Effect of FeNb lump size and dissolution temperature on microstructure and properties of a Nb-stabilized austenitic stainless steel
Source abstract
Abstract
Abstract This study investigates the influence of ferroniobium (FeNb) lump size and dissolution temperature on the dissolution kinetics, microstructure, and resulting mechanical and corrosion properties of a Nb-stabilized austenitic stainless steel (AISI 347). FeNb was added to an AISI 304 base steel under three distinct dissolution conditions involving variations in lump size (25–30 mm and 45–50 mm) and temperature (1560–1590 °C and 1610–1630 °C). Dissolution kinetics were monitored via time-resolved chemical analysis, while microstructural evolution was characterized by scanning electron and optical microscopy and thermodynamic simulations. Mechanical performance was assessed through tensile and impact testing, and corrosion resistance was evaluated via potentiodynamic polarization in chloride solution. Results indicate that lump size and dissolution temperature affect features such as niobium carbonitrides morphology, delta ferrite stability and austenitic matrix composition. These features strongly influence mechanical behavior, with the best combination of strength, ductility and toughness observed in the condition containing fragmented carbonitrides, retained delta ferrite and solid solution strengthening enhanced by niobium and silicon, yielded by coarse lump dissolution at lower temperatures. Corrosion resistance presented a complex dependence on these features, being strongly affected by the presence of microgalvanic cells. The findings highlight the critical role of dissolution conditions in tailoring the performance of Nb-stabilized stainless steels.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (45)
Show source-provided references
1. DeArdo AJ, Hua M, Garcia CI (2006) Basic metallurgy of modern niobium steels. In: Hashimoto S, Jansto S, Mohrbacher H, Siciliano F (eds) International symposium on niobium microalloyed sheel steel for automotive application. The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, pp 499–549
2. Design guidelines for the selection and use of stainless steel (1993) AISI and Specialty Steel Institute of North America
3. Den Boer AW (2013) Characterization of ferroniobium and the thermodynamics and kinetics of dissolution of niobium compounds in liquid iron. McMaster University, Thesis
4. Pande MM, Guo M, Guo X, Geysen D, Devisscher S, Blanpain B, Wollant P (2010) Ferroalloy quality and steel cleanliness. Ironmak Steelmak 37:502–511. https://doi.org/10.1179/030192310X1270032892578710.1179/030192310X12700328925787 ↗
5. NiobelCon (2006) Ferroniobium alloying techniques in iron & steel making, Practical Guide 4
6. De Faria Sousa CA (2002) The evolution of FeNb manufacturing. Niobium, science and technology. Niobium 2001 Limited, pp 89–96
7. Cruz EB, Fridman DP, Carboni MC, Guimarães RC, Nogueira MAS (2015) Dissolution of FeNb in liquid steel. In: Mohrbacher H (ed) Fundamentals and applications of Mo and Nb alloying in high performance steels: volume 2. CBMM, IMOA and TMS, pp 257–265
8. Cruz EB, Fridman DP, Carboni MC, Guimarães RC, Nogueira MAS, Cavallante FL (2010) Dissolution of FeNb in liquid steel and best practices to increase niobium recovery during ladle refining, in: Proceedings of the 4th Aosteel Biannual Academic Conference (Baosteel BAC 2010) pp. 34–39
9. Shah SJ, Henein H, Ivey DG (2013) Microstructural characterization of ferrotitanium and ferroniobium. Mater Charact 78:96–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2012.11.01310.1016/j.matchar.2012.11.013 ↗
10. Wang Y, Karasev A, Park JH, Jönsson PG (2021) Interfacial reactions and inclusion formations at an early stage of FeNb alloy additions to molten iron. ISIJ Int 61:209–218. https://doi.org/10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2020-35310.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2020-353 ↗
11. Das AK, Mukherjee T (1997) Optimisation of ferro alloy usage in steelmaking. NML Jamshedpur 831:1–13
12. Abraham S, Bodnar R, Lonnqvist J, Hagström J, Rydgren E (2021) The mechanism for coarse Nb-rich particle formation in steel. Metall Mater Trans A 52:3727–3749. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-021-06324-310.1007/s11661-021-06324-3 ↗
13. Zhao H, Engler-Pinto CC, Zindel J, Godlewski L, Zhang Y, Feng Q, Li M (2015) The effect of metal-carbide morphology on the thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) behavior of cast austenitic alloys for exhaust manifolds. Procedia Eng 133:669–680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2015.12.64810.1016/j.proeng.2015.12.648 ↗
