Ali Karimi Taheri

In this review, effects of initial microstructure before intercritical annealing and processing routes of dual phase (DP) high strength steels are discussed. Prior-applied deformation processes as cold rolling and severe plastic deformation (SPD) including their impacts on mechanical properties of DP steels are described. Influences of heating rate, recrystallization of ferrite, nucleation and grain growth of austenite on the microstructure evolution are also presented. The intercritical annealing and thermomechanical processes of DP steels are comparatively outlined. Furthermore, post-intercritical annealing treatments, i.e., tempering, bake hardening, strain and quench aging are argued. Effects of key alloying elements on the microstructure and mechanical properties of DP steels are briefly summarized. A further development of DP steels can properly benefit from this extensive review.

Two series of heat-resistant 25Cr-35Ni-Nb stainless steels with tungsten addition and Nb/C ratio of ≈2.6 and 3.9 were directionally solidified under two cooling rates of 23–6 °C s−1, respectively. EDS analysis, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) tests were carried out to show that tungsten as a carbide phase nucleant promoted weak coupled eutectic growth of γ/ M7C3 and decreased the lamellar eutectic colonies. Substantial negative segregation of Ni and Fe and positive segregation of Nb and Cr in tungsten-bearing alloys stimulated the γ/M23C6 reaction and the M23C6 possessed a dendritic morphology. Two morphologies of MC carbides consisted of Widmanstätten and dendritic with a wavy surface were detected depending on the cooling rate and tungsten addition. The partition coefficient of Nb was determined as 0.31 and 0.52 for the alloy with and without tungsten, respectively.