Magnetic order and phase transformation in Fe-Mn-C alloy at cryogenic temperature

Morooka, Satoshi  ; Koyama, Motomichi*; Kawasaki, Takuro   ; Harjo, S.   

Medium Mn steels have been actively investigated due to their excellent balance between material cost and mechanical properties. In particular, medium Mn steel with a nominal chemical composition of Fe-5.0Mn-0.1C (mass%) fabricated by intercritical annealing 923 K for 1.8 ks after cold-rolling, was the high-strength mechanical properties at low temperature. This strengthening mechanism evaluated by means of in-situ neutron diffraction under low temperature (engineering materials diffractometer (TAKUMI) at Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC)), electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD), low temperature differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and low temperature magnetic susceptibility measurement. We found that as the sample temperature decreases, face-centered cubic (FCC) structure transferred face-centered tetragonal (FCT) structure. Namely, it suggests that austenite transformed martensite like Fe-Pd or Fe-Pt alloy. Therefore, the origin of the high-strength mechanical properties at low temperature was in the presence of FCT martensite. This study got partially support from MEXT Program: Data Creation and Utilization Type Material Research and Development (JPMXP1122684766).