Influence of prior deformation temperature on strain induced martensite formation and its effect on the tensile strengthening behaviour of type 304 SS studied by XRDLPA

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. A, Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing, 2021-10, Vol.826, p.141960, Article 141960
• Main Authors: Teena Mouni, C., S, Mahadevan, C, Ravishankar, Albert, Shaju K., Das, C.R., Parida, Pradyumna Kumar, Sagdeo, Archna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Austenite; Austenitic stainless steels; Deformation effects; Dislocation density; EBSD; Elastic properties; Line profile analysis; Martensite; Martensitic transformations; Room temperature; Stainless steel; Strain; Strain induced martensite; Synchrotron X-ray diffraction; Synchrotrons; Tensile deformation; Type 304 SS
• ISSN: 0921-5093; 1873-4936
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2021.141960

Type 304 stainless steel is a metastable austenitic stainless steel that undergoes strain induced transformation from austenite to α′ martensite during deformation at room temperature. Role of prior deformation, by rolling at room temperature and at 200 °C (a temperature at which the strain induced martensitic transformation does not occur), on the subsequent room temperature tensile deformation behaviour of the austenite phase is investigated. The changes in dislocation density of the parent phase and the volume fraction of the martensite formed due to deformation were estimated by X-ray diffraction line profile analysis of data obtained from Beam Line - 12 of the Indus 2 synchrotron. The contrast caused by dislocations in the austenite phase has been addressed using the modified Williamson-Hall method. The character of dislocations changes from screw to edge above a critical equivalent strain of ~0.14. The influence of martensite formation on the increase in dislocation density in the austenite phase is confirmed from XRDLPA. An alternative approach to determine dislocation density is proposed which is independent of elastic constants of the material and is found to correlate well with the values determined by the Williamson-Smallman approach. The results obtained from XRDLPA are corroborated with EBSD analysis. It is also seen that the composite strength of the steel, which has undergone different levels of deformation, is related to the changes in dislocation density of austenite and volume fraction of martensite based on Taylor's equation enabling correlation of structure-property. •Deformation induced change in dislocation density (ρ) and character are studied by XRDLPA.•Strengthening due to α′ martensite and ρ in austenite are related through rule of mixtures.•SIM contributes to strengthening by introducing extra dislocations into γ phase.•Results from EBSD analysis corroborate the findings of XRDLPA.•Alternative approach to determine ρ from different forms of mWH equation is proposed.