Correlation between the intergranular brittleness and precipitation reactions during isothermal aging of an Fe–Ni–Mn maraging steel

Evolution of the intergranular brittleness of an Fe–10Ni–7Mn (weight pct) maraging steel was correlated with precipitation reactions during isothermal aging at 753 K. Intergranular brittleness of the Fe–Ni–Mn steel raises after aging treatment which occurs catastrophically at zero tensile elongation in the underaged and peakaged steels. The intergranular failure is attributed to grain boundary weakening due to the formation of coarse grain boundary precipitates associated with solute-depleted precipitate-free zones during isothermal aging. Further, evidences of planar slip bands were found within the grains of a peakaged specimen loaded by tensile deformation. Those inhomogeneously deformed bands were identified to apply large strain localization in the soft precipitate-free zones at grain boundaries which is assumed to fascinate microcracks initiation at negligible macroscopic strains in the underaged and peakaged steels. During further aging, concurrent reactions including (i) overaging of matrix precipitates, (ii) spheroidization of grain boundary precipitates, (iii) growth of precipitate-free zone in width and (iv) diffusional transformation to austenite take place which increase tensile ductility after prolonged aging.