High-angle Grain Research Articles

Microstructure evolution of extruded Mg-RE-Ag alloy during short-time heat treatment

Microstructure regulation via short-time heat treatment is conducive to the optimization in the microstructure and properties of precipitable magnesium (Mg) alloys, but there is currently a lack of relevant studies. In this work, the microstructure evolution of a Mg-RE-Ag alloy during different short-time heat treatments was characterized and discussed. The results show that extreme short-time heat treatment (ESHT, e.g., 2 min) at 450–480 °C can greatly increase solute concentration in Mg matrix through the rapid re-dissolution of the second-phase and simultaneously maintain fine grains, while the ESHT at a too high temperature (e.g., 510 °C) is not suitable due to excessive grain growth and coarse second phase regenerated at grain boundaries. It is found that 480 °C is the approximate critical temperature for appropriate ESHT, and further prolongation of the time will lead to excessive grain growth. It is suggested that in addition to grain boundary migration, grain rotation is activated, resulting in the annihilation of high-angle grain boundaries with relatively low misorientation, as well as the reduction in the ability of the residual second phase to pin grain boundaries. In addition, the reasons for the abnormal grain boundary segregation and grain boundary continuous phase were analyzed from the perspective of interfacial energy. This study provides a basis for effective microstructure regulation of Mg-RE alloys.

Effects of Y2O3 on the hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of Al2O3-cu/35Cr3TiB2 electrical contact composites

The Al2O3-Cu/35Cr3TiB2 and 0.5Y2O3/Al2O3-Cu/35Cr3TiB2 composites were prepared by a combination of fast hot compression sintering and internal oxidization. The effects of Y2O3 on the hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of the composites were investigated. According to the hot deformation data, the constitutive equations, hot processing maps, and critical dynamic recrystallization models were constructed for the two composites. The Y2O3 addition enhanced the flow stress, activation energy, and hot processing properties of the composites. This led to a reduction in the percentage of dynamic recrystallization structure from 25.3% to 19.4%, and decreased the amount of high-angle grain boundaries from 77.8% to 71.4%. Y2O3 was distributed at grain boundaries and phase interfaces, effectively impeding dislocation movement and grain boundary migration. Notably, the strain distribution within Y2O3 exhibited greater homogeneity compared to the Cu matrix. More twins and stacking faults were observed inside the 0.5Y2O3/Al2O3-Cu/35Cr3TiB2 composites, which synergistically strengthened the matrix.

Fracture behavior of additively manufactured corrax maraging stainless steel

Additively manufactured a low carbon Fe–Cr–Ni–Al Corrax stainless steel has ultra-high strength, but the mechanism at work when the steel cracks is still unclear. In this study, Corrax stainless steel was tensile tested to fracture and cracks in the vicinity of the fracture surface were analyzed by scanning electron microscope and electron-backscattered diffraction. The results show that the cracks propagated at angles of 45–60° to the tensile axis. Some cracks were transgranular, and high-angle grain boundaries had little effect on crack propagation. Crack propagation was inhibited in regions with lower Taylor factors. Kernel average misorientation value analysis established that the crack propagation process is accompanied by significant plastic deformation. The influence of particles and unfused pores on crack propagation is also discussed.

Optimizing Rolling Strategies for API 5L X80 Steel Heavy Plates Produced by Thermomechanical Processing in a Reversible Single-Stand Mill

This study focuses on advancing the production of predominantly bainitic heavy plates to meet the API 5L X80 standard. The investigation involves a thorough evaluation of the influence of rolling parameters and austenite conditioning on both microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties. Accurate specifications for chemical composition, processing temperatures, and mean deformations were established using mathematical models and bibliographical references. Four rolling conditions were performed in a reversible single-stand mill, allowing for comprehensive comparison and critical analysis. Microstructural and mechanical characterizations were performed utilizing several techniques, including optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tensile tests, Charpy impact tests, and hardness tests to ensure adherence to API 5L standards. Additionally, the SEM-EBSD (electron backscattered diffraction) technique was employed for a complementary analysis. The EBSD analysis included crystallographic misorientation maps, mean kernel misorientation parameters (ϑ), low- and high-angle grains boundaries, mean equivalent diameter, and evaluation of the contribution of different strengthening mechanisms to yield strength. Results underscored the significant influence of austenite conditioning on both microstructure and mechanical properties. Considering the specificities of a reversible single-stand mill, it was concluded that, unlike the classic approach for ferritic or ferritic–pearlitic HSLA (high-strength low-alloy steel), when a product with a predominantly bainitic microstructure is required, the accumulated deformation in the austenite during the finishing rolling stage, as well as its temperature, must be meticulously controlled. It was shown that the greater the deformation and the lower the temperature, the more favorable the scenario for the undesired polygonal ferrite formation, which will deteriorate the material’s performance. Furthermore, an optimized production route was identified and adapted to the specificities of the employed rolling mill. The presented data have great importance for researchers, manufacturers, and users of API 5L X80 heavy plates.

