Metallographic Characterization of a Ti-Containing Low-Density Fe-Mn-Al-C Steel in As-Cast Condition. (2nd March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mejía, Ignacio; Díaz-Martínez, Gladys Y.; Bedolla-Jacuinde, Arnoldo
• Editors: López-Cuevas, Jorge; Robles Hernandez, Francisco C.
• Is Part Of: MRS proceedings. Volume 1812(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-03-02
• Subjects: Steel, -- Microstructure, -- Ti; Electrical engineering -- Congresses; Physics -- Congresses; Materials -- Research -- Congresses; Materials science -- Congresses; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1557/opl.2016.17
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-9172

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Low-density steels, with an excellent combination of outstanding mechanical properties, ultimate tensile strength and specific weight reduction, have been attracting great attention as a new group of materials in many industrial applications, particularly in the automotive industry. The aim of this work was to characterize the microstructure of a Ti-containing low-density Fe-Mn-Al-C steel in the as-cast condition. For this purpose, Ti-containing low-density steel was melted in an induction furnace using high purity raw materials and cast into a metal ingot mold. Chemical composition of the studied steel was Fe-32Mn-7.0Al-2.2C-0.5Ti (wt%). Samples were prepared by standard metallographic technique (grinding and polishing) and chemically etched with 2% nital solution, in order to reveal the dendritic microstructure. Microstructure observations were performed by scanning electron microscopy and the chemical nature of the present phases was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray. X-ray diffraction was performed at room temperature using a diffractometer with Cu Kα radiation. Phase equilibria by thermodynamic calculations for the studied steel were performed using JMatPro® software package. In general, results revealed a finer dendritic microstructure composed of ferritic matrix and austenite islands. The presence of ferrite and austenite in the steel was also confirmed by X-ray diffraction.