Atomic scale investigation of redistribution of alloying elements in pearlitic steel wires upon cold-drawing and annealing

Mechanisms of subgrain coarsening and its effect on the mechanical properties of carbon-supersaturated nanocrystalline hypereutectoid steel

“…Regarding the detailed distributions of other alloying elements, such as Si and Cr, readers are referred to Refs. [21,40]. Fig.…”

“…Up to annealing at 350 C for 2 min a homogeneous distribution of Mn throughout both the ferrite and cementite phases, as a consequence of mechanical alloying during cold drawing [40], is detected. When extending t a to 30 min, slight partitioning of Mn into cementite adjacent to ferritecementite interfaces can be observed (see blue curve in Fig.…”

“…We attribute this saturation behavior to a kinetic freezing effect (smaller diffusion coefficient in cementite than in ferrite) as reported in Refs. [2,40]. Regarding the detailed distributions of other alloying elements, such as Si and Cr, readers are referred to Refs.…”

“…The apparent correlation between these observations would suggest that the Mn atoms are first accumulated at subgrain boundaries by boundary migration, and then diffuse along the subgrain boundaries into the cementite. It is known that Mn is a carbide-forming element and that its solubility in cementite is much higher than that in ferrite at 400 C according to ThermalCalc calculations [2,40]. Clearly, the difference in solubility yields a thermodynamic driving force that promotes diffusion of Mn from ferrite into cementite.…”

Influence of a 2-D defect on the partitioning during the formation of a cementite particle in steels

“…It has already been observed in tempered martensite that substitutional elements, such Mn and Cr, as well as interstitial elements, such C and B, can segregate on 2-D defects in a ferritic matrix [8,11,12]. This segregation is depending on the misorientation existing between the two grains [8,13].…”