Microstructural study of thermally aged duplex stainless steel deformation and fracture modes

The aim of this work is to study the micro mechanisms of deformation and rupture of an austeno ferritic stainless steel (Z 3 CND 22-10 M) with 33 % of ferrite. It is studied after ageing 1 000 h at 400 deg. C and 8 000 h at 350 deg. C and compared to the 'as received' state. During ageing the ferritic phase undergoes microstructural evolutions which affects its properties. The two ageing treatments lead to roughly the same level of embrittlement. Microstructural characterisation shows that both phases percolate and exhibit orientation relationships close to Kurdjumov-Sachs ones. Mechanical properties of the steel were characterised for different ageing treatments at room temperature and at 320 deg. C. The interface is particularly strong and ensures the load transfer to ferrite even if this phase contains cleavage cracks. Moreover the interface does not oppose slip transmission which is instead controlled by localised glide in the ferritic phase. If activated slip systems of austenite are common with ferrite, slip transmission from austenite to ferrite indeed occurs through the=e interface. If they are not common, dislocations cross-slip back into the austenite. At 320 deg. C cross-slip occurs even far from the interface. Damage starts by nucleation in ferrite of cleavage cracks which propagate between austenite islands. Crack propagation is controlled by stretching of austenite ligaments. The material breaks by ductile tearing of austenite islands when the crack eventually percolates in the ferritic phase. The ductility of the material can be correctly describer using a simple model that takes into account the tearing-off the ductile-phase. (author)