A study of microstructure, transformation mechanisms and correlation between microstructure and mechanical properties of a low alloyed TRIP steel Original Research Article

Differently heat treated samples of a low alloyed TRIP steel have been investigated using electron diffraction techniques in SEM and TEM. Aim was, first, to discriminate the microstructure constituents, austenite, ferrite, bainite, and martensite, second to gain information on the γ–α phase transformation mechanisms and third to correlate the mechanical properties and the microstructure of the samples. Bainite always occurs in conjunction with an orientation gradient in the surrounding ferrite matrix. It consists of fine lamellae of ferrite and austenite which show a sharp Kurdjumov–Sachs orientation relationship with each other. This was interpreted in terms of a displacive bainite formation mechanism. The microstructure is formed by growth of γ-grains during intercritical annealing and shrinking of these grains during the subsequent cooling without nucleation of new α-grains. The transformation first occurs reconstructively into ferrite and then, at lower temperature, displacively into bainite. The mechanical properties of differently heat treated samples are most strongly influenced by the amount and distribution of carbon in the retained austenite and by the degree of recovery in bainite and austenite.