The effect of annealing on micro-hardness of molybdenum single crystals

Molybdenum (Mo) crystals exhibit excellent mechanical properties such as high yield strength, high elastic modulus, very high melting point, and excellent corrosion resistance, making them a suitable choice for various industrial applications. The mechanical behaviour of these crystals has been investigated through tension, compression, and indentation experiments. The indentation experiments on annealed Mo single-crystal thin film show an increase in hardness with increase in annealing temperature from 400 °C–650 °C. However, it is not clear whether this behaviour is specific to the Mo thin films or these are applicable to the bulk samples of single crystals also. In order to address these issues, the Vickers indentation experiments are performed on as-received and annealed samples of (100) -, (110) -, and (111) -oriented Mo single crystals. The results show that the low-temperature annealing leads to an increase in micro-hardness by 9% for (100) oriented crystals. The x-ray diffraction (XRD), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) studies have shown that there is a drop in the number of dislocation sources or dislocation density ( ρ ) with no high-angle grain boundary formation or any microstructural changes or any oxide formation. This necessitates to enhance the applied stress required for significant yielding (or yield strength) which results in an increase in the hardness. Based on experimental observations, a hardening mechanism governed by dislocation annihilation during annealing has been proposed in the present study.

Toward developing remanufactured Ti6Al4V alloys with high fatigue crack growth resistance by in-situ cooling during laser remanufacturing

The fatigue performance of remanufactured titanium alloy blade components has garnered significant attention in recent years. The repaired titanium alloy components using the direct energy deposition (DED) method exhibit structural differences, leading to an inhomogeneous microstructure that directly impacts the service life of the remanufactured component. The work presented here aimed to investigate novel approaches for enhancing the resistance to crack propagation and to gain a deeper insight into the fatigue crack propagation characteristics of the Ti6Al4V remanufactured interface with an inhomogeneous microstructure. The research focused on analyzing the microstructure evolution and fracture properties of remanufactured components using in-situ cooling. The results indicate that in-situ cooling has the potential to decrease the anisotropy of the repaired zone (RZ) and enhance the resistance to crack propagation in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and base metal (BM). The high cooling rate associated with the in-situ cooling can elevate the presence of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) in the RZ, diminish the phase transformation between the HAZ and BM, and decrease the size of the secondary α phase. The research contributes to a deeper comprehension of fatigue crack propagation in remanufactured components and provides a pathway for the improvement of fatigue performance of remanufactured titanium alloy.

Continuous dynamic recrystallization behaviors in a single-phase deformed Ti-55511 alloy by cellular automata model

In this study, the continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) behaviors of a hot-deformed Ti-55511 alloy are investigated in β single-phase domain. CDRX is found to play a dominant role in the microstructure evolution during thermomechanical forming of the Ti-55511 alloy. In order to quantitatively and visually simulate the hot forming process, a probabilistic cellular automata (CA) method is established. This CA technology integrates the dislocation evolution model, subgrain nucleation rate model, misorientation evolution model, grain boundary (GB) migration model, and topology deformation model. The results of a systematic study of both microstructural evolution and macroscopic mechanical response at various strains, strain rates, and temperatures are presented. The average absolute relative error (AARE), correlation coefficient (R), and root-mean squared error (RMSE) values between the experimental and simulated stresses are 4.63 %, 0.9963, and 3.81 MPa, respectively. The deviation values of subgrain size range from 1.27 % to 17.25 %, when the temperatures varies from 920 to 980 °C. The predicted results well agree with the measured results, demonstrating the transition from a coarse and static recrystallized structure to a refined and continuous dynamic recrystallized structure. A low Zener-Hollomon (Z) parameter can effectively enhance the progress of CDRX. Higher temperatures and lower strain rates result in a larger volume fraction of CDRX. Quantitative analyses confirm that the incubation period for CDRX is significantly longer than that for subgrain formation, indicating a sustained transformation from the low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) to the high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) through the absorption of dislocations.