14. Zhao H, Engler-Pinto CC, Tong J, Godlewski LA, Zindel JW, Li L, Li M, Feng Q (2017) Mechanical response and dislocation substructure of a cast austenitic steel under low cycle fatigue at elevated temperatures. Mater Sci Eng A 703:422–429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2017.07.03010.1016/j.msea.2017.07.030 ↗
15. Argyropoulos SA, (1989) The solution rate and recovery of ferroalloys, in: Infacon V, pp. 120–131
16. Yoon JH, Yoon EP, Lee BS (2007) Correlation of chemistry, microstructure and ductile fracture behaviours of niobium-stabilized austenitic stainless steel at elevated temperature. Scripta Mater 57:25–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2007.03.02510.1016/j.scriptamat.2007.03.025 ↗
17. Davis JR (ed) (2001) Alloying: understanding the basics. ASM International
18. Fujikawa H, Makiura H (1982) Selection of stainless steel tubes to minimize hot corrosion in utility boilers. J Mater Energy Syst 4:160–167. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF0283340810.1007/BF02833408 ↗
19. NM 38:95: Ferronióbio - Especificações e condições de fornecimento, (1996) 9
20. American Society for Testing and Materials (2020) ASTM A703/A703M-20a: Standard specification for steel castings, general requirements, for pressure-containing parts, In: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, ASTM International, p. 13. https://doi.org/10.1520/A0703_A0703M-20A.10.1520/A0703_A0703M-20A ↗
21. American Society for Testing and Materials (2016) ASTM E8/E8M-16ae1: Standard test methods for tension testing of metallic materials, In: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, ASTM International. p. 30
22. American Society for Testing and Materials (2023) ASTM E23–18: Standard test methods for notched bar impact testing of metallic materials, In: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, ASTM International, p. 26. https://doi.org/10.1520/E0023-1810.1520/E0023-18 ↗
23. American Society for Testing and Materials (2021) ASTM A262–15 (Reapproved 2021): Standard practices for detecting susceptibility to intergranular attack in austenitic stainless steel, In: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, ASTM International. p. 20
24. American Society for Testing and Materials (2023) ASTM A370–22: Standard test methods and definitions for mechanical testing of steel products, In: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, ASTM International. https://doi.org/10.1520/A0370-2210.1520/A0370-22 ↗
25. American Society for Testing and Materials (2017) ASTM A276/A276M-17: Standard specification for stainless steel bars and shapes, In: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, ASTM International, p. 8
26. Morris PF, Kirkwood PR (2018) Guidance on making ferroniobium additions during ladle steelmaking–Optimizing niobium recovery, 8.
27. Sourmail T (2001) Precipitation in creep resistant austenitic stainless steels. Mater Sci Technol 17:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1179/02670830110150897210.1179/026708301101508972 ↗
28. Dulieu D, (2001) The role of niobium in austenitic and duplex stainless steels, In: International Symposium Niobium, pp. 975–999
29. Ayer R, Klein CF, Marzinsky CN (1992) Instabilities in stabilized austenitic stainless steels. Metall Trans A 23:2455–2467. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF0265804910.1007/BF02658049 ↗
30. Bajželj A, Batič BŠ, Medved J, Burja J (2022) Influence of nickel on niobium nitride formation in as-cast stainless steels. Metals (Basel) 12:609. https://doi.org/10.3390/met1204060910.3390/met12040609 ↗
31. Xie A, Chen S, Wu Y, Jiang H, Rong L (2022) Homogenization temperature dependent microstructural evolution and mechanical properties in a Nb-stabilized cast austenitic stainless steel. Mater Charact 194:112384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2022.11238410.1016/j.matchar.2022.112384 ↗
32. David SA, Vitek JM, Alexander DJ (1996) Embrittlement of austenitic stainless steel welds. J Nondestruct Eval 15:129–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF0073204010.1007/BF00732040 ↗
33. Gill TPS, Vijayalakshmi M, Gnanamoorthy JB, Padmanabhan KA (1986) Transformation of delta-ferrite during the postweld heat treatment of type 316L stainless steel weld metal. Weld J 65:122–128
34. Tseng CC, Shen Y, Thompson SW, Mataya MC, Krauss G (1994) Fracture and the formation of sigma phase, M23C6, and austenite from delta-ferrite in an AlSl 304L stainless steel. Metall Mater Trans A 25:1147–1158. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF0265229010.1007/BF02652290 ↗
35. Muterlle PV, Zendron M, Perina M, Molinari A, Influence of delta ferrite on mechanical properties of stainless steel produced by MIM, in: Proceedings of COBEM 2009, ABCM, Gramado, 2009: p. COB091759. https://www.abcm.org.br/anais/cobem/2009/pdf/COB09-1759.pdf (accessed 19 May, 2026).
