Dilatometric evaluation of strain-induced martensite reversion in type AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel

Austenitic stainless steels can form strain-induced martensites when deformed. The mechanical properties, as the formability, depend on morphology, distribution and volumetric fractions of phases generated, epsilon-martensite, with a close-packed hexagonal structure, and alpha-prime martensite, which possesses a body-centered cubic structure. Tensile tests were carried out in temperatures in the range of -50 to 20 degrees C with true strains ranging from 0.03 to 0.12, in order to obtain different volumetric fractions of epsilon and alpha-prime martensites. The amount of alpha-prime martensite was measured by using a ferritoscope indicating that the alpha-prime martensite fraction increases with strain for a constant temperature and decreases with the temperature for a constant strain. The epsilon and alpha-prime martensites reversion was observed in the temperature range of 50 to 200 degrees C and 500 to 800 degrees C, respectively, by dilatometer tests. The epsilon martensite volumetric fraction first rises with the strain and, at higher deformations, drops from a maximum value, which depends on the deformation temperature. The epsilon martensite occurs before alpha-prime martensite and its amount decreases with the increase on the volumetric fraction of alpha-prime martensite.