Overcoming Strength-Ductility Trade-Off at Cryogenic Temperature of Low Carbon Low Alloy Steel Via Controlling Retained Austenite Stability
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metals Article Overcoming Strength-Ductility Trade-Off at Cryogenic Temperature of Low Carbon Low Alloy Steel via Controlling Retained Austenite Stability Xuelin Wang 1, Zhenjia Xie 1,* , Chengjia Shang 1,* and Gang Han 2 1 Collaborative Innovation Center of Steel Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; [email protected] 2 Institute of Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] (Z.X.); [email protected] (C.S.) Abstract: Stress–strain behavior of a low carbon low alloy multiphase steel with ferrite, tempered bainite, and retained austenite was studied at different cryogenic temperatures. Results indicated that both strength and ductility were enhanced with decreasing tensile testing temperature. The enhancement of both strength and ductility was attributed to the decreased mechanical stability of retained austenite with decreasing temperature, resulting in sufficient transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) effect for increasing work hardening rate. Keywords: multiphase steel; retained austenite stability; work hardening rate; ductility; low temper- ature property Citation: Wang, X.; Xie, Z.; Shang, C.; Han, G. Overcoming 1. Introduction Strength-Ductility Trade-Off at High strength low alloy (HSLA) steels have attracted great interest for wide fields of Cryogenic Temperature of Low applications, due to their excellent strength–toughness balance, economy, and weldabil- Carbon Low Alloy Steel via ity [1–3]. With applied fields of HSLA steels extending to low temperature environment, Controlling Retained Austenite low temperature toughness is of significant importance in consideration of safety. Generally, Stability. Metals 2021, 11, 157. yield strength of HSLA steels increases dramatically to be higher than fracture strength https://doi.org/10.3390/met110 with decreasing temperature, thus sudden brittle fracture takes place without ductile plastic 10157 deformation [4]. This strength–ductility trade-off greatly limits their application in low temperature environments. Therefore, it is very important to simultaneously enhance yield Received: 4 December 2020 strength and impact toughness with decreasing temperature for HSLA steels by tailoring Accepted: 12 January 2021 Published: 15 January 2021 microstructure. Recently, it has been suggested that the strength–ductility trade-off can be overcome though the controlled deformation-induced martensitic transformation from Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral face-centered cubic to body-centered cubic via metastability engineering in CoCrFeNiMo with regard to jurisdictional claims in medium-entropy alloys [5]. The purpose of this work is to introduce multiphase microstruc- published maps and institutional affil- ture containing retained austenite to a low carbon low alloy steel for enhancing the work iations. hardening ability at low temperatures, resulting in high fracture strength and high ductility. A lot of efforts have been devoted to improving strength, ductility, and toughness of HSLA steels by tailoring microstructure, and progress has been made. It has revealed that refinement of prior austenite grains via increasing high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) is helpful for decreasing ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT), because HAGBs can Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. retard brittle crack propagation [6,7]. Control of multiphase microstructure via producing This article is an open access article metastable retained austenite in low carbon low alloy steels was able to significantly im- distributed under the terms and prove ductility and low temperature toughness [2,8–11]. Metastable retained austenite was conditions of the Creative Commons suggested to afford TRIP effect during tensile or impact to enhance the plastic deformation Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// ability before fracture. The stability of retained austenite is crucial to performance in creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ service [12,13]. The main concern is that once retained austenite in the steel is unstable 4.0/). and transforms into martensite thermally or mechanically due to a small deformation in Metals 2021, 11, 157. https://doi.org/10.3390/met11010157 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/metals Metals 2021, 11, 157 2 of 8 ducing metastable retained austenite in low carbon low alloy steels was able to signifi‐ cantly improve ductility and low temperature toughness [2,8–11]. Metastable retained austenite was suggested to afford TRIP effect during tensile or impact to enhance the plas‐ Metals 2021, 11, 157 tic deformation ability before