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We study the effect of grain size of austenitic and ferritic phases and volume fraction of δ-ferrite, which were obtained in different solution-treatment regimes (at 1050, 1100, 1150 and 1200 °C), on hydrogen embrittlement of high-nitrogen steel (HNS). The amount of dissolved hydrogen is similar for the specimens with different densities of interphase (γ-austenite/δ-ferrite) and intergranular (γ-austenite/γ-austenite, δ-ferrite/δ-ferrite) boundaries. Despite, the susceptibility of the specimens to hydrogen embrittlement, depth of the hydrogen-assisted surface layers, hydrogen transport during tensile tests and mechanisms of the hydrogen-induced brittle fracture all depend on grain size and ferrite content. The highest hydrogen embrittlement index IH = 32%, the widest hydrogen-affected layer and a pronounced solid-solution hardening by hydrogen atoms is typical of the specimens with the lowest fraction of the boundaries. Even though fast hydrogen transport via coarse ferritic grains provides longer diffusion paths during H-changing, the width of the H-affected surface layer in the dual-phase structure of the HNS specimens is mainly determined by the hydrogen diffusivity in austenite. In tension, hydrogen transport with dislocations increases with the decrease in density of boundaries due to the longer dislocation free path, but stress-assisted diffusion transport does not depend on grain size and ferrite fraction. The contribution from intergranular fracture increases with an increase in the density of intergranular and interphase boundaries.

Introduction. The development of hydrogen energy implies a decrease in the dependence of various human activities on fossil energy sources and a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere. Therefore, the requirements for the quality of structural materials, which have the prospect of being used for storage and transportation of hydrogen, as well as for the creation of infrastructure facilities for hydrogen energy, are increasing. Therefore, the scientific researches on the hydrogen-assisted microstructure and mechanical behavior of structural materials in various loading schemes are of great importance. The aim of this work is to establish the effect of chemical-deformation treatment, including rolling combined with hydrogen saturation, on the microstructure, phase composition, and mechanical properties of 316L-type austenitic stainless steel. Methods. Transmission electron microscopy and backscattered electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, X-ray phase and magnetic phase analysis, microindentation and uniaxial static tension are utilized. Results and Discussion. It is shown experimentally that after rolling with 25 and 50 % upset, the morphology of the defect structure and the phase composition of 316L steel substantially depends on the deformation temperature (at room temperature or with the cooling of the samples in the liquid nitrogen) and on hydrogen saturation rate (for 5 hours at a current density of 200 mA/cm2). The main deformation mechanisms of the steel in rolling are slip, twinning, and microlocalization of plastic flow, which all provide the formation of ultrafine grain-subgrain structure in the samples. In addition, deformation-induced ε and α' martensitic phases are formed in the structure of the rolled samples. Regardless of the regime of chemical-deformation processing, grain-subgrain structures with a high density of deformation defects are formed in steel, but its morphologies are dependent on the processing regime. The experimental data indicate that both preliminary hydrogen saturation and a decrease in the deformation temperature contribute to the more active development of mechanical twinning and deformation-induced phase transformations during rolling. Despite the discovered effects on the influence of hydrogen saturation on the deformation mechanisms and the morphology of a defective microstructure formed during rolling, preliminary hydrogenation has little effect on the mechanical properties of steel at a fixed degree and temperature of deformation. These data indicate that irrespective of the morphology of the defective grain-subgrain structure, grain refinement, accumulation of deformation defects and an increase in internal stresses lead to an increase in the strength characteristics of the steel.

The features of crack formation near the fracture region and the fracture micromechanism are investigated during uniaxial tension of specimens of Ni–Cr stainless steels, Fe–19Cr–9Ni–0.1C and Fe–19Cr–9Ni–1.4Nb–0.1C, produced by the method of 3D wire-feed electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) as a function of the phase composition and phase distribution in the structure. It is found out that in the specimens with a twophase (austenite/δ-ferrite) microstructure the ferrite morphology and its volume content (up 25%) affect the plastic shear distribution in austenite and ferrite and exert a slight influence on the formation of strain localization micro- and macrobands in the pre-fracture stage, and the crack-formation mechanism is similar to that observed in cast stainless steels of similar compositions, which possess single-phase austenitic structure. In additively-manufactured steel containing niobium the formation of brittle niobium- and iron-based intermetallic phases favors the formation of pores and microcracks at the austenite/NbFeCrNi-phase or the δ- ferrite/NbFeCrNi-phase interfaces, while the processes of cracking in the strain localization bands (and their formation) turn out to be suppressed. Irrespective of the elemental and phase compositions of steel specimensformed by the method of 3D additive manufacturing, the principal micromechanism of their fracture, transgranular dimple fracture, is similar to that observed in the cast specimens of austenitic stainless steels.

