RESUMEN
In situ high-energy X-ray diffraction using a synchrotron source performed on a steel metal matrix composite reinforced by TiC allows the evolutions of internal stresses during cooling to be followed thanks to the development of a new original experimental device (a transportable radiation furnace with controlled rotation of the specimen). Using the device on a high-energy beamline during in situ thermal treatment, we were able to extract the evolution of the stress tensor components in all phases: austenite, TiC, and even during the martensitic phase transformation of the matrix.
RESUMEN
Quenching and Partitioning (Q&P) steels are promising candidates for automotive applications because of their lightweight potential. Their properties depend on carbon enrichment in austenite which, in turn, is strongly influenced by carbide precipitation in martensite during quenching and partitioning treatment. In this paper, by coupling in situ High Energy X-Ray Diffraction (HEXRD) experiments and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), we give some clarification regarding the precipitation process of iron carbides in martensite throughout the Q&P process. For the first time, precipitation kinetics was followed in real time. It was shown that precipitation starts during the reheating sequence for the steel studied. Surprisingly, the precipitated fraction remains stable all along the partitioning step at 400 °C. Furthermore, the analyses enable the conclusion that the iron carbides are most probably eta carbides. The presence of cementite was ruled out, while the presence of several epsilon carbides cannot be strictly excluded.