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Microstructures and Mechanical Characteristics of a Medium Carbon Super-Bainitic Steel After Isothermal Transformation

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Abstract

The influence of isothermal treatments on microstructure, hardness, and tensile properties of a new designed medium carbon super-bainitic steel was studied by using the optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and mechanical property tests. The results show that the isothermal transformation temperature and holding time combine to determine the variations of microstructure and mechanical properties in the low temperature range of 140-260 °C. The size of bainitic laths is refined with the decrease in transformation temperature, but the bainitic transformation kinetic becomes lower. Longer treatment time can promote the transformation of complete bainite and also make the retained austenite more stable. The desired microstructure consisting of nanoscale carbide-free bainitic ferrite and thin film-like retained austenite located between the ferrite laths can be achieved at the temperature of 260 °C for 10 h, where the excellent combination of strength, ductility and hardness can be obtained.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51171030).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Advanced Structural Materials, Ministry of Education, Changchun University of Technology, Changchun, 130012, China

    Ying Han, Hua Wu & Yunxu Liu

  2. College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225127, China

    Cheng Liu

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  1. Ying Han
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  2. Hua Wu
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  3. Cheng Liu
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Correspondence to Hua Wu.

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Han, Y., Wu, H., Liu, C. et al. Microstructures and Mechanical Characteristics of a Medium Carbon Super-Bainitic Steel After Isothermal Transformation. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 23, 4230–4236 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-014-1235-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-014-1235-x

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