Analysis of Super Duplex Stainless Steel Properties as an Austenite-Ferrite Composite

Abstract

Super duplex stainless steel (SDSS) is considered as a composite formed from a microstructure of an approximately equal mixture of two primary constituents (γ-austenite and α-ferrite phases) and the secondary precipitates (sigma, chi, alpha-prime, etc.). While the formation of these phases affects the properties of SDSS, however there are no rules that govern the relationship. In this work, the relationship between toughness as well as corrosion behavior of SDSS (UNS 32760) and the microstructure constituents has been experimentally investigated, and analyzed in view of the composite principles. Another two stainless steels namely; fully austenitic SASS (UNS N08367) and fully ferritic FSS (UNS S42900) are considered to simulate the constituent’s primary components in the composite which are austenite γ and ferrite α phases respectively. Samples of the composite and constituent’s steels are first subjected to solution annealing, where the composite steel has a microstructure of...