A Solidification Study: Characterization and Microstructural Analysis of CF-8M Cast Austenitic Stainless Steels
摘要
This paper presents a detailed analysis of the presence and distribution of delta ferrite in four CF-8M cast stainless steel alloys. Microstructural characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to determine the amount and morphology of delta ferrite in the alloys. The microstructures of the CF-8M alloys contained both austenite and delta ferrite. The morphology, amount, and distribution of delta ferrite varied depending on the chemical composition. The microstructural characterization results evidenced the predominance of the ferritic-austenitic solidification mode. The solidification interval was below 4 °C for all CF-8M alloys, which is consistent with the formation of delta ferrite as the first phase to solidify from the liquid. DSC results indicated a solid-state phase transformation ranging between 1331 and 1347 °C, corresponding to the delta ferrite to austenite transformation. The energy of this transformation was found to be inversely proportional to the amount of delta ferrite observed in the final microstructure of the alloys.