The paper is devoted to an experimental investigation of a high-temperature deformation in V-alloyed high-nitrogen austenitic Fe-19Cr-22Mn-1.5V-0.3C-0.6N steel processed via different thermo-mechanical treatments. Simple thermo-mechanical processing regimes (cold rolling or rolling with single post-deformation anneal) do not allow to realize a substantial elongation in high-nitrogen steel during high-temperature tensile tests. For fine-grained austenitic structure with an average grain size of 3 µm, the maximal value of elongation to failure of 150% was realized at temperature 950 °C. Using a multi-stage thermo-mechanical treatment included cold rolling and intermediate anneals, a heterophase grain/subgrain structure with high density of deformation-induced defects and precipitates was produced. When heated to a deformation temperature, this deformation-assisted microstructure recrystallizes into a stable fine-grained structure and demonstrates the attributes of superplastic flow (values of elongation to failure higher than 400%) in the temperature range of 850-1000 °C. The maximum elongation of 900% is achieved at temperature of 950 °C and an initial strain rate of 10-4 s-1.

This paper describes the results of an investigation into a microstructure formation on a wire-feed electron beam additive manufactured “steel–copper” bimetallic sample. The peculiarities of a gradient zone structure with a smooth change of components’ concentration are revealed. The heterogeneity of copper and steel distribution in the gradient zone is provided by copper solidification and precipitation mechanisms. Both solidification of coarse copper inclusions in the interdendrite areas or along the dendrite boundaries and precipitation of fine Cu-based particles at the cooling stage from the solid solution of Cu in γ-Fe are the main factors of structure formation during the double wire gradient zone deposition. The presence of such fine copper precipitates from the supersaturated solid solution was revealed by means of transmission electron microscopy. The shape of copper particles in the gradient zone varies from spherical to oblong and irregular. The shape of steel particles and/or grains is mainly determined by the peculiarities of the crystallization zone and is characterized by the primary crystallization of γ-iron dendrites from the liquid melt. A physical scheme describing a variation in phase composition and microstructure in gradient zone of the bimetallic specimen was proposed.

A billet of an AISI 304-type austenitic stainless steel has been built using a wire-feed electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) in a layer-by-layer strategy. A microstructure, grain boundary assemble, phase composition and tensile properties of steel billet have been investigated in as-built specimens and after post-built solid-solution treatment. As-built austenitic stainless steel is a highly anisotropic heterophase material with high fraction of interphase boundaries (austenite/ferrite) and intergranular boundaries (austenite/austenite). A macroscopically inhomogeneous (layered) structure with columnar austenitic grain growth has been produced during EBAM processing. The coarse-grained austenitic structure contains δ-ferrite of dendritic morphology in as-built specimens. Ductility and strength properties of the additively manufactured steel show substantial anisotropy, which is strongly correlated with macro- and microstructural peculiarities of the as-built billet. Post-built solid-solution treatment decreases a volume fraction of ferrite in the microstructure, changes the morphology of ferrite phase and, therefore, varies the distribution of interphase boundaries (ferrite/austenite). The effect of post-built solid-solution treatment on tensile properties of the EBAM manufactured steel is discussed taking into account a change in microstructure and phase composition, grain and phase boundary distribution in the specimens.

Nitrogen alloying of austenitic steels increases their corrosion resistance and improves mechanical properties. During heat treatment, high-nitrogen austenitic steels tend to the precipitation hardening and the increase of strength characteristics. In the current paper, the authors studied the effect of the duration of age-hardening at the temperatures of 700 °С and 800 °С on the structure, phase composition, plastic flow behavior, and fracture mechanisms of V-alloyed high nitrogen chrome-manganese austenitic Fe-19Cr-22Mn-1.5V-0.3C-0.86N (mass %) steel. The study revealed that after water-quenching at 1200 °С, the specimens possess the high strength properties, ductility and contain large (300-500 nm) (V,Cr)(N,C) particles. Aging at temperatures of 700 °С and 800 °С facilitates complex reactions of austenite discontinuous decomposition with the Cr 2 N-plate formation in grains and continuous decomposition with the formation of vanadium nitride-based particles in austenite. During the long-term aging (50 h at 700 °C and 10 h at 800 °C), the intermetallic σ-phase appears in specimens. At age-hardening, the observed phase transformations cause the changes in macro- and micro-mechanism of fracture in the specimens of steel under the study. In the initial state, the specimens show mainly the ductile transgranular fracture. After age-hardening, the fracture mechanism changes into the mixed mechanism with the elements of brittle intergranular and ductile transgranular fractures. When increasing the duration of aging and implementation of complex reactions of decomposition of solid solution, the specimens are fractured by the quasi-cleavage mechanism. The specimens aged at temperatures of 700 °С and 800 °С have quite similar precipitation hardening mechanisms, though the increase in aging temperature leads to the rising of the decomposition rate of solid solution. The sequence of transformations described above and the corresponding sequence of changes in the mechanisms of steel fracture are implemented faster when increasing the aging temperature.

