Deformation effects on transgranular carbide precipitation in 304 stainless steels

Abstract

Plastic deformation is a key variable producing accelerated intergranular (IG) carbide precipitation and chromium-depletion (sensitization) development in stainless steels. Deformation above 20% also produces transgranular (TG) carbides and depletion in the material. Research on TG carbides in SS is, however, limited and has indicated that the precipitation is site-specific preferring twin-fault intersections in 316 SS versus deformation-induced martensite and martensite lath-boundaries in 304 SS. Evidences indicating the relation between martensite and carbides were, however, sketchy.The objective of this work was to fundamentally understand the relationship between TG carbides and strain-induced martensite in 304 SS. Since strain-induced martensite forms at twin-fault intersections in 304 SS and the crystallography of the transformation is well understood, we believed that it could be key in understanding mechanisms of carbides and sensitization in SS. A 0.051% C, 304 SS deformed to ∽33% engineering strain (40% true strain) and heat treated at 670°C/ 0.1-10h was used for the research. The study was carried out on a Hitachi H-8000 STEM at 200 kV.