The Synchrotron Radiation for Steel Research

Abstract

The synchrotron X-ray radiation is a great tool in materials characterization with several advantageous features. The high intensity allows clear interaction signals and high energy of X-ray yields higher sampling volume. The samples do not need extra preparation and the microstructure is therefore not affected. With the tunability of the X-ray energy, a large range of elements and features in the samples can be investigated by different techniques, which is a significant difference between a stand-alone X-ray tube and synchrotron X-ray. Moreover, any experimental equipment can be installed through which the synchrotron beam travels. This facilitates the so-called in situ characterization such as during heat treatment, hot deformation, chemical reaction or welding. Although steel which possesses rather high density requires very high energy X-ray for large interaction volume, lower energy is still effective for the investigation of local structure of nanoconstituents. This work picks up a couple examples employing synchrotron X-ray for the characterization of high strength steels. The first case is the quantification of precipitates in high strength low alloyed (HSLA) steel by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The other case is the in situ X-ray diffraction for phase fraction and carbon partitioning in multiphase steels such as transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel.

Identification of Retained Austenite in 9Cr-1.4W-0.06Ta-0.12C Reduced Activation Ferritic Martensitic Steel

“…Conventional laboratory XRD spectra of the normalized as well as normalized and tempered steels showed the presence only α-bcc peaks, corresponding to the martensite/ferrite matrix, due to the low amounts of precipitates in the tempered steel. Methods such as electrolytic phase extraction can enable the identification of low amounts secondary phases with the matrix interference even by laboratory X-ray sources [20] or alternatively, synchrotron XRD is well known to be suitable for phase identification with low detection limits [21]. ADXRD spectra of the normalized as well as the tempered steels are presented in Figure 4a.…”

In Situ Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction and Microstructural Studies on Cold and Hot Stamping Combined with Quenching & Partitioning Processing for Development of Third-Generation Advanced High Strength Steels

“…The experimental setup consists of a customized Gleeble ® 3S50 thermomechanical simulator integrated with a monochromatic synchrotron X-ray beam at 12 keV (λ = 0.10332 nm) incident on the sample. Although steel, which possesses relatively high density, requires a very high energy X-ray for large interaction volume, lower energy is still effective for investigating the local structure of nanoconstituents [50]. Scattered X-ray intensities were measured by two solid-state linear detector arrays (silicon microstrip multichannel system, each Mythen-1K with 1280 channels, 50 μm wide, distributed in a row).…”

Worthwhile Relevance of Infrared Spectroscopy in Characterization of Samples and Concept of Infrared Spectroscopy-Based Synchrotron Radiation

“…According to Blaustein, synchrotron produces X-ray which is a trillion times brighter than the conventional X-rays [108]. Globally, there are over seventy synchrotrons [109,110]. Several of them are partly or fully devoted to synchrotron radiation generation for research purposes [110].…”