The authors studied the effect of duration of age hardening at the temperature of 700 °C on the microstructure, phase composition and microhardness of high-nitrogen Fe-23Cr-17Mn-0.1C-0.6N (wt. %) steel. The study showed that age hardening at the temperature of 700 °C for half an hour causes the complex of phase transformations: the decomposition of δ-ferrite (with the formation of σ-phase and austenite) and the formation of cells of discontinuous decomposition on the austenitic grains boundaries (the formation of particles based on the chromium nitride Cr 2 N and the depletion of austenite by interstitials). After age hardening for more than 10 hours, besides the discontinuous decomposition of austenitic grains, a homogeneous (continuous) precipitation of chromium nitride occurs in those austenitic grains, which have not undergone discontinuous decomposition in the initial stages of aging. With an increase in the aging duration up to 50 hours, the authors observed the growth of decomposition cells in austenitic grains and the formation of mixed structure. Such structure consisted of austenite grains, which underwent discontinuous decomposition with the formation of lamellar precipitations of chromium nitride in austenite; austenitic grains with the dispersed particles formed by the mechanism of continuous decomposition; and the grains with σ-phase, chromium nitrides, and austenite formed as a result of the high-temperature ferrite decomposition during aging. The aging caused the increase in the microhardness, which value depends on the mechanism of precipitation hardening - continuous or discontinuous decomposition in austenite or the precipitation of intermetallic σ-phase and chromium nitrides plates in the grains of high-temperature ferrite.

One of the main issues of austenitic stainless steel is low strength properties and low wear-resistance. It can be partially or fully eliminated by the product surface modification and the creation of hardened surface layers. The ion-plasma saturation of alloys with interstitials, which is carried out in a mixture of gases with different compositions is an available and effective method of surface hardening of complex structural parts. At the same time, the mechanical and plastic characteristics of the processed materials are determined by the complex of properties of the base alloy and the hardened surface, and it is not always possible to identify their influence on the mechanical and plastic properties of each component of the composite material. The nanoindentation method allows determining local mechanical and plastic characteristics in certain areas of hardened materials (base alloy and surface) by the dynamic loading of the local microscopic areas. In this paper, using the nanoindentation method, the authors identified the mechanical and plastic characteristics of hardened layers produced by the ion-plasma treatment of austenitic 01H17N13M3 stainless steel with the grain-subgrain and coarse-grain structures. The ion-plasma treatment of steel specimens facilitates surface hardening and the formation of a composite surface layer of ≈20-25 μm in thickness. High values of nano-hardness in a composite layer are caused by the complex hardening of specimens: solid-solution hardening of austenite with nitrogen and carbon, the dispersion hardening and the formation of different nitrides and carbonitrides and the ferrite low fraction. The experimental results show that the strength properties and plasticity characteristics of such a layer strongly depend on the base material initial microstructure - the formation of a highly-defective grain-subgrain structure promotes the formation of a more enforced surface layer compared to the coarse-grained specimens.

In the present paper, the microstructure of heterogeneous material bimetal compound fabricated by wire-feed electron-beam additive technology from CrNiTi stainless steel and С11000 copper has been investigated. The bimetallic compound is characterized by the well-defined interface between the two materials and possesses two-phase transition areas on both sides of the interface. The heterogeneity of strength properties (microhardness) in the transition zones is associated with a solid solution hardening of the bimetal basis components and formation of composite structures in the transition zone of the bimetal: spherical inclusions of steel in the copper part and copper inclusions in the steel section. In the copper part of the bimetal sample, a heterogeneous grain structure is formed – areas with macroscale non-equiaxed grain structure and zones with spherical grains were observed. The heterogeneity of grain structure does not have significant influence on the yield strength, but affects the macroscopic deformation pattern of the bimetal copper part, as has been revealed by microstructural analysis of slip traces and grain structure calculated using the Hall–Petch relationship.

The effect of age-hardening regime on peculiarities of hydrogen-assisted fracture and tensile properties in two high-nitrogen Fe-23Cr-17Mn-0.1C-0.6N and Fe-19Cr-22Mn-1.5V-0.3C-0.9N steels was studied. A large number of intergranular (austenite/austenite) and interphase boundaries (austenite/coarse particle) provides high fraction of trapping sites for hydrogen atoms in V-alloyed steel. This leads to a change in fracture regime from transgranular brittle mode in coarse-grained V-free steel to intergranular brittle fracture of hydrogen-assisted surface layers in fine-grained V-alloyed steel with coarse (V,Cr)(N,C) particles. The formation of cells (Cr 2 (N,C) particles and austenite) along the grain boundaries due to discontinuous precipitate-hardening reaction facilitates predominantly interphase hydrogen-assisted fracture for both steels. The complex reaction of the particle-strengthening mechanisms including discontinuous precipitation with formation of austenite/Cr 2 (N,C)-plates interfaces or homogeneous nucleation of coherent (V,Cr)(N,C) particles in austenite (age-hardening regime 700 °C, 10 h) promotes mainly transgranular cleavage-like fracture mode under hydrogen-charging. The structural scheme is proposed to describe a change in hydrogen-assisted fracture micromechanisms and tensile properties of the steels with different density and distribution of interphase and intergranular boundaries.

