ON THE EFFECT OF DISCONTINUOUS DECOMPOSITION ON THE STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF HIGH-NITROGEN STEELS AND ON METHODS FOR SUPPRESSION THEREOF

The features of discontinuous decomposition in high-nitrogen austentitic steels are considered. Structure and formation kinetics of pearlite-like colonies of "the austenite-with-equilibrium-nitrogen-content - Cr(M)2N nitride" are discussed. The discontinuous decomposition of nitrogen supersaturated austenite is shown to effect harmfully the mechanical properties of the steels studied. To suppress the harmful effect of the discontinuous decomposition of the austenite the four methods are proposed as follows: use of vanadium as an alloying element, high-temperature thermomechanical treatment, production of a "microduplex" type structure and granule technology.