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In the current research, a complex microstructure and crystallographic data were developed through quenching and partitioning (Q&P) process to improve tensile properties of commercial pearlitic carbon-silicon steel. Two-stage Q&P process, including full austenitization, quenching at 220 °C, followed by two different partitioning temperatures, was applied to the as-received specimen to generate a complex microstructure composed of tempered martensite, bainite, ultrafine carbides/martensite-austenite/retained austenite particles. Microstructure and crystallographic data were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), and X-ray diffraction techniques. Then, hardness and tensile properties were evaluated to confirm the improvement of mechanical properties. Dilatation-temperature curves exhibited the kinetics of martensitic and bainitic transformation during quenching and isothermal partitioning stages. The presence of nano-carbide particles inside athermal martensite was confirmed by electron microscopy due to the pre-formed martensite carbon depletion during the partitioning stage coupled with bainitic transformation. The formation of preferential atomic-compact direction in BCC (martensite/bainite) plates characterized by EBSD, could enhance ductility by providing adequate slip systems. Point-to-point misorientation analyses demonstrated a slight dominance of low angle boundaries proportion in bainitic dominance structure in Q&P-220-375 specimen, which could be used in phase characterization. Results revealed that the development of nanoscale carbide dispersed in refined bainite/martensite matrix boosted the yield and ultimate tensile strength by over 100% and 110% compared to the initial pearlitic microstructure. However, ductility reduced to half value in Q&P-220-325 and Q&P-220-375 specimens.

A sheet-shaped austenitic stainless steel (ASS) was processed by one ECASE pass. In this way, larger deformations were introduced close to the sheet edge vicinities, while the middle zone remained less affected by the deformation. The heterogeneous deformation produced larger amounts of deformation induced martensite (DIM) at the sheet edges, resulting in a heterogeneous structure along the sheet thickness. Tensile tests revealed that after the deformation process the material increased its yield strength more than 3 times from 200 MPa in its initial state to ~690 MPa after one ECASE pass. Tensile tests for the processed material in different zones of sheet thickness revealed the existence of two types of materials, one more resistant and less ductile (near the edges) and other more ductile, but less resistant (in the middle zone). Because of the heterogeneity, higher dislocation densities were found in the edges than in the middle of the sheet, giving rise to a plastic deformation gradient in which the region near the edge is capable of withstanding greater plastic deformations by generating a plastic instability as soon as the deformation starts. Through a rule of mixtures, it was found that the greatest strength contribution of the heterogeneous material came from the dislocations on the bcc martensite developed near the sheet edges.

The fatigue crack growth behavior of an austenitic metastable stainless steel AISI 301LN in the Paris region is investigated in this work. The fatigue crack growth rate curves are evaluated in terms of different parameters such as the range of stress intensity factor Delta K, the effective stress intensity factor Delta K-eff, and the two driving force parameter proposed by Kujawski K*.; The finite element method is used to calculate the stress intensity factor of the specimens used in this investigation. The new stress intensity factor solution has been proved to be an alternative to explain contradictory results found in the literature.; Fatigue crack propagation tests have been carried out on thin sheets with two different microstructural conditions and different load ratios. The influence of microstructural and mechanical variables has been analyzed using different mechanisms proposed in the literature. The influence of the compressive residual stress induced by the martensitic transformation is determined by using a model based on the proposal of McMeeking et al. The analyses demonstrate the necessity of including K-max as a true driving force for the fatigue crack growth. A combined parameter is proposed to explain the effects of different variables on the fatigue crack growth rate curves. It is found that along with residual stresses, the microcracks and microvoids are other factor affecting the fatigue crack growth rate in the steel studied. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.