• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 1997

Effect of austenite grain size on starting temperature of ${\gamma}{\rightarrow}{\varepsilon}$ martensitic transformation($M_s$) has been studied in an Fe-18%Mn alloy. Particular attention was paid on the variation of stacking fault energy with austenite grain size, which is considered to be a important factor affecting ${\gamma}{\rightarrow}{\varepsilon}$ martensitic transformation. Austenite grain size was increased in a wide range from $13{\mu}m$ to $185{\mu}m$ with increasing solution treatment temperature from $700^{\circ}C$ to $1100^{\circ}C$. Hardness was decreased with increasing austenite grain size while the volume fraction of ${\varepsilon}$ martensite showed a reverse tendency, which indicates that the hardness is more dependent on austenite grain size than ${\varepsilon}$ martensite content. No significant change was found in $M_s$ temperature when the grain size was larger than about $30{\mu}m$. In case that, the austenite grain size was smaller than about $30{\mu}m$, however, $M_s$ temperature was marlkedly decreased with decreasing austenite grain size. A linear relationship between $M_s$ temperature and the stacking fault formation probability, i.e. the reciprocal of the stacking fault energy was obtained, which suggests that the variation of $M_s$ temperature with austenite grain size is closely related to the change in stacking fault energy.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.305-312
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• 2009

The effects of Quenching and Partitioning (Q&P) and Annealed Martensite (AM) heat treatment on the microstructure and tensile properties were investigated for 0.24C-0.5Si-1.5Mn-1Al steels. The Q&P steels were annealed at a single phase ($\gamma$) or a dual phase (${\gamma}+{\alpha}$), followed by quenching to a temperature between $M_s$ and $M_f$. Then, enriching carbon was conducted to stabilize the austenite through the partitioning, followed by water quenching. The AM steels were intercritically annealed at a dual phase (${\gamma}+{\alpha}$) temperature and austempered at $M_s$ and $M_s{\pm}50^{\circ}C$, followed by cooling in oil quenching. The dual phase Q&P steels showed lower tensile strength and yieldyield strength than those of the single phase Q&P steels, and tThe elongation for the dual phase Q&P steel was partitioning 100s higher than that of that for the single phase Q&P steels as the partitioning time was less than 100s up to partitioning 100s. For AM steels, the tensile/yield strength decreased and the total elongation increased as the austempering temperature increased. The stability of the retained austenite controlled the elongation for Q&P steels and the volume fraction of the retained austenite controlled the elongation for AM steels.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.59-68
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• 1998

In this study, effects of solidification modes (primary $\delta$-ferrite, primary ${\gamma}$-austenite) on the pit initiation and propagation in the 304L and 316L austenitic stainless steel weld metals were investigated. The solidification mode of weld metal was controlled by the addition of nitrogen to Ar shielding gas. Through the electrochemical experiments (potentiodynamic anodic polarization and potentiostatic time-current transient test) and metallographic examination (microstructure and elemental distribution), the following results were obtained. The more the volume content of nitrogen in the shielding gas were, the lower critical current density for passivity was observed. In comparison with weldments solidified through the primary $\delta$-ferrite solidification mode and the primary ${\gamma}$-solidification mode, the former showed higher critical pitting potential and a longer incubation time for stable pit initiation than the latter. However, in the pit propagation stage the former exhibited a faster dissolution rate than the latter. These results were believed to ee related to the distribution of alloying elements such as Cr, Mo, Ni and S.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.215-221
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• 2017