36. Ye W, Li S, Li Y, Zhou Q, Zhu L, Chen B, He Y, Wang H, Bou‐Saïd B, Trofimov E, Liu W (2026) Bioinspired design of extraordinary wear‐resistant graphene/CoCrNi multi‐principal element alloy composites. CMat. https://doi.org/10.1002/cmt2.7003410.1002/cmt2.70034 ↗
37. Yang X, Qin G, Feng L, Wang Q, Wang L, Su Y, Chen R (2026) Synergistic strengthening via reduced phase property mismatch in a dual-phase high-entropy alloy enabled by bidirectional precipitation engineering. J Alloys Compd 1071:188785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2026.18878510.1016/j.jallcom.2026.188785 ↗
38. Qin G, Yang X, Feng L, Wang Q, Wang L, Su Y, Chen R (2026) Hetero-lamellar design alleviates the Ubiquitous strength-ductility trade-off in high-entropy alloys. Intermetallics (Barking) 194:109316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intermet.2026.10931610.1016/j.intermet.2026.109316 ↗
39. Farahat AIZ, El-Bitar TA (2010) Effect of Nb, Ti and cold deformation on microstructure and mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steels. Mater Sci Eng A 527:3662–3669. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2010.02.06410.1016/j.msea.2010.02.064 ↗
40. Solenthaler C, Ramesh M, Uggowitzer PJ, Spolenak R (2015) Precipitation strengthening of Nb-stabilized TP347 austenitic steel by a dispersion of secondary Nb(C,N) formed upon a short-term hardening heat treatment. Mater Sci Eng A A 647:294–302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2015.09.02810.1016/j.msea.2015.09.028 ↗
41. Gonzaga AC, Barbosa C, Tavares SSM, Zeemann A, Payaõ JC (2020) Influence of post welding heat treatments on sensitization of AISI 347 stainless steel welded joints. J Mater Res Technol 9:908–921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2019.11.03110.1016/j.jmrt.2019.11.031 ↗
42. Peng Y, Zhao B, Yang J, Bai F, Qian H, Shi B, Wang L (2025) Study the effect of heat treatment on the corrosion resistance of AISI 347H stainless steel. Materials (Basel) 18:3486. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma1815348610.3390/ma18153486 ↗
43. Bai G, Lu S, Li D, Li Y (2015) Intergranular corrosion behavior associated with delta-ferrite transformation of Ti-modified Super304H austenitic stainless steel. Corros Sci 90:347–358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2014.10.03110.1016/j.corsci.2014.10.031 ↗
44. Osoba LO, Elemuren RA, Ekpe IC (2016) Influence of delta ferrite on corrosion susceptibility of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel. Cogent Eng 3:1150546. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2016.115054610.1080/23311916.2016.1150546 ↗
45. Ben Rhouma A, Amadou T, Sidhom H, Braham C (2017) Correlation between microstructure and intergranular corrosion behavior of low delta-ferrite content AISI 316L aged in the range 550–700 °C. J Alloys Compd 708:871–886. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.02.27310.1016/j.jallcom.2017.02.273 ↗