The paper studies the effect of electrolytic hydrogen charging on the plastic flow, strength properties, ductility, and fracture mechanisms in austenitic stainless steels Cr17Ni13Mo3C0.01, Cr18Ni10TiC0.12, and Cr18Ni9C0.17 with different stacking fault energies. The investigated steels are subjected to warm ABC-pressing and thermomechanical processing, including cold rolling and annealing, to produce the ultrafine-grained structure of different morphologies, such as ultrafine-grained (submicrocrystalline), misoriented grain-subgrain and mixed (grain and subgrain) structures of submicron scale. The strength properties of the steels after warm pressing and rolling with annealing exceed 3.5–6.0 times the properties of the quenched steels with coarse-grained structure. Electrolytic hydrogen charging of the studied steels with submicron-sized structure reduces the yield strength irrespective of the grain/subgrain size, structure, steel composition, and its stacking fault energy. The formation of a highly defective grain-subgrain structure with high dislocation density suppresses the effect of hydrogen embrittlement in Cr17Ni13Mo3C0.01 and Cr18Ni10TiC0.12 steels, in which no or a small volume fraction of strain-induced α′ martensite forms in tension. The tempering of the highly defective structure and the formation of a large fraction of high-angle misorientations in the stable Cr17Ni13Mo3C0.01 steel enhances the effect of hydrogen embrittlement in the specimens as compared to the specimens with a grain-subgrain structure with a high density of dislocations and low-angle boundaries. The hydrogen embrittlement effects are most pronounced in ultrafine-grained (submicrocrystalline) Cr18Ni10TiC0.12 and Cr18Ni9C0.17 steels with predominantly grain structure, which undergo induced γ→α′ phase transformation.

A study on elemental composition, phase composition, microstructure, nanohardness and fracture micromechanisms of the surface layers obtained by ion-plasma treatment of a stable CrNiMo austenitic stainless steel with different initial microstructures has been carried out. In cold-rolled specimens, containing a high dislocation density and deformation-induced low- and high-angle boundaries and possessing structural elements of 330 nm in size, interstitial concentration (carbon and nitrogen) is much higher than that for cold-rolled and annealed specimens with a similar size of structural elements. After ion-plasma treatment, a surface nanohardness of the pre-deformed specimens is higher by 8 GPa than one for specimens annealed after cold rolling. Deformation-assisted microstructure accumulates carbon more likely than nitrogen under ion-plasma treatment. These results provide experimental support for decisive role of high dislocation density and deformation-assisted well-developed microstructure in accumulation and bulk diffusion of interstitials under ion-plasma treatment of steel.

Using thermal-mechanical treatments, specimens with different grain sizes were produced for two Cr-Ni-based austenitic stainless steels with different stacking fault energies (analogues of AISI 316L and AISI 321 steels). The effect of strain-rate on the tensile deformation behavior and strength properties was evaluated for these steels. In given grain size interval, (3–73)μm for 316 steel and (0.2–32)μm for 321 steel, the yield strength σ 0.2 varies with grain size D in accordance with Hall-Petch relationship σ 0.2 = σ 0 + k H P D − 1 / 2 . The Hall-Petch coefficient kHP depends on steel composition (stacking fault energy) and possesses higher value for 321 steel as compared to 316 steel. Increase in strain-rate in the interval of 1.0 × 10−4 s−1 to 1.0 × 10−2 s−1 causes growth in stress σ0, but weakly changes coefficient kHP in Hall-Petch relationship: 322–327 MPa × m0.5 for 316 steel and 404–413 MPa × m0.5 for 321 steel. The strain-rate dependence of the constants in Hall-Petch relationship was discussed in terms of deformation mechanism and dislocation arrangement in both steels.

Tensile properties, work-hardening, microstructure and fracture mechanisms were studied in two vanadium-containing high-nitrogen austenitic steels, Fe-19Cr-21Mn-1.3V-0.22C-0.81N and Fe-17Cr-10Mn-7Ni-1.0V-0.09C-0.65N, in low-temperature deformation regime. Vanadium-alloying provides several concurrent effects – decreases a solid solution hardening in the steels (softening effect) due to formation of nitrides(carbonitrides), causes precipitate hardening by vanadium-based particles (hardening effect) and suppresses grain growth during solid solution treatment (hardening effect). The yield stresses at room temperature deformation and 77 K-deformation are analyzed taking into account the contributions from these softening/hardening mechanisms. As a result of complex hardening and softening effects, both steels possess high tensile properties, show striking temperature dependences of the yield strength, an ultimate tensile strength and an elongation (the ultimate tensile strength and elongation at 77 K reaches 2600 MPa and 14% for Fe-19Cr-21Mn-1.3V-0.22C-0.81N steel) in low-temperature deformation regime. Striking temperature dependence of the yield strength for particle-containing steels is in accordance with deformation behavior of high-nitrogen particle-free steels with high solid-solution strengthening. In spite of similarities in temperature dependence of strength properties and deformation mechanisms with precipitate-free high-nitrogen steels, V-containing steels do not undergo ductile-to-brittle transition during deformation at cryogenic temperatures and they fracture in ductile manner even during tensile deformation at 77 K. Deformation microstructures at different strain levels and test temperatures are studied in order to reveal the dominating structural parameters responsible for fracture micromechanisms. Despite the activation of mechanical twinning and planar dislocation slip as dominating deformation mechanisms during tension at 77 K, precipitate-hardened high-nitrogen steels show rather high elongation values of 14–15% and ductile fracture with dimple micromechanism. Vanadium-based precipitates of ≈ 300 nm in diameter do not cause strong precipitate hardening, but strongly influence dislocation arrangement and suppress low-temperature brittle fracture in high-nitrogen austenitic steels.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is among the novel industrial technologies for fast prototyping of complex parts made from different constructional and functional materials. This review is focused on phase composition of additively manufactured chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steels. Being produced by conventional methods, they typically have single-phase austenitic structure, but phase composition of the steels could vary in AM. Comprehensive analysis of recent studies shows that, depending on AM technique, chemical composition, and AM process parameters, additively manufactured austenitic stainless steels could be characterized by both single-phase austenitic and multiphase structures (austenite, ferrite, σ-phase, and segregations of alloying elements). Presence of ferrite and other phases in AM steels strongly influences their properties, in particular, could increase strength characteristics and decrease ductility and corrosion resistance of the steels. Data in review give a state-of-art in mutual connection of AM method, chemical composition of raw material, and resultant phase composition of AM-fabricated Cr-Ni steels of 300-series. The possible directions for future investigations are discussed as well.

