Title Grain boundary engineering of 304 austenitic Stainless
steel by laser shock assisted
Abstract
The microstructure of the surface layer of 304 austenite stainless steel would be modified through laser shocking processing, which could introduce prestrain in the surface layer of 304 austenite stainless steel, followed by annealing treatment at a higher temperature. EBSD (Electron Back Scatter Diffraction), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and OM (Optical Microscopy) were used to investigate microstructure evolution of the surface layer after laser shocking processing and laser shocking combined with annealing treatment, micro hardness tester was used to measure the hardness of the surface layer after laser shocking processing and laser shocking combined with annealing treatment, and the hardness gradient distribution law, electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) test and a H2SO4+Fe2(SO4)3 test were carried out to investigate effect of the processing on intergranular corrosion resistance, and the corrosion resistant mechanisms were analyzed as well. The following conclusions were obtained.
(1)Strain could be introduced into the surface layer of 304 austenite stainless steel by laser shocking processing, which resulted in serious plastic deformation of the surface layer of the specimens, martensite phase transformation, and increase of hardness. However, laser shocking processing made the intergranular corrosion resistance of 304 austenite stainless steel decrease.
(2) Laser shocking processing followed by annealing treatment The intergranualr corrosion resistance of the specimens was improved remarkably compared with the based materials by laser shocking processing followed by annealing treatment. The intergranular corrosion resistant performance of the material, whose impact energy was 6J, is the best.
(3) The intergranular corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steel increased which resulted in dislocation migration and recrystallization grain of twins. The experimental results indicated that the resistant to intergranular corrosion of austenitic stainless steels is the best when the annealing time was 20h.
Key Words:304 austenite stainless steel, laser shocking, grain boundary engineering, annealing treatment, intergranular corrosion.