Effect of the heating rate on the microstructure of a ferritic ODS steel with four oxide formers (Y-Ti-Al-Zr) consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS)

Highlights: • The uneven features of milled powder provides a bimodal grain size distribution when the ODS is processed by SPS technique. • The major strengthening mechanism is the dislocation density in the processed material. • Faster heating rates provide optimum microstructural characteristics attaining a better response of mechanical properties. • SPS consolidation can give equivalent materials that those processed by traditional consolidation method such as HIP or HE. - Abstract: The proposed ODS ferritic steel alloyed with (Y-Ti-Zr-Al) was produced by mechanical alloying (MA) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) to obtain a complex nanostructure. To densify the material, a sintering cycle by SPS was performed at 1100 °C using fast heating rates (from 100 to 600 °C/min). During the attrition of MA powders, the uneven distribution of deformation level and of alloying elements has produced an inhomogeneous recrystallization during the consolidation step. Influence of processing condition was studied by modifying the heating rate of SPS to promote a heterogeneous material with bimodal grain size distribution. The final microstructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). The mechanical behaviour at R.T. was characterized by means of the Vickers microhardness and micro tensile tests. The good balance obtained between ductility (∼22–26%) and yield stress (800–910 MPa) at room temperature is provided by the bimodal grain size distribution. To predict the experimental values depending on the processing conditions, a yield strength model is presented. This model covers the contribution of different strengthening mechanism from solid solution, grain size, dislocation density and oxides precipitation. The model indicates the dislocation density as the major strengthening contribution. In addition, small punch (SP) tests were performed to analyse the response of the material at high temperatures where remarkable properties have been achieved.