Tuning austenite stability through prior microstructure control in a low-alloy Q&amp;P steel

Thrun, Melissa Marie; Euser, Virginia Katherine; Clarke, Amy Jean; Clarke, Kester Diederik

doi:10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102261

Tuning austenite stability through prior microstructure control in a low-alloy Q&P steel

Journal Article · Tue Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2024 · Materialia

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102261· OSTI ID:2472595

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Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Quenching and partitioning (Q&P) processing is a widely accepted heat treatment methodology for creating high strength steels consisting of ferrite, martensite, and austenite, while maintaining relatively low manufacturing costs. Though the research on effects of prior microstructure is limited, an understanding of the heat treatment response of different starting microstructures is critical to processing and creating steels with complex microstructures that contain retained austenite and may afford opportunities to further optimize properties. This study investigates the influence of starting microstructure (ferrite/pearlite versus martensite) and prior levels of cold work (38 verses 58 %) on the microstructural development and mechanical properties of a 0.2 C-2.0 Mn-1.5 Si (wt.%) steel exposed to Q&P processing. Samples with a starting martensitic microstructure resulted in higher retained austenite fractions and a more homogeneous microstructure after Q&P processing compared to a starting microstructure of ferrite-pearlite. Starting martensitic microstructures also displayed higher work hardening rates and higher uniform elongations. Larger cold reductions saw accelerated dissolution kinetics and austenite formation during intercritical annealing, resulting in more similar final microstructures from the ferrite-pearlite and martensitic starting microstructures. Finally, the results presented here indicate that varying prior processing can be a route to manipulate and control austenite stability in a Q&P processed steel.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001

OSTI ID:: 2472595

Report Number(s):: LA-UR--24-20078

Journal Information:: Materialia, Journal Name: Materialia Vol. 38; ISSN 2589-1529

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
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quenching and partitioning

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