Evaluation of a Processing Route and Microstructural Characteristics for the Development of Ultrafine Bainite in Low-Temperature Ausformed Medium-Carbon Steels

Abstract

A combination of physical simulation and laboratory rolling experiments, including thermomechanical rolling and low-temperature ausforming, was conducted for designing a suitable processing route to enable phase transformation from austenite to ultrafine bainite in a medium-carbon steel. Following low-temperature ausforming at 500-550 °C, two different cooling and holding paths were tried in the study: (1) water cooling close to martensite start temperature (300 °C), followed by isothermal holding (route A), and (2) air cooling to 350 °C followed by isothermal holding (route B). For reference, a third sample was directly water-cooled to 300 °C after hot rolling without ausforming treatment, followed by isothermal holding (route C). Field emission scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction, as well as x-ray diffraction, were employed for microstructural analysis and correlations with the mechanical properties evaluated in respect of hardness and tensile properties. The low-temperature ausforming and subsequent cooling schedules resulted in the decomposition of austenite into ultrafine bainite and some martensite, while stabilizing a fraction of finely divided, carbon-enriched interlath austenite. Results suggested the development of a novel, multiphase bainite-martensite-austenite microstructure, achieved via low-temperature ausforming and subsequent air-cooling (route B), was beneficial in respect of mechanical properties. Most of the bainitic plates were in the range of 50-200 nm with the occasional presence of coalesced plates as wide as 2000 nm. Despite the differences in the microstructure, the mechanical behavior of non-ausformed samples was not significantly different. The technique paves way for developing medium-carbon nanostructured/ultrafine bainitic steels with high mechanical properties achieved via innovative modification of processing routes including low-temperature ausforming. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]