Formation of solid-state dendrites in an alloy steel

An interesting phenomenon of solid-state dendrite formation was observed during elevated temperature treatment of maraging steel in air. The steel was subjected to heat treatment at temperatures ranging from 900 to 1350 °C for 1–8 h. The study revealed different phases formed into the depth. A band containing dendrites was observed below the oxidized surface layer. Energy dispersive spectrometry and X-ray phase analysis confirmed that these dendrites were enriched in titanium and are of type Ti1−x(Mo, Fe, Co)x(N, O) where 0.2<x<0.3. The formation of dendrites during solid-state transformation is a rare phenomenon and has been reported to take place in specific cases.