Preparing bulk nanocrystalline Cu–Al alloys via rotary swaging

Although nanocrystalline (NC) metals and alloys have been studied for nearly 40 years, their preparation is limited to the laboratory as large-scale; low-cost commercial production remains a challenge. In this study, high-strength bulk NC Cu–Al alloys were prepared from coarse-grained Cu–Al alloy rods via rotary swaging. Rotary swaging is characterized by the low cost and infinite length of the processed samples; therefore, it can advance the industrial application of bulk NC alloys. Core–shell-structured Cu–Al alloy rods with a hard NC core (diameter of 2.2 mm) wrapped in a soft ultrafine-grained (UFG) shell with a thickness of 1.75 mm were prepared using a rotary swage. Tensile tests revealed that the hard NC Cu–Al alloy core exhibited an ultimate tensile strength of 1034 MPa, which surpassed current strength records. Microstructural characterization showed that the hard NC core was composed of NC fiber grains with widths of 45 nm and lengths of 190 nm. The edge of the rod contained numerous low-angle grain boundaries and shear bands, which provided it with a lower strength and higher elongation than those of the center. During swaging, strong (200) and (111) fiber textures perpendicular to the cross-section were produced during the early stages of deformation. In the latter deformation stages, the polar densities of the (200) and (111) textures weakened, and some complex textures were formed along with high-angle grain boundaries. The grain refinement mechanisms were dominated by multiple deformation twinning, stacking faults, and dislocation slips. Finite elemental analysis showed that triaxial compressive stress and a high strain rate were applied to grain refinement. In addition, the softer shell protects the harder core during deformation, preventing fracture. This study verified an effective preparation technique for bulk NC materials via rotary swaging because it is a simple process with low cost and broad industrial prospects.

Through glass via (TGV) copper metallization and its microstructure modification

The microstructure and uniformity of Cu metallization in the through glass via (TGV) structure were investigated through electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis system and finite element analysis (FEA) method. Two different direct current (DC) electroplating methods were employed for the TGV metallization, including single- and multiple-step electroplating methods. We found that the multiple-step electroplating process with appropriate current density (j)/plating time (t) can efficiently enhance the throwing power (TP) value (uniformity) of electroplated Cu in the TGV metallization. Moreover, the Cu electrodeposition via the multiple-step electroplating process possessed larger grain sizes and high fraction of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs), including twin boundaries (TBs), which are very beneficial to the mechanical and electrical properties of Cu interconnects. Detailed analyses of the uniformity (i.e., TP), crystallographic microstructure (e.g., grain size), and mechanical characteristics (e.g., ductility) of electroplated Cu derived from single- and multiple-step electroplating process were discussed in this paper.

Effect of grain boundary character on intergranular hydrides precipitation in zirconium

Grain boundary characteristics play a crucial role in the formation of intergranular hydrides, which may cause brittle fracture in zirconium alloys. However, the impact of grain boundary character on microscopic hydride precipitation remains unclear. Here, we investigate the nucleation and precipitation of intergranular hydrides in zirconium by using In-situ transmission electron microscopy observations and post-precipitation electron backscattered diffraction analysis. The nucleation of intergranular hydrides is highly dependent on the interacting angle (αGB-BP) between the grain boundary plane and the basal plane. For low-angle grain boundaries, hydrides prefer to grow into the grain interior when the αGB-BP is less than 60°, otherwise, no hydride precipitation occurs. For high-angle grain boundaries, hydrides nucleate along the grain boundary when the αGB-BP is less than 39°. As the αGB-BP increases, hydrides grow into the grain interior. A thermodynamic model is developed to analyze the nucleation of needle-shaped hydrides. The variation of the intergranular hydride as a function of the grain boundary energy and the αGB-BP is predicted. This finding provides new insight into utilizing grain boundary engineering to modulate intergranular hydride precipitation and offers a pathway to control hydrogen embrittlement in zirconium alloys.