The effect of austenitizing temperature on the degree of carbides re-solutionizing, mean graine size, hardness and the volume fraction of retaind austenite ($V_{\gamma}$) etc., has been studied by means of metallography, X-ray diffractometry and hardness measurement in STD 11 tool steel. As austenitizing temperature increases, the amount of alloying elements which is re-dissolved into matrix increases, resulting in increase of $V_{\gamma}$, due to the chemical stabilization of austenite. The Vickers hardness value decreases with increasing austenitizing temperature, which is attributed to grain size as well the volume fractions of $V_{\gamma}$ and carbides. Theoretical diffraction intensity of (200) ${\alpha}^{\prime}$, (211) ${\alpha}^{\prime}$ (200) ${\gamma}$ and (220) ${\gamma}$ peaks obtained by $CuK_{\alpha}$ chracteristics X-ray (${\lambda}=0.15429nm$) was calculated, and quantitative analysis of $V_{\gamma}$ could be carried out by X-ray diffraction method. The resultant value is well coincided with the value obtained by image analysis method. When the quenched specimen is tempered above $200{\sim}400^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, the transition carbides i.e., MC and $M_2C$ in the size of about 20 nm begin to precipitate at $300^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.414-422
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• 2002

Three different multi-component white cast irons alloyed with Cr, V, Mo and W were prepared in order to study their as-cast and solidification structures. Three combinations of the alloying elements were selected so as to obtain the different types of carbides and matrix structures : 3%C-10%Cr-5%Mo-5%W(alloy No.1), 3%C-10%V-5% Mo-5%W(alloy No. 2) and 3%C-17%Cr-3% V(alloy No.3). The as-cast microstructures were investigated with optical and scanning electron microscopes. There existed two different types of carbides, $M_7C_3$ carbide with rod-like morphology and $M_6C$ carbide with fishbone-like one, and matrix in the alloy No. 1. The alloy No. 2 consisted of MC carbide with chunky and flaky type and needle-like $M_2C$ carbide, and matrix. The chunky type referred to primary MC carbide and the flaky one to eutectic MC carbide. The morphology of the alloy No. 3 represented a typical hypo-eutectic high chromium white cast iron composed of rod-like $M_7C_3$ carbide which is very sensitive to heat flow direction and matrix. To clarify the solidification sequence, each iron(50g) was remelted at 1723K in an alumina crucible using a silicon carbide resistance furnace under argon atmosphere. The molten iron was cooled at the rate of 10K/min and quenched into water at several temperatures during thermal analysis. The solidification structures of the specimen were found to consist of austenite dendrite(${\gamma}$), $ ({\gamma}+ M_7C_3)$ eutectic and $({\gamma}+ M_6C)$ eutectic in the alloy No. 1, proeutectic MC, austenite dendrite(${\gamma}$), (${\gamma}$+MC) eutectic and $({\gamma}+ M_2C)$ eutectic in the alloy No. 2, and proeutectic $M_7C_3$ and $ ({\gamma}+ M_7C_3)$ eutectic in the alloy No 3. respectively.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.357-362
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• 2008

The 2-step low temperature plasma processes (the combined carburizing and post-nitriding) were carried out for improving both the surface hardness and corrosion resistance of AISI 316L stainless steel. The effects of processing time and temperature on the surface properties during nitriding step were investigated. The expanded austenite (${\gamma}_N$) was formed on all of the treated surface. The thickness of ${\gamma}_N$ was increased up to about $20{\mu}m$ and the thickness of entire hardened layer was determined to be about $40{\mu}m$. The surface hardness reached up to $1,200HV_{0.1}$ which is about 5 times higher than that of untreated sample ($250HV_{0.1}$). The thickness of ${\gamma}_N$ and concentration of N on the surface were increased with increasing processing time and temperature. The corrosion resistance in 2-step low temperature plasma processed austenitic stainless steels was enhanced more than that in the untreated austenitic stainless steels due to a high concentration of N on the surface.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.93-103
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• 2011

