Over-relaxation effect of deformed austenite on ageing behavior of an Nb-bearing microalloyed steel

The ageing behavior of an Nb-bearing microalloyed steel at 525 degrees C was investigated by thereto-simulation test, hardness measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Prior to ageing, the steel was deformed in austenite zone followed by a long relaxation. Experimental results indicate that the hardness decreases gradually in the initial stage until ageing for 120 min, and then increases continuously until 1200 min. The coarsened precipitates (>10 nm) formed in deformed austenite remain nearly unchanged in size, even after ageing for long time, while the further precipitates, which nucleate in alpha phase, contribute to the increasing of hardness. By comparison, the undeformed samples in austenite subjected to the same ageing process display a very similar hardness change trend to that of over-relaxation ones and have higher hardness values at each corresponding period.