The present study reveals the microstructural evolution and corresponding mechanisms occurring during different stages of quenching and partitioning (Q&P) conducted on 0.6C-1.5Si steel using in-situ High Energy X-Ray Diffraction (HEXRD) and high-resolution dilatometry methods. The results support that the symmetry of ferrite is not cubic when first formed since it is fully supersaturated with carbon at the early stages of partitioning. Moreover, by increasing partitioning temperature, the dominant carbon source for austenite enrichment changes from ongoing bainitic ferrite transformation during the partitioning stage to initial martensite formed in the quenching stage. At low partitioning temperatures, a bimodal distribution of low- and high-carbon austenite, 0.6 and 1.9 wt.% carbon, is detected. At higher temperatures, a better distribution of carbon occurs, approaching full homogenization. An initial martensite content of around 11.5 wt.% after partitioning at 280 °C via bainitic ferrite transformation results in higher carbon enrichment of austenite and increased retained austenite amount by approximately 4% in comparison with partitioning at 500 °C. In comparison with austempering heat treatment with no prior martensite, the presence of initial martensite in the Q&P microstructure accelerates the subsequent low-temperature bainitic transformation.

The effect of ultrasonic treatment (UST) and thermal annealing (THA) post-processes on the mechanical properties and the related microstructural mechanisms of the tensile pre-strained 316 stainless steel was investigated. It was shown that both processes reduce the microhardness and the yield point as well as increasing the elongation of the pre-deformed alloy. A 10% reduction of the yield point and 28% increase in the elongation was observed after the higher power UST (500 W), while an enhanced ductility of 56% and 41% reduction of the yield point was measured for the high-temperature THA (800°C) treated steel. The increased ductility was related to de-twinning and dislocation annihilation mechanisms, which increase the mean free path distance of dislocations. The de-twinning mechanism was proposed as the boundary migration mechanism and reverse gliding of the partial dislocations by cyclic shear stress for the THA and UST processes, respectively. Unlike the UST process, the high-temperature thermal annealing was associated with the formation of M₂₃C₆ precipitates, which causes depletion of alloying elements from the vicinity of grain boundaries and makes the alloy more prone to intergranular corrosion. Compared with THA, the advantages of the UST process are as follows: a rapid and straightforward process, low energy consumption, enhanced ductility without significant reduction in strength, and inhibition of grain boundary precipitation.

The Ni-TiO2 and Ni-CeO2 composite coatings with varying hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics were fabricated by the electrodeposition method from a tartrate electrolyte at ambient temperature. To meet the requirements of tight regulation by the European Chemicals Agency classifying H3BO3 as a substance of very high concern, Rochelle salt was utilized as a buffer solution instead. The novelty of this study was to implement a simple one-step galvanostatic electrodeposition from the low-temperature electrolyte based on a greener buffer compared to traditionally used, aiming to obtain new types of soft-matrix Ni, Ni-CeO2, and Ni-TiO2 coatings onto steel or copper substrates. The surface characteristics of electrodeposited nickel composites were evaluated by SEM, EDS, surface contact angle measurements, and XPS. Physiochemical properties of pure Ni, Ni-CeO2, and Ni-TiO2 composites, namely, wear resistance, microhardness, microroughness, and photocatalytic activity, were studied. Potentiodynamic polarization, EIS, and ICP-MS analyses were employed to study the long-term corrosion behavior of coatings in a 0.5 M NaCl solution. Superior photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue, 96.2% after 6 h of illumination, was achieved in the case of Ni-TiO2 composite, while no substantial change in the photocatalytic behavior of the Ni-CeO2 compared to pure Ni was observed. Both composites demonstrated higher hardness and wear resistance than pure Ni. This study investigates the feasibility of utilizing TiO2 as a photocatalytic hydrophilicity promoter in the fabrication of composite coatings for various applications.

Carbon partitioning from martensite to austenite is essential for austenite stabilization during quenching and partitioning (Q&P), while a few competitive phenomena, such as bainitic transformation and carbide precipitation, alter the microstructural evolution. So, there is a need of using in-situ in combination with ex-situ characterisation techniques to understand the C partitioning at high temperature in relation to simultaneous competitive phenomena that might occur during the partitioning stage.

