Influence of combined thermomechanical treatment on impurity segregation in ferritic–martensitic and austenitic stainless steels

In this study 13Cr2MoVNb ferritic–martensitic steel (FMS) and 16Cr15Ni3MoNb austenitic stainless steel (ASS) tensile specimens were subjected to standard heat treatments and divided into two groups. Specimens in group 1 (FMS only) were aged at 400°C in a stress free and in an elastically stressed state with a tensile load (100 MPa) then doped with hydrogen in an electrolytic cell. Specimens in group 2 were subjected to cold work (up to 10%) and exposed to short-time heating at 500° for 0.5 h. All specimens were fractured at room temperature in an Auger spectrometer and Auger analysis of the fracture surfaces was performed in situ after fracturing. A noticeable increase of N and P segregation levels and a widening of the depth distribution on the grain boundary facets were observed in the FMS after aging in the stressed state. Cold-worked FMS and ASS showed a ductile dimple mode of fracture, but relatively high levels of S, P and N were observed on the dimple surfaces. We consider the origin of such effects in terms of the stressed state and plastic-deformation-enhanced segregation.