Microstructural changes and fracture behavior of CF8M duplex stainless steels after long-term aging

Microstructural changes and fracture behavior in cast CF8M duplex stainless steel after aging at 300-450°C for 300-10000 h have been investigated. Both, optical microscopical and transmission electron microscopical analyses, hardness and ferrite content measurements have been carried out in this study. Strengthening and aging phenomena of the ferrite phase have been identified by hardness measurements. Spinodal decomposition and heterogeneous precipitation of G-phase were found to be responsible for strengthening of the ferrite phase after aging with a temper parameter [P = log(t) + 0.4343 O/R(1/673.2-1/4)] (see Appendix A) in the range ca. 1.8-4.5. Three different fracture modes, dimples, cleavage and α/γ grain boundary separation, have been observed for Charpy V-notch and CT test specimens fractured at 20°C.