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Title: Characterization of transition carbides in quench and partitioned steel microstructures by Mössbauer spectroscopy and complementary techniques

Journal Article · · Acta Materialia
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Quenching and partitioning (Q&P) produces steel microstructures with martensite and austenite that exhibit promising property combinations for third generation advanced high strength steels. Understanding the kinetics of reactions that compete for available carbon, such as carbide formation, is critical for alloying and processing design and achieving austenite enrichment and retention during Q&P. Mössbauer effect spectroscopy (MES) was used to characterize Q&P microstructures in a 0.38C-1.54Mn-1.48Si wt.% steel after quenching to 225 °C and partitioning at 400 °C for 10 or 300 s, with an emphasis on transition carbides. The recoilless fraction for η-carbide was calculated and a correction for saturation of the MES absorption spectrum was applied, making quantitative measurements of small amounts of η-carbide, including non-stoichiometric η-carbide, possible in Q&P microstructures. Complementary transmission electron microscopy confirmed the presence of η-carbides, and MES and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the austenite. The amount of η-carbide formed during Q&P ranged from 1.4 to 2.4 at.%, accounting for a substantial portion (~24% to 41%) of the bulk carbon content of the steel. The amount (5.0 at.%) of η-carbide that formed after quenching and tempering (Q&T) at 400 °C for 300 s was significantly greater than after partitioning at 400 °C for 300 s (2.4 at.%), suggesting that carbon partitioning from martensite to austenite occurs in conjunction with η-carbide formation during Q&P in these specimens.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396; EE0005765
OSTI ID:
1193479
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1432139
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-14-28509; PII: S1359645415000282
Journal Information:
Acta Materialia, Vol. 90, Issue C; ISSN 1359-6454
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 90 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Microstructure Evolution and Competitive Reactions during Quenching and Partitioning of a Model Fe–C–Mn–Si Alloy journal January 2020
A Dilatometric Study of Tempering Complemented by Mössbauer Spectroscopy and other Characterization Techniques journal December 2017
Mechanical properties of low-transformation-temperature weld metals after low-temperature postweld heat treatment journal July 2018
Modified Methodology for the Quench Temperature Selection in Quenching and Partitioning (Q&P) Processing of Steels journal June 2016
Excess Solute Carbon and Tetragonality in As-Quenched Fe-1Mn-C (C:0.07 to 0.8 Mass Pct) Martensite journal January 2020
Carbon Redistribution and Microstructural Evolution Study during Two-Stage Quenching and Partitioning Process of High-Strength Steels by Modeling journal November 2018
Microstructure Evolution and Competitive Reactions during Quenching and Partitioning of a Model Fe–C–Mn–Si Alloy text January 2020
In Situ Investigation of the Iron Carbide Precipitation Process in a Fe-C-Mn-Si Q&P Steel text January 2018
Assessment of Retained Austenite in Fine Grained Inductive Heat Treated Spring Steel journal December 2019