Martensitic Transformation During Cold Rolling Deformation of an Austenitic Fe-26Mn-0.14C Alloy

Abstract

A high-Mn austenitic steel was deformed in cold rolling to study the martensitic transformation and microstructure using X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction. Despite heavy deformation of 70 pct reduction (1.2 true strain), a¢-martensite could not be induced in this alloy, but about 90 pct of the austenite transformed to e-martensite. However, a small fraction (~4 pct) of a¢-martensite could be observed when the same alloy was subjected to low strain compression tests in a Gleeble simulator. The stability of e-martensite was attributed to the increase in stacking fault energy of the steel, expected to be more than 20 mJ/m 2 because of the increase in temperature during the cold rolling deformation.