Modelling of the effect of precipitates on work-hardening, ductility and impact behaviour of ferritic–martensitic Cr steels

Abstract The effect of precipitates on work-hardening, tensile ductility and impact behaviour of carbon and high nitrogen martensitic 7–12Cr as well as particle strengthened ODS-(9–13)Cr steels have been analysed by models. A minimum of work-hardening and uniform strain generally appears around 600 °C at onset of dislocation recovery. Pronounced precipitation by increasing nitrogen and carbon content or additionally of fine Y2O3-particles distinctly increases work-hardening and uniform ductility. These, however, decrease with increasing strengthening but do not reach a visible level above 1500 MPa for ODS-steels at 20 °C. Minima of total elongation and fracture strain additionally appear in carbon and nitrogen martensitic steels around 300 °C where dynamic strain ageing occurs. Fracture strain and ductile upper shelf energy of Charpy tests in accordance with model predictions also decrease with increasing yield strength more strongly for ODS-steels due to their enhanced work-hardening and localized deformation. The strength-induced increase of ductile-to-brittle transition temperatures of ODS-steels is comparable to that observed by irradiation defect strengthening.