title: Characterization of a cold-rolled 2101 lean duplex stainless steel.
abstract: Duplex stainless steels (DSS) may be defined as a category of steels with a two-phase ferritic-austenitic microstructure, which combines good mechanical and corrosion properties. However, these steels can undergo significant microstructural modification as a consequence of either thermo-mechanical treatments (ferrite decomposition, which causes σ- and χ-phase formation and nitride precipitation) or plastic deformation at room temperature [austenite transformation into strain-induced martensite (SIM)]. These secondary phases noticeably affect the properties of DSS, and therefore are of huge industrial interest. In the present work, SIM formation was investigated in a 2101 lean DSS. The material was subjected to cold rolling at various degrees of deformation (from 10 to 80% thickness reduction) and the microstructure developed after plastic deformation was investigated by electron backscattered diffraction, X-ray diffraction measurements, and hardness and magnetic tests. It was observed that SIM formed as a consequence of deformations higher than ~20% and residual austenite was still observed at 80% of thickness reduction. Furthermore, a direct relationship was found between microstructure and magnetic properties.
authors.affiliation: CNR-IENI, Unit of Lecco, Corso Promessi Sposi 29, Lecco 23900, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bassani
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breda
authors.forename: Katya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brunelli
authors.forename: Istvan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mészáros
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Passaretti
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanellato
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Calliari