Effect of Aging Treatment on the Sensitization of Fe-Cr-Mn-N Stainless Steels

In this work, the effects of aging treatment on the precipitation and mechanical properties of Fe-Cr-Mn-N stainless steels were studied. Experimental alloys were designed by the change of Creq/Nieq ratio, and two kinds of alloys having a austenitic phase and a duplex(austenite + ferrite) phase were manufactured. Optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and XRD were used to identify the precipitates formed by aging treatment. Mechanical properties were measured using techniques of a hardness test, a tensile test, and an impact test. In austenitic Fe-Cr-Mn-N steel, carbide and/or nitride were first precipitated in grain boundary by aging and then the increased aging time made intragranular precipitations which showed lamellar structures and grew from grain boundary into grain. Hardness, yield strength, and tensile strength were slightly increased, and the elongation and impact energy were largely decreased by aging treatment. However, duplex stainless steel showed the ferrite decomposition to sigma phase and austenite Il phase as like in case of Fe-Cr-Ni steels. In case of duplex Fe-Cr-Mn-N steels, the effects of aging treatment on the hardness, yield strength, and tensile strength were relatively small, but its effects were strong on the decrease of elongation and impact energy