Evolution of microstructure and texture during hot torsion of ferritic stainless steels stabilized by Nb and Ti
Abstract
The study was carried out to understand the mechanisms occurring during dynamic recrystallization of hot deformed 11 % chromium stabilized ferritic stainless steels and to compare the behaviour induced by various types of stabilization. The experimental temperatures ranged from 800 to 1150 °C and strain rates from 10-2 to 15 s-1. The development of the textures and microstructures was analysed using EBSD maps. It was observed that continuous dynamic recrystallization occurs in all materials starting at the onset of straining. Niobium has a more pronounced influence on hardening than titanium during hot deformation. The D2 component was found as the major texture component at the steady state for the torsion tests conducted along the negative shear direction. It was likely to be formed by the combination of straining and growth of the grains exhibiting both low stored energy and low rotation rate of the crystallographic axes. The texture evolution was the main reason for the flow stress behavior during the hot torsion tests. A complementary study was carried out to understand the texture formation occurring during the direct (negative shear direction) and reversed (positive shear direction) hot torsion. After reversion of the shear direction, i.e. during positive shear, the above major texture component is gradually changed into the D1 component. Using the method of Continuum Mechanics of Textured Polycrystals, the stress evolution is explained by the volume fraction changes of each component at various strains, associated with their respective Taylor factors. This simplified approach leads to a good agreement with experimental results.