Ashok Kumar Srivastava

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a TRIP-Aided Martensitic Steel

This paper deals with the microstructural and mechanical properties of a transformation-induced plasticity-aided martensitic (TM) steel that is expected to serve as an advanced structural steel for automotive applications. The microstructure consisted of a wide lath-martensite-structured matrix and a mixture of narrow lath-martensite and metastable retained austenite of 2–5 vol% (MA-like phase). When 1%Cr and 1%Cr–0.2%Mo were added into 0.2%C–1.5%Si–1.5%Mn steel to enhance its hardenability, the resultant TM steels achieved a superior cold formability, toughness, fatigue strength, and delayed fracture strength as compared to conventional structural steel such as SCM420. These enhanced mechanical properties were found to be mainly caused by (1) plastic relaxation of the stress concentration, which resulted from expansion strain on the strain-induced transformation of the metastable retained austenite, and (2) the presence of a large quantity of a finely dispersed MA-like phase, which suppressed crack initiation or void formation and subsequent void coalescence.

In Situ Synthesis, Microstructure, and Properties of TiC and (Ti,W)C-Reinforced Fe-Mn-Al Austenitic Steel Matrix Composites

In situ synthesis, microstructures, and properties of 10 vol.% TiC and (Ti,W)C-reinforced Fe-Mn-Al austenitic steel matrix composites have been reported in this paper. The microstructure of the prepared samples has been characterized by using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction technique. The abrasion wear resistance and mechanical properties such as hardness and impact energy of both the composites as well as the unreinforced Fe-Mn-Al austenitic steel have been evaluated. The (Ti,W)C-reinforced composite has higher impact energy and slightly lower hardness values compared to that of TiC-reinforced composite. The TiC-reinforced composite exhibits the best abrasive wear resistance of all the materials tested.