Metal Science and Heat Treatment Vol. 39, Nos.

5 - 6 , 1997

U D C 669.15-194.56:620.186.8

EFFECT OF GRAIN SIZE ON THE PROPERTIES

OF M A N G A N E S E A U S T E N I T E STEEL l l 0 G 1 3 L

A. A. A s t a f ' e v 1

Translated from Metallovedenie i Termicheskaya Obrabotka Metallov, No. 5, pp. 18 - 2 0 , May, 1997.

Castings of steel 110G13L produced by many plants have coarse austenite grains (from - 1 to + 1 points in
accordance with GOST 5639-82) which are not regulated and not controlled. However, it has been shown that
ladles of mining machines, drags in particular, have a diminished operating stability. The present paper is
devoted to the effect of grain size on the mechanical properties, the intensity of strain hardening, and the
abrasion strength under impact loading of manganese austenite steel 1I OGI3L.

The special features of the formation of grain structure in
steel t l 0 G I 3 L have been studied in [ 1 - 4 ] , where recom-
mendations have been developed on a heat treatment techno-
logy of castings that ensures grain disintegration. However, in
most cases these recommendations are not observed in prac-
tice. Numerous recent studies of manganese austenite steels
have shown that distortions of the crystal lattice and near-or-
der structures [5 - 8] have a strong effect on the properties of
steels. Novel metastable austenite steels with a diminished
content of carbon and manganese and an additional amount
of chromium have been suggested, which possess an elevated
abrasion strength due to the development of a reverse marten-
site transformation caused by straining in the course of opera-
tion [ 9 - 11]. Steels with a diminished content of manganese
are of special interest but have the disadvantage of low im-
pact toughness, which can only be increased by diminishing
the grain size.
We studied 2 steel 110G13L (1.28% C, 12.2% Mn, 0.77%
pendences of % , 5, and a I on the grain size we established
that these curves behaved virtually similarly though they did
not coincide. We superimposed the dependences of % , 8,
and a I on the grain size so that the points of their beginnings
(grain size No. 1) and ends (No. 5) coincided. Then we
changed the scales of the plots with respect to the relative
elongation and the impact toughness. Under these conditions
the dependences of % , 5, and a I on the grain size coincided
almost completely, which means that all these characteristics
can be represented by one curve, given that the coordinate
axes are shifted appropriately (Fig. 1).
Coarse-grain steel (grain size No. 1) possesses low
strength, ductility, and toughness characteristics. In the pres-
ence of coarse grains the shear deformation in grains is weak
o r , N/ram 2 J,% aI,
J/cm 2
- 50

Si, 0.050% P, 0.008% S) after quenching in water from the 10OO

?
austenization temperature, yielding an austenite structure - ~0 250
without carbide segregations. In order to ensure a grain size
corresponding to No. 5, the preforms of specimens were pre-
800 200
liminarily subjected to a hold at the temperature of austenite 30

destabilization, so that the "/-phase transformed into a mixture

of an or-phase and carbides, and then to austenization at 150

/
600 X
1050~ and cooling in water. Austenite grain sizes Nos. 1 - 4
were obtained after heating the metal to 1300, 1250, 1150, I00
and 1100~ with subsequent quenching in water.
Specimens 10 mm in diameter with design length l = 5d 400 50
were tested for tensile strength; Menage specimens were used 0
for determining the impact toughness a I . Plotting the de- I 2 3 4 Grain No.

I Fig. !. Dependence of the rupture strength Crr, the relative elongation ,5, and
Reseach and Production Association of Heavy Machine Engineering
(TsNIITMASH), Moscow, Russia. the impact toughness a I of steel 110GI3L on the grain size: x) a r ; o) 5;
2 4) a~.
The work was performed with participation of N. G. Karnaushenkov.