Precipitation behavior of high-nitrogen duplex Fe-24Cr-7Mn-4Ni-4Mo-0.43N stainless steel aged at $850^{\circ}C$ was investigated using scanning transmission electron microscopy. Based on the analyses of selected area diffraction patterns, four kinds of precipitates (intermetallic sigma (${\sigma}$) and chi (${\chi}$), $Cr_2N$ and secondary austenite) were identified. At the ferrite/austenite phase boundary, the ${\sigma}$ phase and secondary austenite were formed via ${\alpha}{\rightarrow}{\gamma}+{\sigma}$ eutectoid reaction. The precipitation of $Cr_2N$ occurred at the austenite grain boundary as well as the interior of the ferrite. The intermetallic ${\chi}$ phase also formed within the ferrite and showed a cube-cube orientation relationship with the ferrite. Further aging produced a lamellar structure composed of $Cr_2N$ and austenite along the ferrite/austenite boundary and enhanced the precipitation of the ${\chi}$ phase. The crystallographic features of the precipitates were also examined in terms of the orientation relationship with the austenite or ferrite matrix.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.583-589
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• 2016

In this study, recrystallization behaviors in the two-phase (${\alpha}+{\gamma}$) region of micro-alloyed steels such as Base, Nb, TiNbV and CAlN were investigated in terms of flow stress, microstructure and associated grain boundary characteristics. The flow stress of all specimens reached peak stress and gradually decreased, which means that recrystallization or recovery of proeutectoid deformed ferrite and recovery or transformation to ferrite of deformed austenite occurred by thermal activation. The precipitation of carbide or nitride via the addition of micro-alloying elements, because it reduced prior austenite grain size upon austenitization, promoted transformation of austenite to ferrite and increased flow stress. The strain-induced precipitation under deformation in the two-phase region, on the other hand, increased the flow stress when the micro-alloying elements were dissolved during austenitization. The recrystallization of the Nb specimen was more effectively retarded than that of the TiNbV specimen during deformation in the two-phase region.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.138-143
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• 2012

This steel has been synthesized integrating concepts from Austempering Ductile Cast Iron (ADI) technology. While ADI has excellent mechanical and physical properties, the Young's modules of ADI is approximately 20% lower than steel. In addition, the presence of graphite nodules in ADI can be sites of crack initiation, where fracture takes place at graphite matrix interface. Because of this limitations of ADI, there has been a growing interest in austempered steels as structural materials in resent years. In this investigation, a new steel with microstructure composed of ferrite and austenite and with simultaneous high tensile strength (1,150 MPa) and high ductility (33%) was developed. The goal of this investigation is to obtain a better understanding of deformation and transformation behaviour in high carbon retained austenite(${\gamma}_{HC}$) and over-saturated ferrite(${\alpha}$) during the plastic deformation. A detailed study of the microstructure of this steel was carried out by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) technic. In this way it was shown that BCC phase (BCC) took up the larger part of the nominal strain whereas the a part of retained austenite responded to the mechanincal load by partial martensite transformation, and misorientation change in the retained austenite after plastic strain could be attributed to the large elongation.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.9
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• pp.645-651
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• 2012

This study investigated changes in phase fraction caused by the addition of Mo, as well as the subsequent behaviour of N and its effect on the mechanical properties of welded 24Cr-N duplex stainless steel weld metals. Filler metal was produced by fixing the contents of Cr, Ni, N, and Mn while adjusting the Mo content to 1.4, 2.5, 3.5 wt%. The delta ferrite fraction increased as the Mo content increased. In contrast, the ${\gamma}$ fraction decreased and changed from a round to an acicular shape. Secondary austenite (${\gamma}^{\prime}$) was observed in all specimens in a refined form, but it decreased as the Mo content increased to the extent that it was nearly impossible to find any secondary austenite at 3.5 wt% Mo. Both tensile and yield strengths increased with the addition of Mo. In contrast, the highest value of ductility was observed at 1.41 wt% Mo. At all temperatures, impact energy absorption showed the lowest value at 3.5 wt% Mo, at which the amount of ${\delta}$-ferrite was greatest. There was no significant temperature dependence of the impact energy absorption values for any of the specimens. As the fraction of ${\gamma}$ phase decreased, the amount of N stacked in the ${\gamma}$ phase increased. Consequently, the stacking fault energy decreased, while the hardness of ${\gamma}$ increased.