Experimental investigation on the deformation behavior of an isotropic 304L austenitic steel manufactured by laser powder bed fusion with hot isostatic pressing

Post-heat treatment, such as hot isostatic pressing (HIP), is increasingly employed in laser powder bed fused (L-PBF) metallic materials to release residual stress, alleviate microstructural anisotropy, and tailor mechanical properties. Here, we systematically investigate the initial and deformed microstructures of as-received and HIPed L-PBF 304L austenitic steel using various microstructural characterizations. The results indicate that the HIP procedure can decrease the porosity and generate the columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET), resulting in an isotropic microstructural morphology better suitable for practice applications. Additionally, the HIP samples have exceptional ductility when compared to as-received samples, which is associated with the sustained strain hardening rate arising from the notable deformation twinning behavior. The majority of deformation twins are preferentially emitted from the straight annealing twin boundaries and then grow within the 〈111〉 − oriented annealing twins. The principle twinning mechanism involved is the twinning partial emission from the annealing twin boundaries or high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs). Moreover, the inclusions distributed near/on the annealing twin boundaries can emit partials with multiple Burgers vectors during straining, resulting in the extra random activation of partials (RAP) twinning mechanism that sustains the deformation process. These findings give helpful suggestions for HIP process designs of L-PBF austenitic steels, as well as a solid foundation for future theoretical modeling research.

Crack inhibition and mechanical property enhancement of a CM247LC alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion through remelting strategy

High cracking susceptibility arising from the high thermal gradients is a critical issue of high γ'-fraction Ni-base superalloys fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Here in, laser remelting was used to inhibit cracking and enhance the strength-ductility synergy of additively manufactured CM247LC alloy by LPBF. The effects of laser remelting with different energy densities and scan strategies on microstructure, cracking behavior and mechanical properties of LPBF-processed CM247LC superalloy were systematically investigated. The crack inhibition mechanisms of laser remelting during the LPBF process were revealed. Low energy density of remelting and scan strategy with a rotation of 90° between remelting and prior melting were promising for decreasing the crack density. The crack inhibition caused by laser remelting could be attributed to the partial elimination of defects (e.g., lack-of-fusion pores), the mitigation of the segregation of elements, the backfilling of the grain boundaries and liquid film, and the reduction of the residual stress and the high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs). Enhanced mechanical strength and ductility (ultimate tensile strength of 1280 MPa, yield strength of 885 MPa, and elongation of 11.9%) of LPBF-processed CM247LC samples were obtained by optimized-remelting parameters. This work demonstrated the potential of laser remelting in improving the printability of high γ'-fraction Ni-base superalloys fabricated by LPBF.

Study on microstructure, mechanical and corrosion behavior of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy by Keyhole gas tungsten arc welding

In this paper, 8 mm thick Ti6Al4V titanium alloy was successfully welded by keyhole gas tungsten electrode arc welding (K-TIG) technology without special edge preparation. The microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the joint were studied. The experimental results show that the overall weld is nail-shaped, and there are no welding defects such as porosity, cracks, and unfused sidewalls. The weld area is mainly composed of many fine acicular -like α, coarse acicular -like α and massive α intertwined with each other, and the distribution ratio of high-angle grain boundaries in the heat-affected zone and weld metal area is higher than that of the base metal. The microhardness fluctuation of each region in the welded joints is not large, and the tensile strength of the welded joints reaches 96.7 % of the base metal, and the post-weld mechanical properties are good. The K-TIG welded joints and the base metal were electrochemically analyzed, and the welded joints showed good corrosion resistance.

Investigation on hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of superaustenitic stainless steel S31254 during elevated temperature compression testing

The study thoroughly investigated the hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of superaustenitic stainless steel S31254. Hot compression tests were conducted at temperatures ranging from 950 °C to 1200 °C and strain rates of 0.01–10 s−1. The flow behavior of S31254 is influenced by adiabatic heating, particularly at high strain rates. The critical conditions of dynamic recrystallization for various deformation conditions were calculated based on the “double differential method.” An rise in deformation temperature or a reduction in strain rate reduces critical stress. Using the Arrhenius equation and Zener-Hollomon parameter to represent the deformation parameters, a linear connection between peak stress and dynamic recrystallization critical conditions was determined. Electron backscattering diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the microstructure under various deformation conditions. The dynamic softening of superaustenitic stainless steel is mainly achieved through dynamic recrystallization. The recrystallized grains are driven by distorted energy to nucleate preferentially at high-angle grain boundaries and grow towards high misorientations. Discontinuous dynamic recrystallization characterized by grain boundary bowing out is the main recrystallization mechanism in S31254. However, at high temperatures and low strain rates (1200 °C, 0.01 s−1), the dynamic recrystallization process shifts from discontinuous to continuous, with subgrain coalescence serving as the nucleating mode.