fracture. The stability of retained austenite is crucial to2 per of 8‐ formance in service [12,13]. The main concern is that once retained austenite in the steel is unstable and transforms into martensite thermally or mechanically due to a small defor‐ mation in low temperature service, sudden brittle fracture takes place, resulting in disas‐ low temperature service, sudden brittle fracture takes place, resulting in disaster. Hence, ter. Hence, the objectives of the present work are to study the stability of retained austenite the objectives of the present work are to study the stability of retained austenite in a in a low carbon low alloy multiphase steel produced by the two‐step intercritical heat low carbon low alloy multiphase steel produced by the two-step intercritical heat treat- treatment, and to elucidate the effect of retained austenite stability on stress–strain behav‐ ment, and to elucidate the effect of retained austenite stability on stress–strain behavior at cryogenicior at cryogenic temperature. temperature. 2.2. MaterialMaterial andand MethodsMethods ofof ExperimentsExperiments TheThe chemicalchemical compositioncomposition ofof thethe experimentalexperimental steelsteel waswas Fe-0.07C-0.36Si-1.78Mn-Fe‐0.07C‐0.36Si‐1.78Mn‐ 0.51Ni-0.3Mo-0.78Nb-0.02Ti0.51Ni‐0.3Mo‐0.78Nb‐0.02Ti in weight weight percent percent (wt%). (wt%). The The steel steel was was melted melted in invacuum vacuum in‐ inductionduction furnace furnace and and cast cast into into ingot ingot of of weight weight 25 25 kg. The ingot was reheatedreheated toto 12001200 ◦°CC andand heldheld forfor 22 h,h, thenthen forgedforged intointo rodsrods withwith diameterdiameter of of 16 16 mm,mm, andand airair cooledcooled to to ambientambient temperature.temperature. The forged rods were intercriticallyintercritically annealed at 740 ◦°CC for 3030 min,min, subse-subse‐ quentlyquently airair cooledcooled toto ambientambient temperature.temperature. Next,Next, thethe annealedannealed specimenspecimen waswas temperedtempered at at 680680 ◦°CC forfor 3030 min,min, andand finally finally air air cooled cooled to to ambient ambient temperature. temperature. Mechanical Mechanical properties properties inin termsterms ofof strengthstrength andand elongationelongation ofof thethe treatedtreated samplessamples (('φ55 mmmm standardstandard tensiletensile testtest samples)samples) werewere measuredmeasured atat anan extensionextension raterate ofof 2.52.5 ×× 1010−−3 3s−s1− with1 with an an extensometer extensometer of of25 25mm mm at cryogenic at cryogenic temperatures temperatures of − of80,− −80,120,− −120,160,− and160, − and196 °C,−196 respectively.◦C, respectively. The reason The reasonwhy the why tensile the tensile test starts test startsat −80 at °C− 80is ◦thatC is the that material the material has excellent has excellent room room temperature tempera- tureproperties properties and andgood good low lowtemperature temperature toughness toughness [8]. The [8]. Themodel model of cryogenic of cryogenic tensile tensile test‐ testinging machine machine is SANS is SANS CMT5000. CMT5000. The The specimen specimen was was cooled cooled to to the the set temperaturetemperature withwith liquidliquid heliumhelium (he), then kept for for 10 10 min, min, and and then then tensile tensile test test was was carried carried out, out, as as shown shown in inFigure Figure 1.1 . FigureFigure 1.1. SchematicSchematic diagramdiagram ofof cryogeniccryogenic tensiletensile testtest process.process. HeatHeat treatedtreated samplessamples werewere mechanicallymechanically polishedpolished andand etchedetched withwith 4%4% nitalnital usingusing standard metallographic procedures for TESCAN MIRA3 field emission scanning electron standard metallographic procedures for TESCAN MIRA3 field emission scanning elec‐ microscopy (SEM, TESCAN, Brno, Czech Republic). To obtain information on distribution tron microscopy (SEM, TESCAN, Brno, Czech Republic). To obtain information on distri‐ and morphology of retained austenite, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD, Oxford In- bution and morphology of retained austenite, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD, Ox‐ struments, Oxford, UK) analysis was carried out after mechanical and electrolytic polishing ford Instruments, Oxford, UK) analysis was carried out after mechanical and electrolytic using TESCAN MIRA3 field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM, TESCAN, polishing using TESCAN MIRA3 field emission scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM, Brno, Czech Republic) at an acceleration voltage of 20 kV, with a step size of 60 nm. EBSD TESCAN, Brno, Czech Republic) at an acceleration voltage of 20 kV, with a step size of 60 data was post-processed by HKL CHANNEL 5 flamenco software (Oxford Instruments, nm. EBSD data was post‐processed by HKL CHANNEL 5 flamenco software (Oxford In‐ Oxford,