Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

New observations of the twinning effect and austenite stability in intercritical quenched and tempered steel with high strength

  • Metals & corrosion
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To optimize the formability and strength of hot-rolled Fe-10Mn-0.4C-2Al-0.6 V medium Mn steel, intercritical quenching and tempering processes were carried out. The strength of the steel was enhanced, and the Lüdders platform was eliminated. The higher strength of the steel was attributed to the occurrence of a complex twinning effect, martensitic transformation and V-carbide precipitation during tensile deformation. In particular, the twin martensite structure retained after the quenching-tempering process served as another previous twin to accelerate the generation of nanomechanical twins in recrystallized austenite grain. The occurrence of transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) of austenite with poor stability in non-recrystallized regions stimulated the TRIP and twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) effects in austenite with high stability in recrystallized regions. Therefore, two pathways to improve the formability and optimize the mechanical properties of medium Mn steel by adjusting the quenching and tempering processes were proposed in this paper: (1) Manufacturing more martensite twin structures and (2) regulating the balance of austenite stability in both recrystallized and non-recrystallized regions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Aydin H, Essadiqi E, Jung IH (2013) Development of 3rd generation AHSS with medium Mn content alloying compositions. Mater Sci Eng A 564:501–508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2012.11.113

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Li JJ, Song R, Li X, Zhou NP, Song RF (2019) Microstructure evolution and tensile properties of 70 GPa·% grade strong and ductile hot-rolled 6Mn treated by intercritical annealing. Mater Sci Eng A 745:212–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2018.12.110

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wang JJ, Hui WJ, Xie ZX, Zhang YJ, Zhao XL (2020) Influence of pre-strain on microstructural characteristics and tensile deformation behaviour of a cold-rolled Al-containing medium Mn steel. J Mater Sci 55:5296–5310. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-019-04337-3

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hu J, Zhang JM, Sun GS, Du LX, Liu Y, Dong Y, Misra RDK (2019) High strength and ductility combination in nano-ultrafine-grained medium-Mn steel by tuning the stability of reverted austenite involving intercritical annealing. J Mater Sci 54:6565–6578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-018-03291-w

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hu B, He BB, Cheng GJ, Yen HW, Huang MX, Luo HW (2019) Super-high and formable medium Mn steel manufactured by warm rolling process. Acta Mater 174:131–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2019.05.043

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Kubler RF, Berveiller M, Buessler P (2011) Semi phenomenon logical modelling of the behavior of TRIP steels. Int J Plast 27:299–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijplas.2010.05.002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Chiang J, Lawrence B, Boyd JD, Pilkey AK (2011) Effect of microstructure on retained austenite stability and work hardening of TRIP steels. Mater Sci Eng A 528:4516–4521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2011.02.032

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cai ZH, Jing SY, Li HY, Zhang KM, Misra RDK, Ding H, Tang ZY (2019) The influence of microstructural characteristics on yield point elongation phenomenon in Fe-0.2C-11Mn-2Al steel. Mater Sci Eng A 739:17–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2018.09.114

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ennis B, Jimenez-Melero E, Atzema E, Krugla M, Azeem M (2017) Metastable austenite driven work-hardening behavior in a TRIP-assisted dual phase steel. Int J Plast 88:126–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijplas.2016.10.005

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Wu XL, Zhu YT (2017) Heterogeneous materials: a new class of materials with unprecedented mechanical properties 5:527–532. https://doi.org/10.1080/21663831.2017.1343208

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Soleimani M, Alireza K, Mirzadeh H (2020) Transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) in advanced steels: A review. Mater Sci Eng A 795:140023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2006.09.101

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. He BB, Huang MX (2020) Martensite enables formation of complex nanotwins in a medium Mn steel. Metall Mater Trans A 51:1960–1966. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-020-05683-7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sohn SS, Song H, Jo MC, Song T, Lee S (2017) Novel 1.5 GPa-strength with 50%-ductility by transformation-induced plasticity of non-recrystallized austenite in duplex steels. Sci Rep 7:1255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-020-05683-7

  14. Melero EJ, Dijk NHV, Zhao L, Sietsma J, Offerman SE, Wright JP, Zwaag SVD (2007) Martensitic transformation of individual grains in low-alloyed TRIP steels. Scr Mater 56:421–424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2006.10.041

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. He BB, Huang BM, He SH, Qi Y, Yen HW, Huang MX (2018) Increasing yield strength of medium Mn steel by engineering multiple strengthening defects. Mater Sci Eng A 724:11–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2018.03.065

