Partially amorphous nanocomposite obtained from heavily deformed pearlitic steel

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. A, Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing Vol. 502; no. 1; pp. 131 - 138
• Main Authors: Borchers, Christine, Al-Kassab, Talaat, Goto, Shoji, Kirchheim, Reiner
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 25.02.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Atom probe tomography; Dispersion hardening; Exact sciences and technology; High-resolution transmission electron microscopy; Metals. Metallurgy; Nanocomposite; Pearlitic steel; Powder metallurgy. Composite materials; Production techniques; Strain-induced amorphization; Technology; Dispersion hardening; Nanocomposite; Pearlitic steel; Strain-induced amorphization; High-resolution transmission electron microscopy; Atom probe tomography; Strengthening; Amorphization; Cold drawing; Amorphous phase; Atom probe; Transmission electron microscopy; Tomography; Microstructure; Elongation (mechanics)
• ISSN: 0921-5093; 1873-4936
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2008.10.018

Cold-drawn pearlitic steel wires are known to exhibit increasing strength with increasing elongation and are therefore highly interesting for a wide field of engineering applications. In a combined high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography study, the strengthening mechanism is elucidated: first, there is a strong fragmentation of the original pearlitic microstructure, followed by partial decomposition of cementite accompanied by amorphization of the latter, leading to dispersion hardening. The concomittent mechanisms are discussed in detail.