Thermal restoration kinetics and microstructural evolution of an Mg-RE alloy during annealing by quasi-in-situ observation

Quasi-in-situ electron backscatter diffraction method is applied to properly investigate thermal restoration kinetics and microstructural evolution of a commercial WE54 alloy after 10 % engineering pre-strain and post-annealing at 500 °C for 10, 35, and 70 min. Results show a reduction in the average grain orientation spread can effectively evaluate the restoration kinetics compared to other characteristics like average grain size or average misorientation angle. For microstructural evolution, nucleation behavior and abnormal grain growth of recrystallization nuclei as well as evolution of deformation twin have been investigated in detail. Low-angle grain boundary network due to the recovery effect provides recrystallization nuclei in the early stage of annealing, after which both continuous and discontinuous recrystallization nuclei are observed near deformation twin boundaries and original high-angle grain boundaries. Afterwards, grains with a tilting angle of 30° from the transverse direction grow abnormally, replacing the deformed grains, deformation twins, and part of some recrystallized grains. In addition, some twins can grow into the adjacent grains while de-twinning also occurs depending on twin orientations during thermal restoration.

High corrosion resistance of nanograined and nanotwinned Al0.1CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy processed by high-pressure torsion

This study examines the corrosion resistance of ultrafine-grained Al0.1CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy processed by high-pressure torsion (HPT), focusing on stored energy, diffusion, and the high-entropy effect. Microstructural analysis revealed a single-phase FCC structure with numerous defects and reduced crystallite size following the HPT process. Samples with higher HPT turns formed high-angle grain boundaries, equiaxed nanograins, and numerous nanotwins, contributing to a notable increase in Vickers microhardness from 159 Hv for the initial sample to 550 Hv after 5 turns of HPT. Corrosion behavior is found to be influenced by stored energy and chromium diffusion. Low HPT turns increased the corrosion rate due to sluggish diffusion of chromium and high stored energy in the form of dislocations. Conversely, corrosion resistance improved with increased HPT turns due to fast diffusion through non-equilibrium grain boundaries and the formation of nanotwins with lower stored energy. These findings suggest that a relatively low entropy plays a critical role in the chromium segregation from the solid solution for forming a passive film and enhancing corrosion resistance.

Effects of Cr and Ni addition on critical crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) and supercritical CO2 corrosion resistance of high-strength low-alloy steel (HSLAs)

The effects of Cr and Ni content on the low-temperature toughness and supercritical CO2 corrosion resistance of high-strength low-alloy steel (HSLAs) were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope, electron backscattered diffraction, transmission electron microscope, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, electron probe X-ray micro-analyzer, critical crack tip opening displacement, and supercritical CO2 corrosion experiments. In this study, the complex structure of high-strength low-alloy steel is identified and quantified, and related to the critical crack tip opening displacement (CTOD). The further addition of Ni and Cr promotes the formation of granular bainite (GB) and martensite-austenite (MA). The proportion of high-angle grain boundaries in the GB structure is small and does not significantly hinder crack expansion, while MA frequently leads to the initiation and expansion of cracks, deteriorating the low-temperature toughness of the material. Supercritical CO2 corrosion experiments displayed that further addition of Cr and Ni will improve the density and protection of corrosion products. But high-density dislocations will destroy the integrity of the lattice structure of the material and may serve as diffusion channels to affect the formation of the passivation layer and repair. Moreover, dislocation-dense areas are more likely to capture impurity elements, forming a micro-battery effect and accelerating local corrosion. This reduces the extent to which Cr and Ni alloy elements improve the corrosion resistance of HSLA steel.

