Effect of the thermo‐mechanical processing on the impact toughness of a 12% cr martensitic steel with co, cu, w, mo and ta doping

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of a 12% Cr steel where a significant increase in Charpy impact toughness and a slight decrease in ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) from 70 °C to 65 °C were obtained through thermo-mechanical processing, including interim hot forging at 1050 °C with long-term annealing at 1000 °C, as compared with conventional heat treatment. At lower temperatures ranging from −20 °C to 25 °C, the value of impact toughness comprised ~40 J cm⁻² in the present 12% Cr steel subjected to thermo-mechanical processing. The amount of δ-ferrite decreased to 3.8%, whereas the size of prior austenite grains did not change and comprised about 40–50 μm. The boundaries between δ-ferrite and martensitic laths were decorated by continuous chains of Cr- and W-rich carbides. M₂₃C₆ carbides also precipitated along the boundaries of prior austenite grains, packets, blocks and martensitic laths. Thermo-mechanical processing increased the mean size of M₂₃C₆ carbides and decreased their number particle densities along the lath boundaries. Moreover, the precipitation of a high number of non-equilibrium V-rich MX particles was induced by hot forging and long-term normalizing at 1000 °C for 24 h.