Abstract The crystallographic aspects after air-quenching treatment and the pitting corrosion resistance after single tempering and double tempering treatments of AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel were studied using optical microscopy, Electron Backscatter Diffraction and potentiodynamic polarization tests. The results showed that the observed average orientation relationship (OR) was closer to the Greninger-Troiano (G-T) OR model with a minimum average deviation of 2.66°. The average OR of AISI 420 steel with respect to austenite matrix was φ1 = 3.6°, Φ = 46.0°, φ2 = 6.2° in the area mapped. Blocks showed variant pairs belonging to the same Bain group forming sub-blocks with misorientation 5.51° < 6 ¯ 0 11> (V1/V4 pair), consequently, the AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel showed higher intervariant boundary density for the same Bain group and close-packed plane group. In the same air-quenching condition, the different sizes of prior austenite grain in the microstructure did not influence the variant selection. The air-quenching and single tempering treatments did not impair the pitting corrosion resistance and did not cause significant loss of hardness in relation to the air-quenched treatment. Therefore, the double tempering should be dispensed saving production costs.

RESUMO Estudou-se o efeito da taxa de resfriamento sobre a cinética de formação da martensita e sua evolução microestrutural em um aço inoxidável ferrítico com 0,011 %C - 11,1 %Cr - 0,013 N, usando a técnica de dilatometria e a microscopia ótica. Amostras foram austenitizadas a 1000°C por um minuto, seguida de resfriamento sob várias taxas até a temperatura ambiente. A microestrutura obtida é composta, predominantemente, por martensita temperada com uma pequena fração volumétrica de ferrita, com valores de microdureza Vickers variando de 319±4 HV0.2 a 338±4 HV0.2, quando as taxas de resfriamento aumentam de 0,5 para 100 °C/s. Os resultados mostram que as temperaturas de início e fim de formação da martensita diminuem com o aumento da taxa de resfriamento. A taxa de transformação martensítica cresce abruptamente alcançando o valor máximo quando a fração de martensita atinge aproximadamente 42 %, e então, essa taxa diminui até zero quando a transformação da martensita chega ao fim. A taxa máxima da transformação martensítica cresce com o aumento da taxa de resfriamento, sendo 0,01 s-1 a 0,5 °C/s e 2,54 s-1 para 100 °C/s.

ABSTRACT The effect of the cooling rate on martensite formation kinetic and its microstructural evolution in a ferritic stainless steel with 0.011 %C - 11.1 %Cr - 0.013 N was studied, using the dilatometric technique and optical microscopy. Samples were austenitized at 1000°C during one minute, followed by cooling under various rates to room temperature. The microstructure consists predominantly composed of martensite with a small volumetric fraction of ferrite, and the values of Vickers microhardness vary from 319±4 HV0.2 to 338±4 HV0.2 when the cooling rates increase from 0.5 to 100 °C/s. The results show that the martensite start and finish temperatures decrease when the cooling rate increases. The martensitic transformation rate grows abruptly reaching the maximum value when the martensitic fraction is about 42 % and then it decreases to zero when the martensitic transformation comes to the end. The maximum rate of martensitic transformation grows with increase of cooling rate, being 0.01 s-1 to 0.5 °C/s and 2,54 s-1 to 100 °C/s.

A comparison of the influence of microstructure and texture on mechanical behavior between the niobium-stabilized ferritic stainless steel type ASTM 430, 430Nb, and the niobium-titanium-stabilized ferritic stainless steel type ASTM 439 was performed. The two steels were supplied as cold rolled thin sheets and the annealing was interrupted in different temperatures aiming the characterization of the microstructure and texture in different stages of recrystallization using optical microscopy, Vickers microhardness and Electron Backscatter Diffraction. The annealed samples were tensile tested to determine the mechanical properties and undergone to Swift test to evaluate the drawability. The steel 430Nb showed smaller grain size and greater yield stress. The steel ASTM 439 presented higher normal anisotropy coefficient, R, and higher Limit Drawing Ratio due to greater proportion of γ fiber. These results are presented and discussed in terms of precipitates and crystallographic texture developed in the recrystallization of both steels.

This study seeks to evaluate the effect of intermediate annealing on the microstructure, texture, and formability of Nb-stabilized ferritic stainless steel. Two routes - direct cold rolling and cold rolling with an intermediate annealing were performed. The total reduction was 80%, 3-0.6 mm and 3-1.2-0.6 mm. The characterization of the samples was conducted using X-ray diffraction, electron backscatter diffraction, and tensile tests to evaluate the formability by the average normal anisotropy coefficient, r value. The results showed that intermediate annealing promoted the strongest γ-fiber with peak at {111}〈112〉 and weak α-fiber after cold rolling. After the final annealing, it was observed that intermediate annealing reduces the banded microstructure and θ-fiber, and improves the γ-fiber uniformity and the r value. It is worth noting that the γ-fiber fraction was the same for direct reduction. The increase in r value was related to the reduction in θ-fiber and the uniformity of texture recrystallization.