Medium Mn steels (MMSs) have Mn contents of 3%-12% (mass fraction), and have been energetically investigated as the most promising candidates of the third-generation advanced high-strength steel. Their phase transformations and microstructures during various heat treatments and thermomechanical processes have received wide attention with the purpose to achieve an optimal balance of cost-efficient alloying compositions and mechanical properties. The aim of this work is to investigate the microstructural behavior of deformation-induced ferrite transformation (DIFT), starting from austenite, which occurs in MMS. Then, improved understandings of the formation of ultrafine ferrite via the DIFT and conservation of this microstructure during the post-deformation period can be obtained. For this purpose, a 3Mn-0.2C MMS with lower contents of alloying elements was selected. Microstructures and alloying element distributions of the thermomechanically processed samples were analyzed via EBSD and EPMA. The results showed that the DIFT occurred in the thermomechanically processed 3Mn-0.2C MMS in the α + γ region. Characteristic multiphase microstructures consisting isolated martensite and fine-grained equiaxed ferrite concomitant with fine islands of retained austenite dispersed between ferrite grains can be obtained. During the DIFT, the enhanced nucleation of ferrite at α/γ interfaces can not only increase the ferrite nucleation density but also facilitate extensive impingement among the neighboring grains. Formation of ultrafine ferrite via the DIFT in MMS can be interpreted in terms of unsaturated nucleation and limited growth. In addition, partitioning of Mn between the ultrafine ferrite and austenite is accelerated during the DIFT such that a large number of Mn-enriched fine islands of austenite are left untransformed at the α/α grain boundaries or at triple junctions. These islands of austenite are considered to play critical roles not only for obtaining retained austenite at room temperature but also for conserving the ultrafine microstructure of the DIFT during the post-deformation processing.

采用扫描电镜、透射电镜和拉伸试验等研究了临界退火工艺对Fe-10.2Mn-0.48C-2.2Al-0.7Si-0.75V的冷轧中锰钢微观组织和力学性能的影响。通过热力学计算确定最佳的退火温度，以便获得最佳的力学性能。结果表明：临界退火后实验钢获得了板条状和等轴状奥氏体晶粒，同时铁素体中存在高密度位错。奥氏体的体积分数受退火温度的影响较大。实验钢的力学性能是由TRIP效应、TWIP效应和位错强化共同决定的。实验钢抗拉强度和伸长率随退火温度升高呈现出先增加后降低的趋势，在650℃退火后，实验钢的抗拉强度为1409 MPa，伸长率为16.4%，强塑积为23.1 GPa·%。

Medium Mn steel is composed of sub-micron grained ferrite and austenite, the unstable austenite may transform to martensite during plastic straining. Although the mechanical properties of medium Mn steel could be easily tested by tensile test, it is quite difficult to directly measure the influences of different constituent phases on the tensile and work hardening behavior. Thus, at the present work, EBSD, TEM, XRD and a constitutive model based on dislocation density have been used to study the effects of intercritical annealing (IA) temperature on the tensile properties and work hardening behavior of a newly designed medium Mn steel, Fe-7%Mn-0.3%C-2%Al (mass fraction). Experimental results showed that with the increase of IA temperature, the mechanic stability of reverted austenite decreased gradually and the kinetics of strain induced martensite rose rapidly. The stability of the reverted austenite was moderate when intercritically annealed at 700 ℃, this led to the best plasticity and the optimal mechanical properties. Simulated results exhibited that the mechanic stability of austenite has a decisive influence on the tensile behavior of the material. The austenite stability will be too high if the IA temperature is lower, and this will lead to the lower work hardening rate and uniform elongation; when the IA temperature is moderate, the stability of austenite will be optimum, consequently strain-induced martensite would be progressively produced during straining and result in the higher work hardening rate and prolonged uniform elongation; the stability of austenite will be too lower if the IA temperature is higher, thus larger volume fraction of strain-induced martensite would be formed in a short period, and this would result in the higher tensile strength but the inferior uniform elongation.

The mechanical properties and work-hardening characteristics of A low-Si TRIP steel were researched by the tensile test.The change of structure before and after tensile test,especially the change of retained austenite,were studied with scanning electron microscope(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),electron back-scattered diffraction(EBSD) and transmission electron microscope(TEM).The results show that the low-Si TRIP steel has good mechanical properties,no yield point and possess of low yield ratio,meantime it has better extensibility and homogeneous strain than DP steel.Retained austenite distribution also affects the stability of the low-Si TRIP steel,retained austenite in ferrite grain still exists after the tensile test.

The effect of intercritical tempering temperature (TT) on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of 3.6Mn medium manganese steel, which contained martensite and austenite, was investigated by X-ray diffraction, electron backscattering diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, as well as Thermo-Calc calculation. The results showed that the volume fraction of reversed austenite (RA) increased firstly and then decreased with the increasing TT in the range of 550~650 °C. When the TT was below 620 °C, lath-like RA with good stability was mainly displayed between martensite laths and its size is about 100 nm. When the TT was higher than 650 °C, larger-size and block RA was formed in the martensite block boundaries, and part of the RA transformed into fresh martensite during cooling. The yield strength and tensile strength of the experimental steels decreased gradually as the TT increased, but the tensile strength increased gradually with the formation of block RA and fresh martensite. Lath-like RA could significantly improve the toughness and plasticity with slight loss of yield strength, but block RA decreased slightly them.

