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Carbides; Electron microscopy; Fracture; Martensitic steel; Martensitic transformations; Mechanical properties; Nitrogen; Phase transitions; Precipitation (chemical); Temperature, After high temperature; Creep resistant steels; High angle boundaries; Low temperature tempering; Mechanical characterizations; Microstructure and mechanical properties; Tempered martensite; Three-phase separation, Tempering
Abstract:
The effect of tempering temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties was studied in a low-nitrogen, high-boron, 9Cr steel. After normalizing and low-temperature tempering, cementite platelets precipitated within the martensitic matrix. This phase transformation has no distinct effect on mechanical properties. After tempering at 500 °C, M23C6 carbides appeared in the form of layers and particles with irregular shapes along the high-angle boundaries. Approximately, 6 of the retained austenite was observed after normalizing, which reduced to 2 after tempering at 550 °C. This is accompanied by reduction in toughness from 40 J/cm2 to 8.5 J/cm2. Further increase of the tempering temperature led to spheroidization and coagulation of M23C6 particles that is followed by a significant increase in toughness to 250 J/cm2 at 750 °C. Three-phase separations of M(C,N) carbonitrides to particles enriched with V, Nb and Ti were detected after high-temperature tempering. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.