The effects of microstructures on the mechanical performances and fracture mechanisms of boron-alloyed ferritic and martensitic stainless steels fabricated by powder metallurgy

Porosity is generally the major cause of the inferior mechanical properties of powder metallurgy (PM) steels. Boron (B) is an effective element for improving the sintering densification of PM steel via liquid phase sintering (LPS). To date, the microstructure and mechanical properties of B-alloyed PM stainless steels remain to be determined. The objective of this research was to study the influences of B on the LPS, microstructures, mechanical performances, and fracture mechanisms of PM 410L ferritic and 410 martensitic stainless steels. The roles of the Fe-based matrix, eutectic areas, and pores in the fracture behavior and mechanical properties were examined. The results showed that after 1250 °C sintering, the 0.6 wt% B additive in 410L and 410 obviously induced LPS and decreased the porosity from 8.9 vol% to less than 4 vol%. In both 410L+0.6B and 410+0.6B, the B-containing compounds were identified by electron backscatter diffraction as M2B boride with a tetragonal structure. The 0.13 wt% C additive in 410L+0.6B increased the ultimate tensile strength from 420 MPa to 843 MPa but decreased the elongation from 10.4% to 2.7% and the impact energy from 21 J to 6 J due to the transformation of the Fe-based matrix from ferrite to martensite. In the combination of fracture analyses and strain distribution as a function of tensile stress, the results indicated that in 410L+0.6B and 410+0.6B, the predominant sites for strain localization and fracture were respectively the ferritic grains and intergranular eutectic areas. Furthermore, the pores played different roles in the deformation and fracture of the two B-alloyed PM stainless steels.