Abstract
The main purpose of the present work is to study the effect of a high nitrogen content (1 wt% N), on the microstructural evolution of a Cr-Mn austenitic stainless steel aged over the [400–900 °C] temperature interval. Thermal treatments carried out between 700 and 900 °C lead to the decomposition of the nitrogen supersaturated austenitic matrix by discontinuous precipitation of Cr2N particles. The microstructural features of the reaction are described and analysed. In the present case, the cellular precipitation of Cr2N is a peculiar and complex phenomenon which involves two diffusion mechanisms: the diffusion of an interstitial element (nitrogen) and the diffusion of a substitutional one (chromium). The nucleation of the discontinuous precipitation arises from a reduction of the surface energy of the precipitates. Furthermore, the precipitation growth is a non-steady state process, because the reaction is governed at first by the intergranular diffusion of chromium, and then tends to be controlled by its bulk diffusion. Consequently, the features of this discontinuous precipitation do not fit in with the assumptions of usual theories, which have been established for binary substitutional systems that transform in steady state conditions. This discontinuous precipitation brings about a slight hardening. Then, the hardness of the aged samples can be described by an additive relationship between the hardness of the precipitation cells and that of the untransformed matrix. Beside the discontinuous precipitation of Cr2N, sigma phase forms with significant volume fractions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M. O. Speidel, in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 88”, Lille, May 1988, edited by J. Foct and A. Hendry (The Institute of Metals, London, 1989) p. 92.
J. Menzel, G. Stein andP. Dahlmann, in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 88”, Lille, May 1988, edited by J. Foct and A. Hendry (The Institute of Metals, London, 1989) p. 147.
P. J. Uggowitzer andM. Harzenmoser, in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 88”, Lille, May 1988, edited by J. Foct and A. Hendry (The Institute of Metals, London, 1989) p. 174.
M. O. Speidel, in Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 90”, Aachen, October 1990, edited by G. Stein and H. Witulski (Stahl Eisen, Düsseldorf, 1990) p. 128.
P. J. Uggowitzer andM. O. Speidel, in Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 90”, edited by G. Stein and H. Witulski (Stahl Eisen, Düsseldorf, 1990) p. 156.
E. Werner,Mater. Sci. Eng. A 101 (1988) 93.
A. Nyilas andB. Obst, in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 88”, Lille, May 1988, edited by J. Foct and A. Hendry (The Institute of Metals, London, 1989) p. 194.
B. Weiss andR. Stickler,Met. Trans. 3 (1972) 851.
M. Hetmanczyk, A. Maciejny andG. Niewielski, in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 88”, Lille, May 1988, edited by J. Foct and A. Hendry (The Institute of Metals, London, 1989) p. 113.
G. P. Negoda, G. M. Grigorenko, D. P. Novikova andV. Yu. Orlovsky, in Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 90”, edited by G. Stein and H. Witulski (Stahl Eisen, Düsseldorf, 1990) p. 123.
D. B. Rayaprolu andA. Hendry,Mater. Sci. Tech. 5 (1989) 328.
G. Stein, J. Menzel andH. Dorr, in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 88”, Lille, May 1988, edited by J. Foct and A. Hendry (The Institute of Metals, London, 1989) p. 33.
W. Holzgruber, in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 88”, Lille, May 1988, edited by J. Foct and A. Hendry (The Institute of Metals, London, 1989) p. 39.
K. Forch, G. Stein andJ. Menzel, in Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 90”, edited by G. Stein and H. Witulski (Stahl Eisen, Düsseldorf, 1990) p. 258.
J. Menzel, G. Stein andP. Dahlmann, in Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 90”, edited by G. Stein and H. Witulski (Stahl Eisen, Düsseldorf, 1990) p. 365.
F. B. Pickering, in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 88”, Lille, May 1988, edited by J. Foct and A. Hendry (The Institute of Metals, London, 1989) p. 10.
J. Lueg, Thesis, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, (1990).
S. Matsuoka, M. A. Mangan andG. J. Shiflet, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid → Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 94 “PTM 94”, Pittsburgh, July 1994, (The Minerals Metals and Materials Society, 1994), in press.
D. B. Williams andE. P. Butler,Int. Met. Rev. 3 (1981) 153.
K. N. Tu andD. Turnbull,Acta Metall.15 (1967) 369.
Idem., ibid. 15 (1967) 1317.
W. Gust “Phase Transformations” (Institution of Metallurgists, London, 1979) Vol. 1, II-17.
C. Zener,Trans. AIME 167 (1946) 550.
D. Turnbull “Defects in crystalline solids” (The Physical Society, London, 1954) p. 203.
K. W. Andrews, D. J. Dyson andS. R. Keown “Interpretation of Electron Diffraction Patterns” (Adam Hilger Ltd, 1971) p. 216.
F. Vanderschaeve, R. Taillard andJ. Foct,J de Physique IV 4 (1994) C3–93.
J. C. Bavay “Les Aciers Inoxydables” (Les Editions de Physique, 1990) Chap. 16.
F. Vanderschaeve, Thesis, Université de Lille, 1993.
M. Kikuchi, M. Kajihara andS. K. Choi,Mater. Sci. Eng. A 146 (1991) 131.
R. A. Perkins, R. A. Padgett andN. K. Tunali,Met. Trans. 4 (1973) 2535.
W. Assassa andP. Guiraldenq,Met. Corr. Ind. 621 (1977) 170.
M. Kikuchi, M. Kajihara andK. Frisk, in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 88”, Lille, May 1988, edited by J. Foct and A. Hendry (The Institute of Metals, London, 1989) p. 63.
A. Poulalion andR. Botte, in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 88”, Lille, May 1988, edited by J. Foct and A. Hendry (The Institute of Metals, London, 1989) p. 49.
F. Vanderschaeve, R. Taillard andJ. Foct, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid → Solid Phase Transformations in Inorganic Materials 94 “PTM 94” (The Minerals Metals and Materials Society, 1994) in press.
K. Fritscher, in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on High Nitrogen Steels “HNS 88”, Lille, May 1988, edited by J. Foct and A. Hendry (The Institute of Metals, London, 1989) p. 208.
O. A. Bannykh, andV. M. Blinov,Steel Research 62 (1991) 38.
F. B. Pickering, “Physical Metallurgy and the Design of Steels” (Materials Science Series, Applied Science Publishers, London, 1983).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vanderschaeve, F., Taillard, R. & Foct, J. Discontinuous precipitation of Cr2N in a high nitrogen, chromium-manganese austenitic stainless steel. J Mater Sci 30, 6035–6046 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01151525
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01151525