Materials Science Forum, Vol.414-4, 281-287, 2003
Deforming texture effect on phase transformation in stainless steels
In stainless steels during the non-equilibrium transformation of austenite the deformed bcc alpha' martensite and hexagonal, non-magnetic epsilon martensite also can form. These transformations can be induced by cooling (under critical temperature) and/or mechanical deformation. The appearance of epsilon martensite has an effect on the deformation ability and other properties. The experimental results associate the epsilon martensite formation with the plastic deformation behaviour (TRIP effect), while the transformation of epsilon martensite into alpha' martensite is accompanied with hardening. The present phases hardly determine the cold rolling properties. During the deforming of alpha', epsilon, gamma phases in stainless steels the texture also developes. The initial strong deforming gamma texture changes with the appearance of alpha' martensite. We suppose that the transformation takes place at certain places in an anisotropic way due to the deforming texture. The texture of alpha' martensite develops by the initial anisotropy of parent phase and/or the phase deformation.