Assessment of microstructure stability of cold worked Ti-modified austenitic stainless steel during aging using ultrasonic velocity measurements and correlation with mechanical properties

As ultrasonic velocity is sensitive to the changes in texture, it is a more reliable technique than mechanical property measurements for assessment of microstructural stability (recrystallization behaviour) of cold worked alloy where recrystallization is coupled with precipitation. Hence, ultrasonic velocity measurements have been employed for studying the influence of Ti/C ratio on the microstructural stability of cold worked Ti-modified austenitic stainless steel during isochronal aging. In this alloy precipitation of TiC is known to retard recovery and recrystallization. The variation in ultrasonic velocity with aging temperature exhibited a three stage behaviour at all three frequencies employed (2, 10 and 20 MHz) and correlated well with the microstructural changes. Based on the microstructural investigations, the three stages have been identified to be recovery, progress of recrystallization and completion of recrystallization. There was one to one correspondence between the variation in the hardness, strength values and the variation in the ultrasonic velocity values as a function of aging temperature in assessing the microstructural changes, except when the interaction between the TiC precipitation and recrystallization is stronger.