Effects of aging treatment and W addition on the microstructure of Fe-Cr-Mn stainless steels

The effects of aging treatment on the precipitaion behaviors of Fe-Cr-Mn-W stainless steels were studied using a transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and XRD. In the austenitic stainless steel showing a single phase, M23C6 carbides were first precipitated in the grain boundary by aging and then grew from grain boundary into grain with aging time. Carbides showed lamellar structures. It was shown from the analysis of spot patterns that carbides had a coherent relation with matrix and their lattice parameter was roughly three times that of austenite. During initial stages of M23C6 carbide precipitaion, the iron content was quite high. With increasing aging time, the chromium content increased. As the tungsten was added to improve the corrosion resistance of the Fe-Cr-Mn stainless steels, ferrite phase was formed. These ferrite phase was decomposed to chi(χ) phase and secondary austenite. Chi phase was mainly enriched with tungsten, chromium and tungsten were depleted in the secondary austenite due to the formation of chi phase. M23C6 carbides were also formed in the grain boundary. Nickel stabilized the austenite phase and decreased the ferrite volume fraction. But nickel content was not sufficient to suppress the formation of ferrite, and precipitaion behaviors were not changed