Preperation of carbide-free bainitic steels for EBSD investigations

Carbide-free bainitic steels are composed of bainitic ferrite laths, which are separated by films and larger islands of austenite, which is stabilized by carbon enrichment. Due to their multi-phase microstructure, the preparation of such steels for a characterization by means of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) represents a challenge. Attention must particularly be paid to prevent the transformation of the retained austenite to martensite during the preparation. This study compares the sample preparation by vibratory polishing using different suspensions to the electrolytic preparation. During vibratory polishing, it must be ensured that very little force is applied in order to prevent the metastable austenite from transforming. No influence of the different suspensions could be found. Electropolishing with a voltage of 40 V for 10 s at 23 C is well suited for microstructural investigations. However, the surface relief is too pronounced for EBSD analyses. OP-U polishing for 15 min subsequent to electropolishing accomplishes the best results.