Micromechanics and microstructure evolution during in situ uniaxial tensile loading of TRIP-assisted duplex stainless steels

Transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) assisted duplex stainless steels, with three different stabilities of the austenite phase, were investigated by synchrotron x-ray diffraction characterization during in situ uniaxial tensile loading. The micromechanics and the deformation-induced martensitic transformation (DIMT) in the bulk of the steels were investigated in situ. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy supplemented the in situ analysis by providing information about the microstructure of annealed and deformed specimens. The dependence of deformation structure on austenite stability is similar to that of single-phase austenitic steels with shear bands and bcc-martensite (alpha') generally observed, and blocky alpha' is only frequent when the austenite stability is low. These microstructural features, i.e. defect structure and deformation-induced martensite, are correlated with the micro- and macro-mechanics of the steels with elastoplastic load transfer from the weaker phases to the stronger alpha', in particular this occurs close to the point of maximum rate of alpha' formation. A clear strain-hardening effect from alpha' is seen in the most unstable austenite leading to a pronounced TRIP effect.