Microstructure, phase composition and hardness evolution in 316L stainless steel processed by high-pressure torsion

摘要

A 316L stainless steel was processed by high-pressure torsion (HPT) to evaluate the grain refinement and phase transformation. The initial material was essentially a single phase γ-austenite with a coarsegrained microstructure of ～42 μm but the grain size was reduced to ～45nmafter 10 turns of HPT. In addition, there was a phase transformation and the initial γ-austenite transformed initially to ε-mar-tensite and finally to α'-martensite with increasing strain. The dislocation density increased to an exceptionally high value, of the order of ～10~(16) m~(-2), in the main α'-martensite phase after 10 HPT revolutions. The formation of the multiphase nanocrystalline microstructure yielded a four-fold increase in hardness to reach an ultimate value of ～6000 MPa. The Hall-Petch behaviour of the HPT-processed alloy is compared directly with coarse-grained materials.