Martensitic

While quenched steel with carbon above 0,6%, the temperature of the end martensite transformation is below zero, thus the transformation of austenite into martensite is incomplete and this remaining cooled austenite is called residual austenite. 

Residual austenite is a steel structure which during cooling at martensite transformation temperature is not completely converted into martensite and remains unchanged at room temperature together with martensite. 

The structure of residual austenite is metastable, during exploitation it may panially transform into bainite, whereas during quenching this transformation may be caused by the freezing out processing. The transformation of residual austenite into bainite is connected with volume change, whereas diminishing the content of austenite in martensite by 1% causes a 0,07% increase of its volume. 

The eddy current method is used for the quantitative evaluation of residual austenite contents in the martensite struaure. 

Structure defects decrease conductivity of the studied material, and then the intensity of the induced magnetic field is small and the signal received by the probe Hp is big (Fig.2). Low conductivity of austenite is a defects of the structure in case of residual austenite in the martensite structure, which with regard to the magnesite structure is as 1 5. Eddy currents produced in the studied area are subject to excitation in effect of small conductivity of austenite grains in the structure of the studied material. 

Attention should be given in the fact, that penetration of eddy currents in residual austenite will be slightly deeper than in the martensite structure of steel, as austenite shows low electrical conductivity. The signal originatimg from the austenite structure will be amplified in effect of the influence of the structure found at greater depth. There will be no error as the method of measurement is compartable and the samples made for reference purposes will have the same structure as the studied part. 

Thus they have been replaced with elements with a martensite structure mixture fully transformed by the zero processing and mounted in openings with insens of austenite steel (Fig.3). Thus prepared elements for caUbration. will be stable with time and will not cause any indication changes during exploitation. 

The percentage share of the inserts made austenite steel in the martensite structure is refered to the visual field of the probe in the given location. Every probe after performance is given a characteristics, in which the visual field is given, determined using special devices defining the visual field at different distances from the tested object. 

The eddy current method may be used for controlling the share of residual austenite in the structure of quenched hyper-eutecioidal steel in the martensite. 

Mittemeijer E J, Cheng L, der Schaaf P J V, Brakman C M and Korevaar B M 1988 Analysis of nonisothermal transformation kinetics tempering of iron-carbon and iron-nitrogen martensites Metall. Trans. A 19 925... 

This class of smart materials is the mechanical equivalent of electrostrictive and magnetostrictive materials. Elastorestrictive materials exhibit high hysteresis between strain and stress (14,15). This hysteresis can be caused by motion of ferroelastic domain walls. This behavior is more compHcated and complex near a martensitic phase transformation. At this transformation, both crystal stmctural changes iaduced by mechanical stress and by domain wall motion occur. Martensitic shape memory alloys have broad, diffuse phase transformations and coexisting high and low temperature phases. The domain wall movements disappear with fully transformation to the high temperature austentic (paraelastic) phase. 

The enhanced strength and corrosion properties of duplex stainless steels depend on maintaining equal amounts of the austenite and ferrite phases. The welding thermal cycle can dismpt this balance therefore, proper weld-parameter and filler metal selection is essential. Precipitation-hardened stainless steels derive their additional strength from alloy precipitates in an austenitic or martensitic stainless steel matrix. To obtain weld properties neat those of the base metal, these steels are heat treated after welding. 

The transformation is beHeved to occur by a diffusionless shear process (83). It is often referred to as martensitic transformation, having a thermal hysteresis between the cooling and heating cycles. The transformation is dependent on particle size finer particles transforming at a lower temperature than... 

Precipitation Hardening. With the exception of ferritic steels, which can be hardened either by the martensitic transformation or by eutectoid decomposition, most heat-treatable alloys are of the precipitation-hardening type. During heat treatment of these alloys, a controlled dispersion of submicroscopic particles is formed in the microstmeture. The final properties depend on the manner in which particles are dispersed, and on particle size and stabiUty. Because precipitation-hardening alloys can retain strength at temperatures above those at which martensitic steels become unstable, these alloys become an important, in fact pre-eminent, class of high temperature materials. 

Steels iu the AISI 400 series contain a minimum of 11.5% chromium and usually not more than 2.5% of any other aHoyiag element these steels are either hardenable (martensitic) or nonhardenable, depending principally on chromium content. Whereas these steels resist oxidation up to temperatures as high as 1150°C, they are not particularly strong above 700°C. Steels iu the AISI 300 series contain a minimum of 16% chromium and 6% nickel the relative amounts of these elements are balanced to give an austenitic stmcture. These steels caimot be strengthened by heat treatment, but can be strain-hardened by cold work. 

When a steel is cooled sufficiendy rapidly from the austenite region to a low (eg, 25°C) temperature, the austenite decomposes into a nonequilihrium phase not shown on the phase diagram. This phase, called martensite, is body-centered tetragonal. It is the hardest form of steel, and its formation is critical in hardening. To form martensite, the austenite must be cooled sufficiently rapidly to prevent the austenite from first decomposing to the softer stmeture of a mixture of ferrite and carbide. Martensite begins to form upon reaching a temperature called the martensite start, Af, and is completed at a lower temperature, the martensite finish, Mj, These temperatures depend on the carbon and alloy content of the particular steel. 

When a component at an austenitizing temperature is placed in a quenchant, eg, water or oil, the surface cools faster than the center. The formation of martensite is more favored for the surface. A main function of alloying elements, eg, Ni, Cr, and Mo, in steels is to retard the rate of decomposition of austenite to the relatively soft products. Whereas use of less expensive plain carbon steels is preferred, alloy steels may be requited for deep hardening. 

Because the time at high temperature is much less, austenite is produced, which is chemically inhomogeneous especially with undissolved carbides, and has a fine grain crystal size. The formation of the hard martensite requites more rapid cooling than for conventional hardening. Thus case hardening by heat treatment intrinsically requites that the surface region to be hardened be relatively thin and cooled rapidly. 

In some cases, the carbon profile may not provide the necessary hardness or other properties. For example, if the carbon content is too high, quenching to room temperature may not produce all martensite at the surface because the high carbon content places the martensite finish temperature, Mj below room temperature. This results in the presence of soft retained austenite, and a low surface hardness. Conversion to martensite by subzero cooling to below the temperature can increase the hardness (Fig. 6) (12). 

Fig. 6. (a) The effect of sub2ero cooling on the hardness gradient in a carburized and quenched 3312 steel where (e) is oil quenched from 925 to 20°C and ( ) is cooled to -195°C. The initial quench to 20°C does not convert all of the austenite to martensite because the high carbon content in the surface region lowers the temperature below 20°C. Subsequent cooling to -195°C converts most of the retained austenite to martensite, raising the hardness, (b) The... 

Ferritic Nitrocarburizing. This process is similar to carbonitriding, except that it is carried out in the temperature range of the stabiHty of ferrite and carbide (<723° C). Therefore hardening is not by martensite formation, but because of the formation of very hard carbonitrides. 

---