Effect of RE on molybdenum partitioning and resultant mechanical and microstructural behavior of a duplex stainless steel during hot working condition

Abstract The effect of rare earth (RE) on Mo partitioning and resultant mechanical and microstructural behavior of a duplex stainless steel during hot working condition was investigated. It was found that RE effect was sensitive to temperature. At the high temperature, the development of dynamic recovery (DRV) in α phase was slowed down while the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) process in γ phase was accelerated by RE, whereby both work hardening rate (at low strain) and dynamic softening rate (at high strain) increased and moreover, the discrepancy on the hardness of the both phase reduced. Whereas at the low temperature, the effect of RE was opposite as compared with those in the high temperature. Mo partitioning analysis by EPMA indicated that RE enhanced the partitioning of Mo in α phase while reduced Mo concentration in γ phase at higher temperature whereby the mismatch between two phases could be improved indicated by the elimination of voids and cracks at α/γ interface, but it was contrary to that at the low temperature. Mo partitioning was believed to be an important cause for the RE effect on the differences of mechanical and microstructural behavior. Also this result provided a reasonable evidence for micro-alloying of RE in DSSs.