FACTORS DETE~IINING TIIE IIODULUS OF RUPTURE OF BIPHASE

FERRITIC~iARTENSITIC STEELS
N. li. Fonshtein

UDC 669.5-194.5

Interest in biphase ferritic-martensitic steels (BFMS) is due to their great technological ductility and enhanced strain-hardening: it is possible to obtain from them finished parts
with greater strength attained by various methods of cold forming [i].
It was established that the strength of low alloy BFMS up to the formation of a martensitic skeleton depends solely on the volume fraction of martensite V m and that it increases
bv 8--13 N/mm = when V m increases by 1%; it was also established that the ductile properties
of these steels are also affected by the geometry of the sections of martensitic phase.
The
data on the characteristics of failure of BFMS are very limited because these steels were
made predominantly as cold-rolled (thin sheet) materials [2].* The use of BFMS as structural
material for load-bearing components, high-strength fastening and other parts made it necessary to investigate their characteristics of failure under dynamic and cyclic loads. The
results of the determination of the correlation of the characteristics of failure with certain parameters of tile structure of these steels have to be taken into account when the composition and the production technology of BFIIS of an actual assortment and purpose are
chosen. +
Effect of llartensite.
The most important traits of failure of BFMS are determined by
the considerable difference in the strength of the ferritic matrix and sections of martensite
and the established inequality of deformations of the phase [7] which lead to early pore formation in the bulk of the material (Fig. i). The formation of the so-called "inner neck"
reduces the effective cross section of the specimen, and correspondingly it reduces the stage
of localized deformation (coalescence of pores and their merging into an arterial crack) 9 reducing the transverse contraction of the BF~fS and their toughness in fully ductile failure.
The results of tile investigation showed that the degree of inequality of deformations of the
phases in the BFMS and apparently the magnitude of the deformation at ~hich pores originate
as a result of cleavage of sections of martensite or decohesion along phase boundaries depend
on tlle ratio of the strength (hardness) of the phases [7]. With the ratio of microhardness
of martensite and ferrite Hm/H f ~ 3 micropores form already at the stage of uniform deformation. Tlle lo~Ter the strength of martensite is as a result of its reduced carbon content or
of tempering of the steel, the smaller is the inequality of deformation of the martensite and
ferrite (Fig. 2), and correspondingly later to the pores originate in consequence of infringed accommodation of the phases.
The increased ductility of the martensite also plays
a certain role.
For instance, when nontempered BFMS are rolled, the limit degree (to failure
of deformation of the section of martensite is ~ = 0.2. Martensite tempered at 400C does
not fail upon deformation with degrees up to g = 1.0 (the degree of deformation of the specineb then is ~ = 1.8).
As a result of the characteristic of failure, and chiefly of a n (the energy of crack
nucleation) we find high Sensitivity, not only to the amount of martensite (to its volume
fraction Vm) , but also to its strength (the calculated amount of carbon contained in it Cm).
With constant value Cm = Cst/V m (in steels with different carbon content Cst quenched
*A particular place is taken up by publications on intercritical hardening of tempered structural steels whose authors noted the suppression of proneness to temper brittleness [3, 4] or
the increased impact toughness under the effect of a small amount of ferrite [5, 6]; however,
the correlation between the modulus of rupture and actual characteristics of the structure
of such heterogeneous steels was not discussed in these publications, even less steel in the
nontempered state in which ferritic-martensitic steels are used for cold forming.
#A. N. Bortsov, A. A. Efimov, T. If. Efimova, E. N. Zhukova, O. V. Zorina, and L. A. Panteleeva
took part in this work.
I. P. Bardin Central Research Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy.
Translated from Metallovedenie i Termicheskaya Obrabotka lletallov, No. i0, pp. 9-13, October, 1987.

0026-0673/87/0910-0725512.50

1988 Plenum Publishing Corporation

725

Fig. i. Pore formation (indicated by arrows) while deformation of BFHS is observed in the column of a scanning electron microscope.
i000.

