Application of electron backscattered diffraction to cleavage fracture in duplex stainless steel

Abstract

The mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of duplex stainless steel (DSS) are generally superior to conventional austenite or ferrite grades. DSSs can have yield strengths twice the austenite grades, while retaining good ductility and toughness properties. Commercial wrought duplex stainless steels, either plates or rod, are processed by hot rolling followed by a solution annealing treatment to optimize the austenite-ferrite ratio and dissolve any pre-existing secondary phases. Processing may lead to a significant anisotropy in mechanical properties. For example, the tensile properties in cold-rolled sheet of duplex stainless steel (22Cr5Ni) reveals anisotropy of strength, i.e., the transverse direction tensile strength is 7.3% higher than tensile strength in the rolling direction (RD). It was also shown in a study of the effect of crack orientation on the impact properties of the same steel, that when the crack was oriented parallel to the direction of elongation of the austenite phase, the crack could grow along the more brittle ferrite phase for a longer distance before encountering the more ductile austenite. This decreased impact toughness. These are examples of microstructure texture. Crystallographic texture may also have an effect on properties that are related to specific crystallographic planes; such as brittle cleavage and stressmore » corrosion cracking. This paper describes the application of electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) to study cleavage fracture and crystal texture in age-hardened DSS.« less