The ductile-brittle transition behavior of two austenitic Fe-18Cr-10Mn-N-C alloys with different grain sizes was investigated in this study. The alloys exhibited a ductile-brittle transition behavior because of an unusual brittle fracture at low temperatures unlike conventional austenitic alloys. The alloy specimens with a smaller grain size had a higher yield and tensile strengths than those with a larger grain size due to grain refinement strengthening. However, a decrease in the grain size deteriorated the low-temperature toughness by increasing the ductile-brittle transition temperature because nitrogen or carbon could enhance the effectiveness of the grain boundaries to overcome the thermal energy. It could be explained by the temperature dependence of the yield stress based on low-temperature tensile tests. In order to improve both the strength and toughness of austenitic Fe-Cr-Mn-N-C alloys with different chemical compositions and grain sizes, more systematic studies are required to understand the effect of the grain size on the mechanical properties in relation to the temperature sensitivity of yield and fracture stresses.

In this study, low-carbon hypoeutectoid steels with different ferrite-pearlite microstructures were fabricated byvarying transformation temperature. The microstructural factors such as pearlite fraction and interlamellar spacing, and cementitethickness were quantitatively measured and then Charpy impact tests conducted on the specimens in order to investigate thecorrelation of the microstructural factors with impact toughness and ductile-brittle transition temperature. The microstructuralanalysis results showed that the pearlite interlamellar spacing and cementite thickness decreases while the pearlite fractionincreases as the transformation temperature decreases. Although the specimens with higher pearlite fractions have low absorbedenergy, on the other hand, the absorbed energy is higher in room temperature than in low temperature. The upper-shelf energyslightly increases with decreasing the pearlite interlamellar spacing. However, the ductile-brittle transition temperature is hardlyaffected by the pearlite interlamellar spacing because there is an optimum interlamellar spacing dependent on lamellar ferriteand cementite thickness and because the increase in pearlite fraction and the decrease in interlamellar spacing with decreasingtransformation temperature have a contradictory role on absorbed energy.

In order to clarify the effect of Nb addition on the ductile-brittle transition property of sintered TiC, TiC-10 mol% Nb composites were researched using a three-point bending test at temperatures from room temperature to 2020 K, and the fracture surface was observed by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the Nb addition decreases the ductile-brittle transition temperature of sintered TiC by 300 K and increases the ductility. The room temperature bending strength was maintained at up to 1800 K, but drastically dropped at higher temperatures in pure TiC. The strength increased moderately to a value of 320MPa at 1600 K in TiC-10 mol% Nb composites, which is 40% of the room temperature strength. Pores were observed in both the grains and the grain boundaries. It can be seen that, as Nb was added, the size of the grain decreased. The ductile-brittle transition temperature in TiC-10 mol% Nb composites was determined to be 1550 K. Above 1970 K, yieldpoint behavior was observed. When the grain boundary and cleavage strengths exceed the yield strength, plastic deformation is observed at about the same stress level in bending as in compression. The effect of Nb addition is discussed from the viewpoint of ability for plastic deformation.

The effect of interstitial elements on the ductile-brittle transition behavior of austenitic Fe-18Cr-10Mn-2Ni alloys with different nitrogen and carbon contents was investigated in this study. All the alloys exhibited ductile-brittle transition behavior because of unusual low-temperature brittle fracture, even though they have a faced-centered cubic structure. With the same interstitial content, the combined addition of nitrogen and carbon, compared to the sole addition of nitrogen, improved the low-temperature toughness and thus decreased the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) because this combined addition effectively enhances the metallic component of the interatomic bonds and is accompanied by good plasticity and toughness due to the increased free electron concentration. The increase in carbon content or of the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, however, could increase the DBTT since either of these causes the occurrence of intergranular fracture that lead to the deterioration of the toughness at low temperatures. The secondary ion mass spectroscopy analysis results for the observation of carbon and nitrogen distributions confirms that the carbon and nitrogen atoms were significantly segregated to the austenite grain boundaries and then caused grain boundary embrittlement. In order to successfully develop austenitic Fe-Cr-Mn alloys for low-temperature application, therefore, more systematic study is required to determine the optimum content and ratio of carbon and nitrogen in terms of free electron concentration and grain boundary embrittlement.

The influence of Cu and Ni on the ductile-brittle transition behavior of metastable austenitic Fe-18Cr-10Mn-N alloys with N contents below 0.5 wt.% was investigated in terms of austenite stability and microstructure. All the metastable austenitic Fe-18Cr-10Mn-N alloys exhibited a ductile-brittle transition behavior by unusual low-temperature brittle fracture, irrespective of Cu and/or Ni addition, and deformation-induced martensitic transformation occasionally occurred during Charpy impact testing at lower temperatures due to reduced austenite stability resulting from insufficient N content. The formation of deformation-induced martensite substantially increased the ductile-brittle transition temperature(DBTT) by deteriorating low-temperature toughness because the martensite was more brittle than the parent austenite phase beyond the energy absorbed during transformation, and its volume fraction was too small. On the other hand, the Cu addition to the metastable austenitic Fe-18Cr-10Mn-N alloy increased DBTT because the presence of δ-ferrite had a negative effect on low-temperature toughness. However, the combined addition of Cu and Ni to the metastable austenitic Fe-18Cr-10Mn-N alloy decreased DBTT, compared to the sole addtion of Ni or Cu. This could be explained by the fact that the combined addition of Cu and Ni largely enhanced austenite stability, and suppressed the formation of deformation-induced martensite and δ-ferrite in conjunction with the beneficial effect of Cu which may increase stacking fault energy, so that it allows cross-slip to occur and thus reduces the planarity of the deformation mechanism.

사용중인 중화학 설비의 재료물성의 경년열화적 특성을 평가하기 위하여 기존 실험법의 인장시험편이나 충격시험편을 채취하기는 실제적으로 불가능하다. 인장강도등 인장특성과 비교한 결과 인장강도, 연신율, 항복강도, 종탄성계수와 소형펀치실험의 각 특성과 선형적 관계를 얻을 수 있었다. 또한 경년열화도를 평가하는 두구인 파면천이온도(FATT)와 비교하기 위하여 저온 소형펀치실험을 실시한 결과 충격실험을 통하여 구한 FATT온도와 소형펀치실험의 천이온도 ( Tsp )와 일정한 관계가 있음이 밝혀져 사용재의 열화도를 평가할 수 있다.