Microstructural Parameters of Cold-Rolled and Annealed Fe-24Mn-3Al-1Ni-2Si-0.06C Steel Obtained by X-Ray Diffraction

Twinning-induced plasticity steel is characterized by the presence of twins and austenite at room temperature. In this work, Fe-24Mn-3Al-1Ni-2Si-0.06C steel is cold-rolled at 30, 50, and 80% thickness reduction and subsequently annealed at temperatures between 300 and 1100 degrees C for 15 min. The microstructure and hardness are analyzed, and dislocation density, stacking fault, and twin probability are calculated using the diffraction method based on the intensity of X-rays generated in a synchrotron facility. The Rietveld analysis using Materials Analysis Using Diffraction (MAUD) software is performed, and Popa Model is employed. Cold rolling increases hardness due to the formation of deformation twins, stacking fault, and dislocation in different degrees depending on the thickness reduction. During annealing, recrystallization influences the parameters obtained by X-Ray diffraction such as stacking fault probability and dislocation density. This article reports on an investigation of how thermal treatment and cold rolling affect the microstructure and hardness of Fe-24Mn-3Al-1Ni-2Si-0.06C alloy, a Twip steel with potential for applications in automotive and aerospace industries. The technique of high-resolution X-ray diffraction is used. The mechanisms responsible for the changes are discussed based on the microstructural observations.image (c) 2023 WILEY-VCH GmbH