Redistribution of carbon in the deformation of steel with bainite and martensite structures

Abstract

Recent years have been marked by considerable increase in the use of high-strength steel—especially martensitic and bainitic steel—for the manufacture of key industrial components and structures. The high strength depends on strain hardening of the steel. It is important to understand the strain hardening of steel of different structural classes with active plastic deformation, in order to ensure specified structural and phase states and mechanical properties. In the present work, by transmission electron-diffraction microscopy, the evolution of the structure, the phase composition, and the state of the defect substructure is compared for steel samples with martensite and bainite structure in active plastic deformation to failure. After austenitization at 950°C (1.5 h) and subsequent quenching in oil (for 38KhN3MFA steel) and cooling in air (for 30Kh2N2MFA steel), multiphase structure (α phase, γ phase, and cementite) based on packet martensite (38KhN3MFA steel) and lower bainite (30Kh2N2MFA steel) is formed. Quantitative results for the structural parameters of steel in plastic deformation permit analysis of the distribution of the carbon atoms in the structure of the deformed steel. The points of localization of carbon atoms in the martensite (quenched 38KhN3MFA steel) and bainite (air-cooled 30Kh2N2MFA steel) are identified. Deformation of the steel is found to be accompanied by the destruction of cementite particles. For quenched martensitic steel, the total quantity of carbon atoms in the solid solution based on α and γ iron is reduced, while their content at structural defects is increased. The redistribution of carbon atoms in the bainitic steel with increase in the strain involves the increase in the quantity of carbon atoms in the α iron, defects in the crystalline structure, and cementite at the intraphase boundaries; and the decrease in the content of carbon atoms in the cementite particles within the bainite plates and the γ iron.