Effect of Cu on the Formation of Reversed Austenite in Super Martensitic Stainless Steel

We investigated the effect of Cu on the formation of reversed austenite in super martensitic stainless steel by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Our results showed that the microstructure of the steels comprised tempered martensite and diffused reversed austenite after the steels were quenched at 1050 °C and tempered at 550–750 °C. The volume fraction of reversed austenite in the steel with 3 wt.% of Cu (3Cu) was more than that with 1.5 wt.% of Cu (1.5Cu). The transmission electron microscope results revealed that the reversed austenite in 1.5Cu steel mainly had the shape of a thin strip, while that in 3Cu steel had a block shape. The nucleation points and degree of Ni enrichment of reversed austenite in 3Cu steel were higher than those in 1.5Cu steel. The reversed austenite was more likely to grow in ε-Cu enriched regions. Therefore, Cu can promote reversed austenite nucleation and growth. The mechanical properties of 3 Cu steel are obviously better than those of 1.5Cu steel when tempered at 550–650 °C.