《China Foundry》
Title:Effect of critical tempering on microstructure evolution, mechanical performance, and corrosion behavior of a cast multiphase stainless steel
Author:Jing-yu He1, **Guo-qiang Liu2, Zi-xiang Wu3, Hua-wei Zhang1, 4, and *Xiang Chen1, 4
Address: 1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; 2. Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group Co., Ltd., Baotou 01402, Inner Mongolia, China; 3. Nano and Heterogeneous Materials Center, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China; 4. Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100084, China
Key words:cast stainless steel; multiphase structure; stability of reverted austenite; TRIP and TWIP; corrosion resistance
CLC Nmuber:TG142
Document Code:A
Article ID:1672-6421(2026)03-421-14
Abstract:
A novel cast stainless steel featuring a multiphase microstructure and a nominal composition of Fe-13.5Cr-2.6Si-6.9Ni-1.1Cu-1.1Mn-1.0Mo-0.35Al-0.025C (wt.%) was investigated. Following solution treatment at 1,050 °C and water quenching, the specimens were subjected to further tempering at 570 °C, 610 °C, and 650 °C to explore the effects of critical tempering on microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance. Various characterization techniques were employed to examine the phase distribution within the microstructure, with particular attention given to the content and morphology of reverted austenite. Tensile and corrosion tests were carried out to evaluate the performance of the specimens. The results reveal that critical tempering significantly enhances the mechanical properties, with the specimen tempered at 610 °C achieving the highest product of strength and elongation (PSE=23.6 GPa·%), whereas corrosion resistance deteriorates with increasing tempering temperature. Calculations of the martensite start temperature (Ms) and stacking fault energy (γSFE) for the reversed austenite in different specimens indicate that the stability of reversed austenite strongly influences mechanical behavior through the TRIP and TWIP effects. However, tempering-induced Cr segregation at ferrite/martensite interfaces and the formation of Cr-depleted zones become more pronounced at higher tempering temperatures, leading to a degradation in corrosion resistance. Furthermore, multiphase coordinated deformation improves the strength-ductility balance, while corrosion tends to initiate at chemically inhomogeneous phase boundaries.