium promotes a film of ferrite along the prior austenite grain boundaries, even in a steel of nominally eutectoid composition. Moreover, a recent study has shown that vanadium additions can also prevent the formation of a continuous proeutectoid cementite network along prior austenite grain boundaries in steels of normal hypereutectoid carbon concentrations > 0.8 wt%. Although previous work prophesied the initial formation of VC at the austenite grain boundary, no firm evidence in support of this proposal was found. However, the examination of fine structural details in the grain boundary, or microanalysis of these regions, especially after partial transformation, is always difficult in plain carbon steels, because the martensite transformation occurs in the remaining untransformed parent austenite upon cooling to room temperature. Consequently, the aim of the work reported here was to develop a model alloy which would reproduce the grain boundary reactions described above in response to vanadium additions, but remain stable at room temperature with respect to the martensite transformation.

• OSTI ID: 7236602
• Journal Information: Scripta Metallurgica et Materialia; (United States), Vol. 30:10; ISSN 0956-716X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CARBON STEELS
MICROSTRUCTURE
PERLITE
NUCLEATION
VANADIUM
METALLURGICAL EFFECTS
CRYSTAL-PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
ALLOYS
DATA
ELEMENTS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
INFORMATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
METALS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
ROCKS
STEELS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
360102* - Metals & Alloys- Structure & Phase Studies