Effect of initial microstructure on the activation energy of second stage during austempering of ductile iron
- UASLP, San Luis Potosi (Mexico). Instituto de Metalurgia
- Inst. Tecnologico de Saltillo (Mexico). Dept. Metal-Mecanica
- Inst. Tecnologico de Zacatecas (Mexico)
The good balance among mechanical properties of austempered ductile irons (ADI) mainly depends on the matrix microstructure, which basically consists of acicular ferrite and carbon-enriched austenite. This structure is produced by isothermal transformation of the austenite over the temperature range of 523 to 673 K. It is well accepted that during the isothermal holding, the transformation takes place in two stages. In the first stage, the austenite decomposes into acicular ferrite and carbon-enriched austenite. When the austenite is transformed at temperatures higher than 623 K, the acicular ferrite is free of carbides; at temperatures below 623 K, besides the formation of the acicular ferrite and austenite, precipitation of carbides takes place over the plates of the acicular ferrite. The mixture of ferrite and austenite is known as ausferrite being the responsible for the good mechanical properties of ADI. In this work, the ausferrite obtained above and below 623 K will be termed high and low temperature ausferrite respectively. Although ausferrite does not transform at room temperature, it is not a thermodynamically stable structure. Consequently, if the isothermal holding is extended, or if ADI is heated at high temperatures (523 to 800 K), the second stage of the austempering reaction will occur. During this stage, the carbon rich austenite will decompose into ferrite and carbides. In order to establish the maximum working temperature of ADI, it is necessary to characterize the thermal stability of ausferrite microstructure, since once stage II takes place, the mechanical properties, in particular ductility and toughness, are adversely affected. In the present work the influence of previous ausferrite microstructure (that obtained during first stage) of an alloyed ductile iron (0.6%Ni, 0.15%Mo) on the empirical activation energy of stage II is studied.
- OSTI ID:
- 619480
- Journal Information:
- Scripta Materialia, Journal Name: Scripta Materialia Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 38; ISSN 1359-6462; ISSN SCMAF7
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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