The ever increasing demand for safe and lightweight steel has promoted the development of advanced high-strength steel (AHSS). Recently, many AHSSs have been developed through chemical heterogeneity, resulting in microstructure refinement and mechanical property optimization. Although many efforts emphasize the construction of Mn-heterogeneous high-temperature austenite (γ-Fe), the influence of Mn-heterogeneous distribution remains unclear. In this work, different austenitization times and temperatures are applied to Mn-partitioned pearlite, followed by the same quenching and partitioning process. The effect of Mn distribution in high-temperature austenite on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties is systematically investigated. Results show that the Mn-heterogeneous high-temperature austenite can tailor the austenite-to-martensite transformation during quenching. The Mn-depleted austenite is then readily transformed into lath martensite, and the Mn-enriched austenite is mainly retained as film roughness (RA), both of which assemble the ghost pearlite. With an increase in austenitization time and temperature, the Mn atom diffusion from the Mn-enriched austenite (originated from cementite lamellae) to the Mn-depleted one (originated from ferrite lamellae) increases, leading to the decreased chemical heterogeneity in high-temperature austenite. Thus, the fraction of ghost pearlite decreases while the fraction and size of blocky RA and coarse lath martensite increase. A wider lath martensite lowers the strength of the yield or the elastic limit of steel. The increased fraction and size of blocky RA ensure an increased uniform elongation by transformation-induced plasticity effect, whereas the transformation product (i.e., fresh martensite) is detrimental to the post-uniform elongation. Meanwhile, because the fractions of RA and martensite hardly change with austenitization condition, the ultimate tensile strength (about 1700 MPa) and total elongation (about 20%) are relatively constant. Therefore, tuning the Mn distribution in high-temperature austenite provides an effective strategy to tailor yield strength and uniform elongation while maintaining large ultimate tensile strength and total elongation.

Recently, energy conservation, environmental protection and security are the main factors considered by the automotive manufacturers. Medium-Mn steel with excellent combination of specific strength and ductility have been regarded as the potential candidates for automotive applications. The excellent combination of specific strength and ductility depends on the microstructure under different heat treatment processes of the steels. Therefore, the relationship of the combination of specific strength and ductility and microstructure should be studied in detail. A new alloy system of aluminum-containing medium-Mn steel was developed in this study. The addition of aluminum stabilizes α-ferrite, and facilitates the presence of δ-ferrite during solidification. The addition of Mn and C compensates the effect of aluminum on phase stability and ensures austenite formation. In this investigation, the effects of intercritical annealing temperature on the microstructure and tensile properties of a newly designed cold-rolled aluminum-containing medium-Mn steel (0.2C-5Mn-0.6Si-3Al, mass fraction, %) were investigated by SEM, XRD and uniaxial tensile tests. The tensile results show that an excellent combination of ultimate tensile strength (σb) of 1062 MPa, total elongation (δ) of 58.2% and σb×δ of 61.8 GPa% could be obtained after annealing at 730 ℃. The inverted austenite of the cold-rolled steel coarsenes and gradually changes its morphology from mainly lamellar to mainly equiaxed with increasing intercritical annealing temperature, and a duplex microstructure consisting of multi-scale retained austenite could be obtained at 730 ℃, which possesses suitable mechanical stability and thus presents prolonged transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect during tensile deformation. This kind of sustainable TRIP effect and the cooperative deformation of ferrite are responsible for the superior mechanical properties. The investigation of tensile fracture behavior shows that the nucleation and growth of voids occurred mainly at the interfaces between soft ferrite and hard martensite induced by deformation.

研究了两相区退火温度对一种新型冷轧中锰钢(0.2C-5Mn-0.6Si-3Al,质量分数,%)显微组织及拉伸性能的影响。结果表明,在退火温度为730 ℃时,冷轧中锰钢可获得优异的强度与塑性配合,即抗拉强度为1062 MPa,总伸长率为58.2%,强塑积为61.8 GPa%。随着退火温度升高,逆转变奥氏体逐渐粗化,且由片层状组织形态逐渐向等轴状组织形态转变,在一定退火温度下可获得奥氏体晶粒尺寸分布较为宽泛的多尺度的组织形态。这种多尺度组织形态的残余奥氏体具有适当的机械稳定性,能够产生连续不断的相变诱发塑性(TRIP)效应。连续不断的TRIP效应与铁素体在变形过程中的良好配合,是冷轧中锰钢获得高强度、高塑性的主要原因。冷轧中锰钢拉伸断裂的裂纹主要萌生于软相的铁素体(δ-铁素体)及超细晶铁素体与形变诱导马氏体(残余奥氏体)的界面处。

