Effect of Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of Stainless/Carbon Steel Bimetal Plate

Abstract

In order to research the effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of stainless/carbon steel bimetal plate, the annealing process at 700°C with different times was carried out for stainless/carbon steel bimetal plate. Because the carbon content of carbon steel was higher than that of stainless steel, the carbon would diffuse from carbon steel to stainless steel in the bimetal plate during the annealing process. The carbon diffusion would cause the thickness of the decarburized layer in carbon steel and the carbon content of stainless steel to increase. The carbon diffusion would be ongoing with the annealing process until the carbon content of stainless steel reached 0.08%. The higher carbon content could help in the formation of more chromium-depleted regions in the stainless steel surface, causing the stainless steel in the bimetal plate to have a poorer surface corrosion resistance than that of stainless steel under the same annealing conditions.