%
r

/ SJ

,.o

/" 2
0,5

0,5

1,0

Fig. 2. Hetallographically
measured degree of deformation
of the martensite of BFMS in
dependence on the degree of
deformation of the specimen:
I) without tempering; 2) tempering at 400C 1 h; dot--dash
line: condition of equality of
deformation of the phases.

1,5 Csp

at the same temperature of the ~ + y range and tempered at 200C) ~n decreases with increasing
Vm; this testifies to the deleterious effect of the volume fraction of martensite (Fig. 3a).
On the other hand, in steel with constant composition an increase of V m as a result of heating to a higher temperature prior to quenching is accompanied by an increase of a n in consequence of the prevalent favorable role of the loss of strength of the martensite (reduced Cm).
Since the strength of BFHS is determined solely by the magnitude of V m and practically
does not depend on C m [i], a reduction of hardness of martensite, with equal magnitude of Vm,
as a result of reduced carbon content in the steel makes it possible to increase the resistance of B~IS to crack nucleation without changing the strength of the steel.
In tests of specimens of BFHS type 19 it ~ms established that a T is noticeably reduced
with increased V m (strength of the steel); however, in the investigated range Cm (0.2-0.33%)
in low tempered steels depends only weakly on the strength of the martensite (Fig. 3a).
When the component a n increases, the impact toughness ao.25 does not change, or it even
increases with increasing quenching temperature in the intercritical interval (ICI) of temperatures and correspondingly of the strength of the steel (Fig. 3b, c).
The effect of the geometry of the martensite sections on ultimate strength was also
established (Fig. 3c): BFHS ~zith "acicular" or "disperse" form of martensite islets have the
highest combination of Ou and modulus of rupture, and with a "granular" form the lowest.
Figure 3a presents the results of the investigation into the separate effect of the
amount and the intrinsic strength of the martensite on the critical brittle point (T~o) of
BFMS.
An increase of any of these characteristics of the strengthening phase,~ with the other
one being constant, leads to increased Tso.
Since embrittlement upon an increase of the
volume fraction of martensite is less pronounced than reduced T~o as a result of reduced carbon content in it, Tso decreases when the quenching temperature from ICI of steel with the
given composition is raised) this is in agreement with the data of [8]. The same as resistance to flaw nucleation, equal reliability of BFMS against brittle failure (equal values of
Tso) in steel with larger carbon content is attained in treatment of BFMS to greater strength
than steel with smaller carbon content.
Effect of Ferrite.
The state of the ferrite of B ~ S and of model ferritic steel with
the same composition differs fundamentally for the following reason.
Firstly, plastic de-

726

TABLE 1

o,~ ] u

Heat tre atme nt*

Structure

Heatin~ + coolin~ in
Heatin~ and cooling

air

320

425

>360

330
300

440
410

>340
>370

1640
1580

1900
1850

10
I0

285

630

305
390

680
640

360

500

in w a t e r

The same + tempering

Heating and cooling
In water
The same + tempering

4artensite
40KhlMF)

errite + martenstte Heating +eoolinKin air

;FMS-10KhlMF)
Heating and co51ing
m water
The same + t e m p e r i n g
+

pearlite

(10KhlM)

Heating to 950"C, furnace cooling

an,
l/em2

D,25 (

150

3
O.

50
50

215

-- 15

60

200
260

+ 20
- - 20

80
40

320

--20

20

]
1

steel 40KhlHF to

,'7"IUX T/rm2
EO,ZF, o r ~

a max j / e m 2

100
50

A T . ~C

-- 15
-- 30

*Steels 01KhlIIF and 10KhlMF are heated to 730C,

850C; tempering of all steels at 250C 1 h

at, J / e r a z

T~o, C

Jlcm ~

N/mm 2

Ferrite (01KhlMF)