A comparative study of the mechanical properties, fracture mechanisms and hydrogen embrittlement peculiarities was carried out using the specimens of austenitic CrNi steel produced by two different methods: wire-feed electron beam additive manufacturing and conventional casting followed by solid-solution treatment. Hydrogen-induced reduction of ductility and the increase in the yield strength are observed in steel specimens produced by both methods. Despite hydrogen embrittlement index is comparable in them, the increase in the yield strength after hydrogen-charging is different: 25 MPa for cast steel and 175 MPa for additively manufactured steel. This difference is associated with the peculiarities of phase composition and phase distribution in steels produced by different methods.

The microstructure, deformation mechanisms, tensile properties and fracture micromechanisms of ultrahigh-interstitial austenitic Fe-22Cr-26Mn-1.3V-0.7C-1.2N (mass.%) steel were investigated in wide temperature interval. After conventional homogenization and solid-solution treatment, the steel possesses complex hardening which includes grain boundary, solid-solution and dispersion strengthening. In the temperature interval of &minus, 60 to +60 &deg, C, steel demonstrates striking temperature dependence of a yield strength which could be enhanced by the increase in solid-solution treatment temperature. The variation in test temperature does not change the dominating deformation mechanism of the steel, dislocation slip and insufficiently influences tensile elongation and fracture micromechanisms. The insignificant increase in the fraction of brittle cleavage-like component on the fracture surfaces of the specimens in low-temperature deformation regime is promoted by increase in planarity of dislocation arrangement and the gaining activity of mechanical twinning. In high-temperature range (200&ndash, 300 &deg, C) of deformation, a negative strain-rate dependence, serrations on the stress-strain diagrams and improved strain-hardening associated with a dynamic strain aging phenomenon have been observed.

A temperature dependence of the tensile mechanical properties, microstructure and fracture mechanism of high-nitrogen Fe-(19-23)Cr-(17-21)Mn-(0-3)V-(0.1-0.3)C-(0.5-0.9)N vanadium-free and vanadium-containing steels was investigated. For all steels, the 0.2% offset yield strength and strain-hardening drastically increase with a decrease in test temperature. This is associated with high interstitial solid solution strengthening of the steels and more pronounced twinning and stacking-fault formation during straining below room temperature. For the vanadium-free steel, a ductile-to-brittle transition was evaluated: at 77K specimens destroy by cleavage mechanism while at room temperature steels show ductile fracture. Vanadium-alloying provides a particle strengthening of the steels and, at the same time, reduce solid-solution strengthening. Increase of vanadium concentration fully or partially suppress brittle fracture of the steels at 77K. Particle strengthening changes interstitial solid-solution effect, dislocation arrangement and slip/twinning relation in vanadium-containing high-nitrogen steels compared to vanadium-free one.

We investigated the effect of electrolytic hydrogen-charging on regularities of plastic flow, strength and fracture mechanisms of AISI 316L and 321 austenitic stainless steels. In the steels, an ultrafine-grained structure of various morphologies was formed using methods of warm abc-pressing and thermomechanical treatment (cold rolling and annealing). Hydrogen-charging of ultrafine-grained steels reduces their yield strength and elongation. The high dislocation density and low-angle boundaries inhibit the effects of hydrogen embrittlement in 316L and 321 steels.

