Formation of a Nanostructure in a Low-carbon Steel Under High Current Density Electropulsing

The microstructure of a low-carbon steel after high current density electropulsing treatment was characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It was found that nanostructured γ-Fe could be formed in the coarse-grained steel after the electropulsing treatment. The mechanism of the formation of a nanostructure was discussed. It was thought that change of the thermodynamic barrier during phase transformation under electropulsing was a factor that cannot be neglected. It was reasonable to anticipate that a new method might be developed to produce nanostructured materials directly from the conventional coarse-grained crystalline materials by applying high current density electropulsing.