Study of the nitrogen or carbon and metal-component influence on interatomic interactions in austenitic steels by inelastic neutron scattering

A complex study of lattice dynamics, neutron diffraction and mechanical testing of austenitic 18Cr16Ni10Mn with nitrogen or carbon contents from 0.06 to 0.6 wt.% is presented. This investigation shows that the mechanical properties of nitrogen steels are stronger then carbon ones by 25–30%. Most of the nitrogen is in solid solution; the carbon solubility is half as much less. Both nitrogen and carbon do not change the metal-metal interactions, but the metal-nitrogen interaction is stronger than that of metal-carbon by 26%, also the nitrogen-nitrogen interaction is stronger than that of carbon-carbon. Carbon precipitates more easily during cold deformation and increased concentration.