Toughness and plasticity mechanism of medium manganese steel in cyclic phase transformation strengthening
摘要
A novel cyclic heat treatment process was proposed, wherein a multistage cyclic quenching treatment was conducted prior to the two-step annealing process. Experimental investigations were carried out to study the microstructural evolution of this new process and its impact on tensile and corrosion properties. The alteration in internal microstructure led to a gradual transition from discontinuous yield to continuous yield with reduced yield strength in the tensile flow curve. This change was attributed to the increased formation of martensite and decreased presence of austenite after quenching at 900 °C, and a significant reduction in grain size. The essence of this novel cyclic approach lies in achieving blocky and fine-grained austenite, which enhances instability and facilitates TRIP effect attainment. Grain recrystallization occurs while martensite transforms into type II and III austenite within the parent austenitic direction. Simultaneously, dislocations are rearranged and eliminated, providing dislocation sources for newly formed ferrite that eliminate Lüders bands. The 900-3DCT has a unique combination of high tensile strength (1360 ± 19 MPa) and high elongation (51 ± 6%). This presents a fresh perspective on simultaneously enhancing mechanical strength and corrosion resistance for medium manganese steel.