Mechanical behaviour of aged and not prestrained high nitrogen austenitic stainless steels

This paper deals with the effects of the discontinuous precipitation of Cr2N on the mechanisms of deformation and fracture, and therefore on the hardness and room temperature tensile properties of an Fe-18Cr-19Mn-0.9N alloy. The cells of precipitation cause a moderate strengthening and a marked embrittlement. The precipitation hardening arises from dislocations bowing between precipitates. The twinning of interlamellar austenite is an efficient cause of embrittlement. (orig.)