The structure and properties of the 17Cr13Ni3Mo0.01C stable austenitic steel subjected to high-temperature plastic deformation by the abc-pressing (multiaxial forging) are investigated in the temperature range from 800 to 600°С. The results of investigations demonstrate that after the abc-pressing the steel has a single-phase austenitic ultrafine-grained structure with the size of its elements (grains and subgrains) of (200 ± 140) nm. The formation of the ultrafine-grained state increases the strength properties (0.2 proof stress increases threefold) and decreases the elongation value of the steel at room temperature compared to the coarse-grained specimens. An analysis of the contributions from hardening during abc-pressing evidences in favor of the strength improvement being primarily due to the grain refinement; it is well described by the Hall–Petch relationship. In this case steel with ultrafine-grained austenitic structure exhibits an effect of structural superplasticity at the temperatures T > 750°С: the elongation value at Т = 800°С is found to be 180%.

This paper studies the effect of electrolytic hydrogen charging on the plastic deformation and fracture of Hadfield steel single crystals oriented for tension along the ‹111› and ‹144› directions, which the major deformation mechanism is mechanical twinning. Electrolytic hydrogen charging for five hours at a current density of 100 A/m2 slightly affects the stages of plastic flow, deformation mechanism, and the value of uniform elongation of ‹111› and ‹144› single clreystals. Hydrogen saturation causes shear microlocalization and a decrease of the strain hardening coefficient in twinning in one system, but slightly affects the strain hardening characteristics in multiple twinning. Hydrogen charging increases the fraction of the brittle component on fracture surfaces and leads to microand macrocracking near the fracture zone on the lateral surface of deformed specimens. It has been found experimentally that the stress relaxation rate in loaded ‹111› single clreystals after hydrogen saturation decreases. Mechanisms of describing this phenomenon have been proposed.

The effect of electrochemical hydrogen-charging on tensile properties, mechanisms of plastic deformation and fracture micromechanisms was studied using two ultrafine-grained (UFG) Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steels. UFG austenitic structures with an average subgrain size of 200 nm for CrNiMo (316L-type) and 520 nm for CrNiTi (321-type) steel were produced using hot-to-warm ABC-pressing. Hydrogen-charging up to 100 hours weakly influences stages of plastic flow, strength properties and elongation of the UFG steels. TEM analysis testifies to hydrogen-assisted partial annihilation and rearrangement of dislocations into dislocation tangles, and to hydrogen-induced variation in ratio of low- and high-angle misorientations in UFG structure of both steels. Hydrogen-alloying promotes mechanical twinning and deformation-induced γ ® e martensitic transformation in the UFG steels under tension. Ultrafine-grained CrNiTi steel with lower stacking fault energy (SFE) is more susceptible to mechanical twinning and deformation-induced γ ® e martensitic transformation in comparison with CrNiMo steel with higher SFE. The micromechanism of the fracture in hydrogen-assisted surface layers of the steels is compositional, grain-size and hydrogen content dependent characteristic. The present results demonstrate that the steels with UFG structure possess higher resistance to hydrogen embrittlement compared to coarse-grained analogues.

Phase composition, microstructure, tensile properties and fracture mechanism of the high-nickel austenitic steel produced by a dual wire-feed electron beam additive manufacturing were studied. The joint using of NiCr-alloy and 321-type stainless steel wires in additive manufacturing process assists the formation a fully austenitic structure in as-built billet. Its microstructure is stable against deformation-induced γ → α’ martensitic transformation due to the 5–7 wt.% increase of nickel concentration relative to the initial steel wire composition. The high-nickel steel possesses high ductility (δ ≈ 54%) and plastic flow behavior similar to the conventional cast 321-type steel subjected to a solid-solution treatment.

Deformation-induced γ-α’ phase transformation was studied in austenitic stainless 316L steel in low-temperature deformation regime (tension at 77 K). Before deformation, the surface of the steel specimens was saturated with nitrogen by ion-plasma nitriding at 673 K for 12 h. Thin 4-μm surface layer of nitrogen-expanded austenite (S-phase) does not influence mechanical properties but affects phase transformation in the bulk 1.5 mm-thick specimens. Surface nitriding effectively suppresses the inhomogeneity in deformation-induced martensite nucleation and formation of the α’-phase prior the macroscopic neck formation.

For high-nitrogen Fe-19Cr-21Mn-1.5V-0.3C-0.9N (wt. %) steel water-quenched from the different solution-treatment temperatures (1100oС and 1200oС, 1h), the tensile mechanical properties and fracture micromechanisms were investigated in a temperature range of 77K to 673K. Increase in quenching temperature (QT) provides a partial dissolution of precipitates and increases a solid-solution hardening effect in the steel. A yield strength, tensile strength, strain-hardening coefficient and plasticity are QT-dependent characteristics. Independently on QT and test temperature, steel specimens fracture in ductile transgranular mode except for 77K-temperature, where dimples and some cleavage components are observed on fracture surfaces. The variation in QT allows one to decrease the fraction of cleavage component: 8% for QT=1100oС and 25% for QT=1200oС.

