Estudo da recristalização do aço inoxidável Lean Duplex LDX2101® submetido a diferentes graus de redução por laminação a frio

Abstract

Duplex Stainless Steel are an alloy based on Fe-Cr-Ni system characterized by biphasic structure of austenite-ferrite obtained through different thermomechanical cycles and they show good combination between mechanical (high tension strength and good tenacity) and corrosion resistance properties (stress corrosion cracking and pitting corrosion), besides good soldability. One of the Duplex Stainless Steel grades that is being developed in the last years is the Lean Duplex (LDSS) which have low addition of Cr, Ni, Mo and, for this, they are cheaper than austenitic and standard duplex stainless steel. To compensate the reduction of Ni and Mo, elements like Mn and N are added in larger quantities to give good corrosion resistance and ensure the stability of austenite. A possibility for application for LDSS is the manufacturing of components that are subjected corrosion conditions lesser severe for petrochemical industries, manufactured by diffusion bonding, taking advantage of superplastic behavior that these steels have since refined grains structure is present and low deformation rate are applied. Therefore, in this work was made a study of recrystallization of LDSS 2101, previously work hardened, as a method to refine grain. The material was subjected to different reduction degree by cold rolling (70, 80 and 90%), different heat treatments of recrystallization annealing in three temperatures (900, 1000 and 1100°C) and different times (20 min, 1 and 2 hours). The techniques of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy, magnetic saturation measures, X-ray diffraction, Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) and Vickers micro hardness were employed in the microstructure characterization. The results of magnetic measures and optical microscopy show a sharp occurrence of strain induced martensite BCC (α’) on austenite, besides evidences of occurrence of other deformations mechanisms such as deformation twins and dislocation glide, as well evidences of non-transformed austenite without work hardening, according to the hardness values, even for 90% reduction. Evidences of deleterious phases precipitation, as seen in SEM, were not confirmed by X-ray diffraction, which confirms the system thermodynamic simulation, which indicates phase precipitation such as σ and nitrides in temperature smaller than those used in this work. Preliminary analysis of EBSD samples indicates that recrystallization were not complete for 900°C and 20 minutes, as well a refined austenite grain structure and a trend for secondary recrystallization for ferrite. Optical microscopy also shows a trend to increase austenite over ferrite when temperature and time of recrystallization increased.