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Chandan A, Bansal GK, Kundu J, Chowdhury CJ, SG, (2019) Effect of prior austenite grain size on the evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties of an intercritically annealed medium manganese steel. Mater Sci Eng A 768:138458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2019.138458

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kim DH, Kang JH, Ryu JH, Kim SJ (2020) Effect of austenitization of cold-rolled 10 wt% Mn steel on microstructure and discontinuous yielding. Mater Sci Eng A 774:138930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2020.138930

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Seol JB, Jung JE, Jamg YW, Park CG (2013) Influence of carbon content on the microstructure, martensitic transformation and mechanical properties in austenite/ε-martensite dual-phase Fe-Mn-C steels. Acta Mate 61:558–578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2012.09.078

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Lee S, Estrin Y, Cooman BCD (2013) Constitution modeling of the mechanical properties of V-added medium manganese TRIP steel. Metall Mater Trans A 44:3136–3146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-013-1648-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Liang ZY, Li YZ, Huang MX (2016) The respective hardening contributions of dislocations and twins to the flow stress of a twinning-induced plasticity steel. Scr Mater 112:28–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2015.09.003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Gladman T (1999) Precipitation hardening in metals. Mater Sci Technol 15:30–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Dini G, Najafizadeh A, Ueji R, Monir-Vaghefi SM (2010) Improved tensile properties of partially recryatallized submicron grained TWIP steel. Mater Let 64:15–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2009.09.057

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Ferreira PJ, Müllner P (1998) A thermodynamic model for the stacking fault energy. Acta Mater. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1359-6454(98)00155-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Wei Y, Li YQ, Zhu LC, Liu Y, Lei XQ, Wang G, Wu YX, Mi ZL, Liu JB, Wang HT, Gao HJ (2014) Evading the strength-ductility trade-off dilemma in steel through gradient hierarchical nanotwins. Nat Commun 3580:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4580

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Somani MC, Juntunen P, Karjalaninen LPK, Misra RDK (2009) Enhanced mechanical properties through reversion in metastable austenitic stainless steels. Metall Mater Trans A 40:729–744. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-088-9723-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Olson GB, Cohen M (1975) Kinetics of strain-induced martensitic nucleation. Metall Trans A 6:791–795. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02672301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Luo HW, Dong H, Huang MX (2015) Effect of intercritical annealing on the Lüders strains of medium Mn transformation-induced plasticity steels. Meter Des 83:42–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2015.05.085

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Wang XG, Wang L, Huang MX (2017) Kinematic and thermal characteristics of Lüders and Portevin-Le Châtelier bands in medium Mn transformation-induced plasticity steel. Acta Mater 124:17–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2016.10.069

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Ma J, Lu Q, Sun L, Shen Y (2018) Two-step intercritical annealing to eliminate Lüders band in a strong and ductile medium Mn steel. Metall Mater Trans A 49:4404–4408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-018-4791-0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Sun BH, Fazeli F, Scott C, Guo B (2018) Microstructural characteristics and tensile behavior of medium manganese steels with different manganese additions. Mater Sci Eng A 729:496–507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2018.04.115

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Project of International Cooperation in Shanxi (Grant Number 201603D421026) and the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province (Grant Number 201801D121105).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, People’s Republic of China

    Shao-bin Bai, Wen-tao Xiao, Wang-gang Zhang & Wei Liang

  2. Taiyuan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd, Taiyuan, 030003, People’s Republic of China

    Yi-de Wang

  3. College of Materials Science and Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan, 030051, People’s Republic of China

    Da-zhao Li & Zhi-hua Zhuang

Authors
  1. Shao-bin Bai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wen-tao Xiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yi-de Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Da-zhao Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Zhi-hua Zhuang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Wang-gang Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Wei Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

The author Shaobin Bai was responsible for the writing of the manuscript; the authors Wentao Xiao and Zhihua Zhuang were responsible for all the experiments. The author Yide Wang provided experimental materials and experimental scheme; the author Dazhao Li provided helpful analysis and modification on the manuscript; the author Wanggang Zhang was responsible for the modifying of the manuscript; the authors Wei Liang and Dazhao Li gave technical and financial support.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei Liang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Megumi Kawasaki.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bai, Sb., Xiao, Wt., Wang, Yd. et al. New observations of the twinning effect and austenite stability in intercritical quenched and tempered steel with high strength. J Mater Sci 56, 13801–13813 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-021-06136-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-021-06136-1

Search

Navigation