The effect of hydrogen on tensile behavior and fracture mechanisms of V-alloying and V-free high-nitrogen austenitic steels was evaluated. Two steels with the chemical compositions of Fe-23Cr–17Mn–0.1C–0.6N (0V-HNS) and Fe-19Cr–22Mn–1.5V–0.3C–0.9N (1.5V-HNS) were electrochemically hydrogen-charged in NaCl water-solution for 100 hours. According to X-ray diffraction analysis and TEM researches, V-alloying promotes particle strengthening of the 1.5V-HNS. Despite differences in chemical compositions, namely, carbon and nitrogen concentrations, a solid solution hardening is similar for both steels because of precipitate-assisted depletion of austenite by interstitial atoms (carbon and nitrogen) in 1.5V-HNS. For hydrogen-free state, the values of the yield stress and the tensile strength are higher for particle-strengthened 1.5V-HNS as compared to 0V-HNS. Hydrogen-charging increases both the yield stress and the tensile strength of the steels, but hydrogen-assisted fracture micromechanisms are different for 0V-HNS and 1.5V-HNS. Hydrogen-charging drastically reduces a total elongation in 0V-HNS but provides insufficient embrittlement in 1.5V-HNS. Hydrogen-assisted brittle layers form on lateral surfaces of the specimens, and the widths and fracture micromechanisms in them are different for two steels. For 0V-HNS, surface layers of 84 μm in width possess transgranular brittle fracture mechanism (quasi-cleavage mode). For 1.5V-HNS, the brittle surface layers (31 μm width) destroy in intergranular brittle fracture mode. The central parts of steel specimens show dimple fracture similar to hydrogen-free steels. The possible reasons for different hydrogen-induced effects in 0V-HNS and 1.5V-HNS are discussed.

High nitrogen steel billets were successfully produced using electron-beam additive manufacturing technique with a Fe-20.7Cr-22.2Mn-0.3Ni-0.6Si-0.15C-0.53 N (wt. %) steel rods as a raw material. Additively manufactured steel possesses a dual-phase structure with a 40% of ferrite phase. An increase in volume content of ferrite and dendritic morphology of the microstructure is associated with the significant decrease in manganese concentration in the melt from 22.2 to 10.8 wt% during additive manufacturing process and change in solidification mode. A preferential formation of austenitic dendrites with high nitrogen content (about 0.9 wt% of nitrogen) during early stages of solidification process leads to a depletion of the melt by N, Mn, Cr and further formation of interstitial-free ferrite in interdendritic regions. The inhomogeneity in phase composition assists lower strain hardening and ductility in the additively manufactured high-nitrogen steel in comparison with conventionally produced material at the preservation of high values of the yield strength. In tension of additively produced high nitrogen steel, plastic deformation develops in both phases but more intensive deformation, strain localization and nucleation of microcracks occur in ferrite. Fracture of additively manufactured steel develops mainly in transgranular regime with ductile fracture of ferritic regions and brittle fracture of austenitic dendrites due to high nitrogen content in γ-phase.

We study the influence of different grain size (density of grain boundaries) on the way of phase transformations in the surface layers of 316 L-type austenitic stainless steel under ion-plasma treatment. Using thermomechanical treatments, we fabricated a series of specimens possessing a single-phase austenitic structure, close density of the defects of the crystal lattice and different grain sizes (fine-grained with d ≈ 3–6 μm and coarse-grained with d ≈ 55 μm). These specimens were subjected to ion-plasma surface treatment at 550 ± 10 °C in N2+C2H2+Ar gases mixture to provoke a precipitation hardening. Although fine-grained and coarse-grained specimens possess similar penetration depth of interstitial atoms (N, C) under ion-plasma treatment (≈40–48 μm), the distribution of interstitials and phase composition are different in them. After ion-plasma treatment, specimens with low density of grain boundaries (coarse-grained structure) maintain a high level of N, C atoms in the solid solution of austenite (a = 0.3653–0.3674 nm) with a strip-like arrangement of Fe4(N,C) particles within grains, while precipitation of Cr(N,C) phase is suppressed. For these specimens, tensile diagrams have the extended linear stages typical of nitrogen-bearing austenitic steels, and the loss of ductility assisted with ion-plasma treatment is the smallest among studied specimens. Ion-plasma treated specimens with high density of grain boundaries (fine-grained structure) are prone to a decomposition of Fe-γN,C phase with the formation of grain-boundary and intragranular Cr(N,C) and Fe-α phases and partial preservation of a solid-solution strengthening of austenite (a = 0.3597–0.3622 nm). Precipitation hardening is more characteristic of these specimens and their flow curves are parabolic. The complex fracture mode of the specimens subjected to ion-plasma treatment is caused by the surface solid-solution strengthening and precipitation hardening. In the surface-hardened region (where the concentrations of N, C atoms are the highest), brittle quasi-cleavage fracture occurs due to the presence of Fe-based and Cr-based precipitates and austenite oversaturated with interstitials.