Study on hot deformation behavior and recrystallization mechanism of an Al-6.3Zn-2.5Mg-2.6Cu-0.11Zr alloy based on machine learning

The data from thermal simulation plays a significant role in understanding the deformation behavior and deformation mechanisms of materials, and provides guidance for the design of hot deformation processes. In this paper, thermal simulation experiments were performed on an Al-6.3Zn-2.5Mg-2.6Cu-0.11Zr alloy, and the microstructure after hot deformation were characterized by Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) technique. The thermal simulation data and microstructural characteristics were analyzed and studied using machine learning technique: the Backpropagation Artificial Neural Network (BP-ANN) method, correlation analysis and K-means clustering analysis. A model for predicting not only flow stress but also dislocation density was established using the BP-ANN method, which exhibits good prediction accuracy. The R² and AARE values are 90.19 % and 6.87 % for the prediction of dislocation density, and are 98.67 % and 6.96 % for the prediction of flow stress. Subsequently, correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between energy dissipation efficiency η and deformation parameters as well as microstructural characteristics, revealing that energy dissipation rate is correlated positively with the content of dynamical recrystallization (DRX) and high angle grain boundary (coefficients of 0.90 and 0.82) and negatively with the dislocation density and the Zener-Hollomon parameter (coefficients of −0.98 and −0.97). Additionally, K-means clustering analysis was applied to study the relationship between the energy dissipation efficiency and softening mechanisms, it was found that the softening mechanisms changed with the variation of η value, dynamic recovery (DV), geometric DRX (GDRX) and continuous DRX (CDRX) dominated when η>0.38; DV, CDRX and discontinuous DRX(DDRX) dominated when 0.28<η<0.38; DV dominated when η<0.28. The results show that machine learning techniques are useful tools in mining thermal simulation data, and more information can be obtained than traditional data mining methods.

Unraveling microstructure evolution induced mechanical responses in coaxial fiber-diode laser hybrid welded Fe–36Ni Invar alloy

Invar alloys, renowned for its ultra-low coefficient of thermal expansion, are qualified for widespread use in aerospace applications. This study explores the utilization of fiber-diode laser hybrid welding in Fe–36Ni Invar alloy, specifically focusing on addressing the undesirable microstructure and properties arising from unstable molten pool and high-temperature gradient encountered during single fiber laser welding. Experimental and simulation analyses were conducted to systematically explore the influence of diode laser power on the microstructure evolution and mechanical responses of fiber-diode hybrid laser welded Invar alloy joints. Results indicate that the addition of diode laser could notably widen the keyhole opening and improve the molten pool stability. An acceleration of dynamic recrystallization is observed in the weld seam, with a significant increase in high-angle grain boundaries, which account for over 90 % of the total. Moreover, with increasing diode laser power, temperature gradient decreases, leading to the formation of numerous equiaxed grains. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) results demonstrate a considerable enhancement in the intensity of the γ texture, particularly the {111}<110> texture. Comparatively, fiber-diode laser hybrid welding exhibits superior plasticity and tensile strength over single fiber laser welding, with a tensile strength reaching 493.1 MPa. The research findings presented here provide essential theoretical foundations and technical guidance for enhancing the quality of Invar alloy weld joints and facilitating the broader application of fiber-diode laser hybrid welding in the future.

Intercritically Annealed Medium-Manganese Steel: Insights into Microstructural and Microtextural Evolution, Strain Distribution, and Grain Boundary Characteristics.

Aluminum-incorporated medium-manganese steel (MMnS) has potential for lightweight transport applications owing to its impressive mechanical properties. Increasing the austenite volume fraction and making microstructural changes are key to manufacturing MMnS. However, the grain boundary character and strain distribution of intercritically annealed low-density MMnS have not been extensively scrutinized, and the effects of crystallographic texture orientation on tensile properties remain ambiguous. Therefore, in this study, the microstructure, microtexture, strain distribution, and grain boundary characteristics of a hot-rolled medium-Mn steel (Fe-0.2 C-4.3 Al-9.4 Mn (wt%)) were investigated after intercritical annealing (IA) at 750, 800, or 850 °C for 1 h. The results show that the 800 °C annealed sample exhibited the highest austenite volume fraction among the specimens (60%). The duplex microstructure comprised lath-type γ-austenite, fine α-ferrite, and coarse δ-ferrite. As the IA temperature increased, the body-centered cubic phase orientation shifted from <001> to <111>. At higher temperatures, the face-centered cubic phase was oriented in directions ranging from <101> to <111>, and the sums of the fractions of high-angle grain boundaries and coincidence-site-lattice special boundaries were significantly increased. The 800 °C annealed sample with a high austenite content and strong γ-fiber {111}//RD orientation demonstrated a noteworthy tensile strength (1095 MPa) and tensile elongation (30%).