FIB and TEM studies on the bainitic microstructure in low carbon HSLA steels

Abstract

In the present study, focused ion beam (FIB) technique was applied to make site-specific TEM specimens and to identify the 3-dimensional grain morphologies of bainitic microstructure in low carbon HSLA steels such as granular bainite, acicular ferrite and bainitic ferrite. Granular bainite consisted of fine subgrains and 2(nd) phase constituents like M/A or pearlite located at grain and subgrain boundaries. Acicular ferrite was characterized by an aggregate of ramdomly orientated and irregular shaped grains. The high angle boundaries between adjacent acicular ferrite grains caused by intragranular nucleation during continuous cooling process. Bainitic ferrite revealed uniform and parallel lath structure within the prior austenite grain boundaries and its' packet size could effectively decreased by the formation of intragranular acicular ferrite.