We present the results of a comparative study of the shock-wave hardening regularities and mechanisms revealed for bulk (thickness h = 6 and 9.3 mm) targets made of austenitic 304L stainless steel and Hadfield steel. A high-current relativistic electron beam (45 ns, 1.35 MeV, 34 GW/cm 2 ) produced by the SINUS-7 accelerator was used for generation of a shock wave. It is revealed by 2D-computer simulation for type 304 steel that the direct ablation of the target material leads to generation of shock wave with duration of ∼0.1 μs and amplitude of ∼20 GPa, and the strain rate during its direct propagation and reflection from the free rear surface decreases from ∼2 down to ∼0.4 μs −1 . It is found experimentally that in the absence of a rear spall ( h = 9.3 mm) the shock-wave loading of both steels leads to formation of three hardened layers: a front layer with a maximum microhardness at a depth of 0.5–1 mm from the bottom of ablation hole, which is in a reasonable agreement with the predictions of the heat-transfer calculations, as well as intermediate and rear-side layers. In case of 304L stainless steel, the depth distributions of microhardness and fraction of twinned grains are consistent with each other, while in the Hadfield steel, the correlation is within the front and intermediate hardened layers only. It is shown by microstructural characterization and analysis of hardening mechanisms that in the case of 304L stainless steel, both front and rear-side hardening are significantly associated with the formation of new intra-phase boundaries by deformation twinning. In the Hadfield steel, unlike the 304L stainless steel, the unusual rear-side hardening is mainly due to increasing the dislocation density under submicrosecond single cycle of compression followed by tension with peak stress of ∼3 GPa.

The effects of electrochemical hydrogen charging on the stress relaxation and strain-aging of 〈111〉- and 〈001〉-oriented single crystals of Hadfield steel were studied under tension at room temperature. An orientation dependence of stress relaxation and strain-aging-assisted yield-drop phenomena was observed for hydrogen-free 〈111〉- and 〈001〉- oriented single crystals. Hydrogen charging up to five hours increased the stress relaxation rate for slip-associated deformation in 〈001〉-oriented single crystals and decreased it for twinning-assisted deformation in 〈111〉-oriented specimens. The present results demonstrate that different mechanisms dominate the interaction of hydrogen with dislocations, stacking faults and twins.

In the present study the effect of the thermal-mechanical processing regime—cold high-pressure torsion (HPT) at room temperature, cold HPT followed by annealing at 773 K (500 °C), and warm HPT at 723 K (450 °C)—on the peculiarities of the microstructure and microhardness of a Mo-Nb-Ti-V-0.08C microalloyed steel was analyzed. HPT processing resulted in high deformation and refinement of the initial structure and produced an ultrafine-grained microstructure featuring different morphologies with fine (

The influence of test temperature in the range from –60 to 60°C and strain rate from 1×10–4 to 1×10−2 s−1 on tensile mechanical properties and peculiarities of a plastic flow has been experimentally investigated using the vanadium-alloyed ultrahigh-interstitial austenitic Fe-22Cr-26Mn-1.3V-0.2Ni-0.7C-1.2N (mass %) steel specimens subjected to a 1-hour solid-solution treatment at temperature of 1200°C. It has been established that the decrease in deformation temperature and the increase in strain rate does not change the dominating deformation mechanism of the steel— dislocation slip—but increase a planarity of a dislocation arrangement and promote mechanical twinning as the additional deformation mechanism. The ultrahigh-interstitial steel demonstrates striking temperature and strain rate dependencies of a yield strength in considered loading conditions.

A comparative study of microstructure and phase composition of high-nitrogen Cr-Mn steel billets obtained by the casting following by conventional solid-solution treatment and by electron beam additive melting method was carried out. Both studied steel billets possess two-phase structure (austenite/ferrite). However, the microstructure, grain structure and volume fraction of δ-ferrite are strongly dependent on the method of steel's production. Coarse austenitic and ferritic grains are peculiar for cast solution-treated steel, but additively manufactured billet possess columnar coarse austenitic grains with dendritic ferrite inside of them. The volume fraction of δ-ferrite in cast steel (V ≈ 20%) is significantly lower than that in steels obtained by the additive manufacturing method (V ≈ 50%). The microhardness of the additively produced steel (3.3 GPa) is close to the value peculiar for cast steel (3.4 GPa). Cast steel shows only slight variations of microhardness values across the specimens, whereas in the case of additively manufactured steel, a considerable scatter in microhardness values are observed along the height of the billet, which is associated with inhomogeneity in phase composition of the as-built dendritic microstructure.

The peculiarities of hydrogen embrittlement of niobium-alloyed austenitic stainless steel produced by wire-feed electron-beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) method have been investigated. After EBAM-growth, the Nb-alloyed steel has had macroscopically and microscopically heterogeneous structure, which has been characterized by austenitic matrix with colonies of ferritic dendrites and Nb-enriched precipitates. Hydrogen-charging causes the increase in the yield strength and the ultimate tensile stress of EBAM-produced specimens relative to hydrogen-free specimens and assists to surface brittle cracking of the specimens. Fracture surface in hydrogen-charged specimens includes several characteristic regions: surface brittle layers (20–25 µm) fractured both in transgranular and intergranular modes, subsurface hydrogen-affected zone (35–45 µm) with elongated dimples and flat facets (transgranular mode), and ductile central part with dimple micromechanism of fracture (transgranular mode).