Ferrite

~0.25~

3 ?0

oo

2 )0

go

oo
,%
80

rso

5O

qC

0 ,

~o,C I C~r~g,,',,"% ~,x..,...~

0

--8;I 64 1
~,2

o,~ vm

-*0

(~,~c,.._.c

-80
790

820 t n, C

q6
80
6O0

700 Ou, N / m m ~

Fig. 3. Dependence of the characteristics of failure of B~iS on

the volume of fraction (Vm) and strength (Cm) of martensite (a),
the temperature to which the metal is heated (or the attained
values of Cu) , and on the total carbon content in the steel (b),
and also on the geometry of the sections of martensite (c): a, b)
of steel type KhGSR; c) 06KhGH; o, ~0 ~. . =) steels types KhGSR
with 0.03, 0.07, 0.i, 0.17, and 0.26/% C, respectively; i, 2, 3)
disperse, granular, and acicular martensite, respectively.
formation of the ferrite grains in BFHS is hindered under the effect of limitations from the
side of martensite, and also under the effect of internal tensile stresses as a result of the
local Y ~ ' transformation of neighboring volumes of austenite.
The only way in which stress
relaxation manifests itself is the cracking of ferrite so that fracture by spalling in the
ferrite of BFHS is encountered at a higher temperature than in the single-phase ferritic
matrix (see AT in Table I). The critical stress (and upper temperature) of spalling is inversily proporLional to the free path length of the crack in ferrite (to the grain size of
the ferrite).
In consequence of this, a comminution of the ferrite grain has a much more
noticeable positive effect on the critical brittle point of B~iS than when steel with the
same composition has a ferritic-pearlitic structure (Fig. 4).

727

Eo,fS, J/cm2

,..ii(sgO)
100

-20
-~0

~'- p' "

'~

100 2ooCf'~m -71z

Fig. 4

,oxY/
-80

-z~a

O0 tts t ,C

Fig. 5

Fig. 4. The effect of the ferrite grain size on Tso of steel

07KhlSR with ferritic pearlitic (F--P) and ferritic-martensitic
structure.
Fig. 5. Series curves of impact toughness and of the values
of Tso (denoted by vertical lines on the curves) of hot-rolled steel 09G2 (sheet 4 mm thick) after heat treatment to biphase structure in different regimes (the numbers in parentheses denote tensile strength, N/mm2): i, 2) heating to 790C,
cooling in air and by water--air mixture, respectively; 3)
heating to 730C, cooling in air; 4) hot-rolled state; 5, 6)
cooling in water after heating to 790 and 730C, respectively.
Secondly, BFMS is often obtained by accelerated or even abrupt cooling from the ICI;
this causes supersaturation of the ferrite lattice with interstitial atoms [9] and its greater
brittleness (see Table I). As a result, the impact toughness and Tso of BFMS, including
those with a similar amount of martensite, depend on the cooling rate from the biphase region
that was used in obtaining them (Fig. 5). In case of slow cooling Vcool = 5K/sec) the level
of toughness of BFMS, regardless of its greater strength, is higher than of ferritic-pearlitic
steel with the same composition.
Raising the temperature in the ICI has a doubly positive
role: it ensures that the austenite (martensite) has lower carbon content and at the same
time it reduces the concentration of carbon atoms in the ferrite.
This last was experimentally confirmed by the results of measurement Of the microhardness of ferrite, and also by the
height of Snoek's peak on the temperature dependence of internal friction.
The positive effect of binding interstitial atoms into compounds and reducing the corresponding lattice distortions of the ferrite has the consequence that the introduction of
carbonitride forming elements (e.g,, vanadium) and the strengthening of BFHS by disperse particles leads to much smaller embrittlement of Tso when 0o.2 increases by i00 N/mm 2) than when
the steel has a ferritic or ferritic-pearlitic structure (Fig. 6). We evaluated the contribution of disperse strenghtening to the embrittlement of the steel in analogy to the data of
[i0] but we disconted the role of the strengthening phase and of the comminution of the ferrite grain.
In view of the positive effect of the interstitial atoms being removed from the
a-solid solution, the comminution of the ferrite grain and of the sections of martensite, BFMS
containing carbonitride forming elements have a better combination of strength and modulus of
rupture than steels with the same composition but with ferritic-pearlitic structure.
Fractographic Traits of Failure of BFHS. An important trait of the failure of materials
with heterogeneous structure is the fact that the contributions of the properties of the individual phases to the formation of the properties of the mixture as a whole are not additive.
This is due to the predominant propagation of the crack along one of the phases in dependence
on the conditions of load application [ii]. When we investigated etched metallographic sections perpendicular to the fracture surface of impact test specimens of BFMS, we determined
the mean roughness of the fracture K = L/l by the method of [12]," and also the partial coefficients of roughness of the fracture surface from the ferrite and martensite Kf and K m. It
was established that failure of BFHS in the transitional temperature range is distinguished
by selectivity in relation to martensite (Km/K > i). This is in agreement with the previous*The measurements were carried out with the aid of an automatic image analyzer, with the use
of the ratio K = P/21, where P is the perimeter bordering on the detected profile line of the
fracture with length L (i.e., P = 2L), I is the length of its projection.