The martensitic hot-rolled 0.3C-6Mn-1.5Si (wt%) steel was annealed at 630 °C for 24 h to improve its cold rollability, followed by cold rolling and annealing at 670 °C for 10 min. The annealing process was designed based on the capacities of industrial batch annealing and continuous annealing lines. A duplex submicron austenite and ferrite microstructure and excellent tensile properties were obtained finally, proved the above process is feasible. “Austenite memory” was found in the hot-rolled and annealed sample which restricted recrystallization of lath martensite, leading to lath-shaped morphology of austenite and ferrite grains. “Austenite memory” disappeared in the cold-rolled and annealed sample due to austenite random nucleation and ferrite recrystallization, resulting in globular microstructure and refinement of both austenite and ferrite grains. The austenite to martensite transformation contributed most of strain hardening during deformation and improved the uniform elongation, but the dislocation strengthening played a decisive role on the yielding behavior. The tensile curves change from continuous to discontinuous yielding as the increase of cold-rolled reduction due to the weakening dislocation strengthening of austenite and ferrite grains related to the morphology change and grain refinement. A method by controlling the cold-rolled reduction is proposed to avoid the Lüders strain.

对0.1C-5Mn中锰钢冷轧后在650 ℃进行不同保温时间的两相区逆相变退火处理,利用电化学充氢和慢应变速率拉伸(SSRT)实验研究了其氢脆敏感性。结果表明,冷轧后中锰钢在退火过程中发生奥氏体逆转变,在退火10 min时可获得优异的强度和塑性配合。随着退火时间延长,可扩散H含量及氢脆敏感性增加,特别是氢脆敏感性的增加幅度十分显著。充氢断口起裂区呈现典型的空心韧窝及包含奥氏体(变形后转变为马氏体)晶粒的实心韧窝的混合断裂模式,这种实心韧窝本质上是在应力作用下氢致裂纹沿奥氏体与铁素体的界面萌生与扩展而形成的一种脆性沿晶断裂。氢脆断裂行为主要与退火过程中逆转变奥氏体的含量及其机械稳定性等因素有关。

This study investigated the microstructure and mechanical properties of hot-rolled and cold-rolled medium-Mn transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steel. The experimental steel, processed by quenching and tempering (Q & T) heat treatment, exhibited excellent mechanical properties for hot-rolled and Q & T steels (strength of 1050–1130 MPa and ductility of 16–34%), as well as for cold-rolled and Q & T steels (strength of 878–1373 MPa and ductility of 18–40%). The mechanical properties obtained after isothermal holding at 775 °C for one hour for cold-rolled/Q & T steel were superior to that of hot-rolled/Q & T steel. Excellent mechanical properties were attributed to the large amount of retained austenite, which produced a discontinuous TRIP effect. Additionally, the differences in mechanical properties correlated with the morphology, stability and content of retained austenite. The cold-rolled sample, quenched from 650 °C (CR 650°C) had extensive TRIP effects in the middle and late stages of the deformation, leading to better mechanical properties. The fracture modes of the hot-rolled sample, quenched from 650 °C, and the cold-rolled sample quenched from 650 °C, were ductile fractures, resulting in excellent ductility.

The mechanical properties of a novel heterogeneous cold-rolled medium Mn steel were investigated by means of mechanical testers, in situ EBSD (electron back-scattered diffraction) and SDTEM (spherical differential transmission electron microscope). The results show that the sample annealed at 680°C consists of multiple microstructure of austenites (granular shape, blocky shape, and lath-like shape) and fine ferrite grains. The heterogeneous steel has ultimate tensile strength of 1.27 GPa, total elongation of 54.5% and product of strength and elongation of 69.3 GPa·%. During tensile deformation the granular-shape austenite with a low C/Mn content preferentially transforms into martensite ahead of the blocky-shape and lath-like austenite with high C/Mn content, and the multi-type microstructure of austenite with various stability lead to a continuous TRIP effect in a large strain region, which is responsible for the excellent properties of the heterogeneous medium Mn steel. In addition, austenite grain boundaries or austenite/ferrite interfaces are the preferred nucleation zone of martensite during deformation. The effect of Mn/C content on austenite stability readily overrides those of grain size.

使用原位电子背散射衍射(EBSD)和球差透射电镜(ACTEM)等手段，研究了新型异质结构中锰TRIP钢在拉伸过程中微观组织的演变机制和力学性能。结果表明，在680℃退火后的实验钢中生成了多形貌、多尺度的异质奥氏体结构(颗粒状、块状、片层状奥氏体)和铁素体组织，其抗拉强度为1272 MPa，总延伸率为54.5%，强塑积高达69.3 GPa·%。在拉伸过程中C/Mn含量较低的颗粒状奥氏体先发生相变，而C/Mn含量较高的块状和片层状奥氏体在较大的应变范围内逐渐发生相变，从而导致高强度与高塑性的良好匹配。结果还表明，马氏体相变优先在奥氏体晶界/相界附近的区域形核。与晶粒尺寸相比，C/Mn元素对奥氏体稳定性的作用更重要。