Effect of heat treatment on the precipitation behavior of secondary phases in a HR3C austenitic heat resistant steel was investigated. The microstructure of the steel in solution-treated state consists of austenitic matrix and coarse Z-phase particles. After aging treatment at 650-950°C for lh, M_(23)C_6-type carbide precipitates along random grain boundaries. Dense and homogeneous nanosized Z-phase precipitates within austenite grains are obtained by an aging treatment at a temperature between 800 and 900°C for lh. The high density of dislocation walls produced during the water-cooling process after solution treatment facilitate the precipitation of the nanosized Z-phase. With increasing the aging temperature, the hardness initially drops, then increases and reaches a peak when the aging temperature is at 850°C due to the precipitation of the nanosized Z-phase..
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