Morphological Characteristics of Retained Austenite in 0.362C–1.38Si–1.24Mn Steel Processed by One-Step Quenching and Partitioning

Abstract

The microstructure and morphology of retained austenite are effective parameters in the mechanism of plasticity enhancement in quenching and partitioning steels. This study focused on the identification of morphological features of retained austenite through scanning electron microscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffractometry, and transmission electron microscopy in a onestep quenched and partitioned C–Mn–Si steel. Retained austenite of different sizes and shapes (island-like and film-like) and martensite with lath-type morphology were observed at all partitioning times. Cementitecarbide (Fe₃C) precipitates with a dominant spherical shape and average submicron size were also characterized in samples that had been partitioned for longer times.