728

zl reo,C

200
o~

15o

21:F
XX,#'

'C'-.F-.P

loo
50
F-M
0

DO

2~

500

i
#00 ~aPP
~2, N / m m 2

Fig. 6. Ratio of embrittelement

(increase of Tso -- ATso) and of
strengthening by disperse particles in steels with different
structure: ferritic (F), ferriticpearlitic (F--P), and ferritic-martensitic (F-M).

v, m m / c y c l e

I0"6

fO-7

10-8

10-9

~JO NO2503m

~20

~ZO0~N / m ~ / 2

Fig. 7. Kinetic diagrams of fatigue

failure of steels type KhGSR with
different carbon content (indicated
next to the curves in Io,
~i in parenthesis is the volume fraction of martensite).
Treatment to equal values
Cm ~ 0.4, Frequency 15 Hz, coefficient of asymmetry R = 0.i.
ly discovered [13] correlation between microsections of ductile failure (pits) in the brittle
square of fractures of BFMS and predominantly the volumes of martensite.
A brittle crack
initiated in the ferrite is inhibited in sections of martensite which in this case is the
ductile phase in consequence of its lower Tso (see Table i), and also because its failure
probably occurs later when the level of Onet is lowered.
The similar role of martensite is
an additional cause of the lowering of the Tso of BFMS When its volume fraction is increased.
Conversely, fatigue cracks develop predominantly in the ferrite of BFMS, revealing the
effect of closing the crack as a result of great roughness of the fracture surface which is
characteristic solely of low-strength materials [14]; this roughness is due to the origin
of sections of shear growth of cracks in the ductile ferrite matrix, and also to the necessity

729

of bending of the martensite sections.

As a result we find an anomalously high value (for
the given level of strength) of AKth (the threshold value of the stress intensity factor)
below which the fatigue crack practically does not grow. An increase of the volume fraction
of martensite Vm weakens the effect of closing of the crack upon a corresponding decrease of
AKth (Fig. 7).
In consequence of the opposite nature of the dependence of o u and AKth of V m
their optimal combination corresponds to V m = 0.1-0.3 (for o u = 550-700 N/mm2).
The evaluation of important parameters of the structure of BFMS such as the coherence of
martensite and interfacial stresses requires further investigations.
Conclusions.
i. An increase of the modulus of rupture of BFMS under dynamic loading
can be attained by reducing the strength of martensite (its carbon content) and comminuting
its sections, which is achieved by reducing the concentration of carbon in the steel, by
hardening at a higher temperature of the biphase region, and by preparing the corresponding
initial structure.
2. Comminution of the ferrite grain in BFMS and reduction of the distortions of the ~lattice by interstitial atoms by reducing the cooling rate, the introduction of carbonitride
forming elements, or the use of concluding low tempering (200-250C) make it possible, with
greater strength of the BF?fS, to ensure better fracture characteristics than in steels with
the same composition but with ferritic-pearlitic structure.
3. A characteristic trait of BFMS is the predominant crack development in one of the
phases: the sections of ductile failure on the surface of impact test specimens tested in the
range of the brittle-ductile transition belong basically to the martensitic phase; the fatigue
crack, especially in the region of small AK, develops predominantly in the ferritic matrix.
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730

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