In this study, microstructural evolutions of a medium carbon steel ( 0.6C–1.6Si–1.25Mn–1.75Cr wt%) during Q&P treatment were investigated by using an in-situ High-Temperature X-Ray Diffraction (HTXRD) equipment at three partitioning temperatures. Results confirmed that carbon enrichment of austenite at 280 and 400 ℃ originates from partial carbon depletion from martensite and bainitic transformation, while partitioning at 500 ℃ results in the complete depletion of carbon from initial martensite and ferrite formation. Short diffusion distance (~0.13 µm) of carbon at 280 ℃ caused a poor carbon homogenization of austenite and formation of 8 vol% fresh martensite after final quenching. High Si content of the steel stabilized transitional carbides and, concurrently, suppressed Fe₃C formation during Q&P. The outcome of this study could contribute to the design of suitable chemistry and process parameters for producing quenched and partitioned steels.

Reciprocating sliding wear tests were performed on TiAlN coating against 316L stainless steel and carbide-free bainitic steel at temperatures of 40, 400 and 800 ^oC. The results indicate that material transfer is more pronounced for the softer stainless steel at lower temperatures but at 800 ^oC, carbide-free bainite exhibits relatively more material transfer. Friction coefficient of stainless steel increases when temperature increases. However, for carbide-free bainite, there is a reduction in friction coefficient at elevated temperatures. This can be attributed to formation of an easily sheared iron oxide layer at elevated temperatures. In case of stainless steel, generation of a thin tribofilm containing aluminium oxide and oxidised transferred material can protect the TiAlN coating against wear at 800 ^oC.

A holistic approach to diagnose the occurrence of cracking on HSLA steel slabs and propose countermeasures to prevent them is presented. The approach consisted on plant monitoring, including direct temperature measurements in the strand with pyrometers. Extensive characterization was performed via thermo-mechanical tests and microscopy techniques which revealed combination of WidmanstÀtten ferrite, acicular ferrite and secondary phases that promote embrittlement during casting with a minimum ductility between 700°C–800°C (± 50°C) which is responsible for cracking in this steel. Finally, 1D and 3D numerical models were developed to test possible cooling strategies which proved that reductions in water flowrate can have a positive effect in slab quality by avoiding the low ductility zone. Corrective actions included decreasing cooling to increase the overall temperature of the strand before the straightener to increase the overall temperature. Yet, some slabs still observed the presence of cracks which points at secondary factors such as high tundish temperatures >1 530°C producing cracking. Other secondary factors include strong temperature variations up to ± 250°C during measurements which would send the strand corners into the low ductility range producing cracking despite having a hot slab centre. Although these optimization strategies are particular to each caster and steel grade, a similar approach could be applied to address secondary cooling issues during continuous casting. The models presented are an ideal toolkit to analyse the influence of product size and operation parameters in combination with plant monitoring and extensive microstructure characterization to improve the quality and productivity of the process. © 2021 The Iron and Steel Institute of Japan.

The microstructure and mechanical properties of 2205 dual-phase pre-strained stainless steel following the high-power ultrasonic treatment (UST) were investigated. Mitigation of the deformation fiber texture, decrease in dislocation density, XRD peak shifting, and hardness reduction corroborated that the ultrasonic treatment can effectively reduce the internal stress of the duplex structure. The EDS and XRD results showed no brittle intermetallic phases were formed after the UST process, unlike conventional thermal treatment methods. Around 18% reduction in microhardness value and a significant ductility improvement of 54% can be achieved using an intermediate amplitude (power) vibration. The microstructure and mechanical properties variation caused by the UST process and the related mechanisms have been discussed in detail. New microstructural mechanisms have been proposed for the interpretation of the observed acoustic stress relief in both α and γ-phases.

The influence of ultrasonic treatment (UST) on the microstructure of AISI‐304 and AISI‐316 stainless steels as two common commercial grades with similar properties but different levels of stacking fault energy (SFE) are compared in this study. The softening effect of the ultrasonic wave on the pre‐deformed structure is demonstrated by microhardness measurements, while the relaxation of tensile residual stresses is affirmed through the X‐ray diffraction (XRD) peak shifting. Electron and optical microscopy revealed a significant impact of ultrasound on the reduction of deformation twins’ fraction. A new mechanism for de‐twinning under the action of ultrasonic vibration is proposed using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis. The reduction of 25% and 34% are detected in dislocation density of 10% pre‐deformed tensile sample after 300 W UST for 304SS and 316SS alloys, respectively. The effect of SFE is discussed, and it turned out that cross‐slip is the main mechanism of dislocation annihilation as a result of UST. Observation of the low‐deformation regions close to the grain boundaries indicated the occurrence of the recrystallization phenomenon during UST. Dislocation annihilation, de‐twinning, dislocation absorption to grain boundaries, and recrystallization are regarded as the softening and relaxation mechanisms of UST for austenitic stainless steels.