Effects of plastic deformation on austenite transformation in Fe-1.93Mn-0.07Ni-1.96Cr-0.35Mo ultra-high strength steel during continuous cooling

Dynamic continuous cooling-transformation (D-CCT) diagram is an essential research method to predict mechanical properties of ultra-high strength steel (UHSS) before material processing. In this study, D-CCT diagrams of Fe-1.93Mn-0.07Ni-1.96Cr-0.35Mo at different cooling rates of 0.5–15 °C s⁻¹ were plotted by a combined method of dilatometry and metallography. Influences of deformation on microstructure, transformation behavior, and carbon diffusion were elucidated. Proeutectoid ferrite transformation behavior was discussed in detail based on strain induced nucleation kinetics. When the cooling rate increased above 1 °C s⁻¹, the initial austenite grains were divided into blocks by newly forming complex microstructures, which were mainly consisted of martensite (M), bainite (B), deformation induced ferrite (DIF) and retained austenite (RA). Moreover, the decrease of proeutectoid ferrite and the increase of granular bainite (GB) resulted in the strength increased linearly at the cooling rate of 0.25–2 °C s⁻¹. Increasing cooling rate has a remarkable effect on the tensile strength of the UHSS up to 1 °C s⁻¹. Further increase in the cooling rate from 1 to 15 °C s⁻¹, the results showed a relatively small effect on the intensity value. Besides, carbon diffusion from α-phase (face-centered-cubic microstructure) in DIF can enhance the stability of γ-phase (body-centered cubic microstructure) and delay the transformation of γ-phase to GB. Furthermore, attributed to the diffusion path of carbon decreases, the proeutectoid ferrite transformation was restrained, and γ-phases were transformed into GB as raising the cooling rate. (paper)