In Situ Observation of the Evolution of Intragranular Acicular Ferrite at Mg-containing Inclusions in 16Mn Steel

Abstract

The effects of chemical compositions and austenitizing temperature on the formation of intragranular acicular ferrite (IAF) of 16Mn steel, a grade of low alloying steel with carbon content of 0.13∼0.19% and manganese content of 1.20∼1.60%, were systematically investigated. The in situ observation of the evolution of IAF at Mg-containing inclusions was carried out using a high-temperature laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). The nucleation and growth of ferrites, the formation of IAF induced by inclusions, and the size of austenite grain at 1200 °C was directly observed using the LSCM. The results show that the inclusions can be transformed into MgAl2O4, Mg2SiO4 and MgO after treated by Mg. Trace amount of Mg can induce the IAF nucleation. With the increasing of Mg addition, the percentage of IAF in steel greatly increases, while the optimum content of Mg is around 0.0022 wt%. The appropriate austenitizing temperature is around 1200 °C and the optimal prior austenite grain size is about 130 µm. The temperature range for IAF transformation is around between 571 °C and 627 °C, and the time for which is about 12 s. The disregistries between MgAl2O4, MgO and α-Fe are as small as 0.6% and 4.03%, they are so small that may act as highly effective nuclei of IAF during γ → α transformation.