Elastic limit and microplastic response of hardened steels

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Metallurgical Transactions, A (Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02648600· OSTI ID:5842704

Zaccone, M A ^[1]; Krauss, G ^[2]

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1. McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Co., St. Louis, MO (United States)
2. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States). Dept. of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Tempered martensite-retained austenite microstructures were produced by direct quenching a series of 41XX medium carbon steels, direct quenching and reheating a series of five 0.8C-Cr-Ni-Mo steels and intercritically austenitizing at various temperatures, and quenching a SAE 52100 steel. All specimens were tempered either at 150 C or at 200 C. Specimens were subjected to compression and tension testing in the microstrain regime to determine the elastic limits and microplastic response of the microstructures. The retained austenite and matrix carbon content of the intercritically austenized specimens were measured by X-ray diffraction and Mossbauer spectroscopy. The elastic limit of the microstructures decreases with increasing amounts of retained austenite. Refining of the austenite distribution increases the elastic limit. Low elastic limits are mainly due to low flow stresses in the austenite and not internal stresses. The elastic limit correlates with the largest austenite free-mean path by a Hall-Petch type equation. The elastic limit increases with decreasing intercritical austenitizing temperature in the SAE 52100 due to a lower carbon content in the matrix reducing the retained austenite levels and retained carbides that refine grain size and, therefore, the austenite distribution in quenched specimens. In the microplastic region, the strain is accommodated by successively smaller austenite regions until the flow strength matches that of the martensite. Reheating and quenching refines the microstructure and renders the austenite unstable in the microplastic regime, causing transformation of the austenite to martensite by a strain-induced mechanism. The transformation of austenite to martensite occurs by a stress-assisted mechanism in medium carbon steels. The low elastic limits in medium carbon steels were due to the inability of the strain from the stress-assisted transformation to balance the plastic strain accumulated in the austenite.

• OSTI ID: 5842704
• Journal Information: Metallurgical Transactions, A (Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science); (United States), Journal Name: Metallurgical Transactions, A (Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science); (United States) Vol. 24A:10; ISSN 0360-2133; ISSN MTTABN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360102 -- Metals & Alloys-- Structure & Phase Studies
360103* -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
ALLOYS
AUSTENITE
CARBON ADDITIONS
CARBON STEELS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL-MOLYBDENUM STEELS
ELASTICITY
HEAT TREATMENTS
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MARTENSITE
MATERIALS TESTING
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MECHANICAL TESTS
MICROSTRUCTURE
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
PLASTICITY
QUENCHING
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
STRAINS
TEMPERING
TENSILE PROPERTIES
TESTING