198
0026-067319710506-0198518.00 9 1997 Plenum PublishingCorporation
Effect of Grain Size on the Properties of Manganese Austenite Steel IlOG13L 199

because only a small number of grains are oriented favorably a0.2,N/mm 2 ~0.2/Gr
relative to the direction o f the acting stresses. For this reason, (
the deformation is concentrated mainly on grain boundaries. 0.8
But the latter are heterogeneous and consist, in accordance (Yo.2
400 ~""-'-'~ ~ 0.7
with the "iceland" model, of a transition layer separating the
grains with a strongly deformed crystal lattice and of indivi- (~ 0.6
dual discontinuities. These discontinuities are stress concen- 0.5
350
trators and damage the transition layer. The resulting inter- NN %.2/o~
crystallite fracture decreases simultaneously the strength, the
ductility, and the toughness.
In the presence of coarse grains in steel I IOGI3L brittle 300 0.3
1 2 3 4 Grain No.
fracture can develop with the formation of an initial crack in
the grain body at the place of a unit shear. The length of the Fig. 2. Dependence of the yield strength and the %.2/~rr ratio of steel
110G13L on the grain size.
crack can be equal to the grain diameter, i.e., can be consider-
able. It can move further and progress into a trunk curve. The
propagating trunk curve overcomes the resistance of the tran-
HB
sition layer on the boundaries of grains with a deformed crys-
tal lattice by the mechanism of tough fracture. As a result, the
entire plastic deformation is concentrated on grain bounda-
4oo! r
360
ries, but the grain bodies are deformed very weakly.
In fine-grain steel subjected to mechanical tests the shear 320
deformation is considerable in grain bodies, which increases 280
the strength, the ductility, and the toughness. These charac-
240 ] ~ / I
teristics grow to the highest degree when the grain size o f
steel I IOGI3L corresponds to No. 3 (Fig. 1). 220 =
We established in the tensile tests that a reduction of the 1 3 5 7 9 A/, rnm
grain size in steel l l 0 G 1 3 L affects its yield strength or0.2 Fig. 3. Dependence of the hardness tt8 of steel I I 0G 13L with different grain
rather weakly. This characteristic decreases only in the pres- sizes (the numbers at the curves) on the elongation A/ of the specimen.
ence of grains o f size No. 1; with an increase in the grain size
from No. 2 to No. 5 this characteristic increases inconsider-
ably (Fig. 2). This indicates that even a low (0.2%) initial ies were deformed only a little. For this reason, the "total"
plastic deformation in steel possessing grains No. I does not hardness turned out to be low, and the total strengthening was
develop in grain bodies but rather concentrates on their
not high. In the fine-grain steel the strain-hardening was con-
boundaries. We determined the proportion of the yield
siderable because shear occurred in a greater number of
strength to the rupture strength in steels with different grain
grains.
sizes (Fig. 2). Due to the considerable decrease in crr in We studied the effect of the grain size in steel I lOGI3L
coarse-grain (No. 1) steel, it is characterized by or0.2/% = on the abrasion strength under an impact load. The test was
0.88, which shows that the steel is susceptible to brittle frac- conducted in an installation that provided for collisions of the
ture. A satisfactory ratio cr0.2 / G = 0.40 - 0.42 is observed in tested specimen with an abrasive. The specimen was 10 x 10 x
fine-grain steel with grain size No. 3 and higher. We thus see 55 m m in size, the load was equal to 1 kN, and the abrasive
that steel I lOG13L with an austenite structure possessing
was granite. The abrasion wear was evaluated by the decrease
coarse grains is susceptible to brittle fracture over grain
in the specimen's mass (g) per unit area of its surface (cm 2)
boundaries.
and per unit mass of crushed granite (kg), i.e., in g / ( c m 2 - kg).
Specimens of steel I IOGI3L with different grain sizes
We determined the abrasion strength and the reciprocal of the
were tested for tensile strength at different degrees of plastic
deformation. After each loading stage we measured the hard- abrasion wear.
ness of the specimens. The initial hardness was 190 HB. After In coarse-grain steels subjected to impact abrasion the
plastic deformation with the same degree specimens differing plastic deformation was localized on grain boundaries, the
in grain size had different hardnesses. The fine-grain steel ex- grain bodies participated in the deformation weakly, which
hibited a much higher hardness and, correspondingly, a caused early fracture and elevated wear. As a result, the
higher degree o f strain-hardening (Fig. 3). The coarse-grain coarse-grain steel I 1 0 G I 3 L had a low abrasion strength un-
steel contained a small number of grains oriented favorably der impact loading (Fig. 4). In fine-grain steels the grain bod-
relative to the direction of the acting load. This resulted in a ies participated in the deformation, and the load was distrib-
low shear in grain bodies, and the plastic deformation was uted over an entire grain, which increased the impact abrasion
concentrated on grain boundaries. As a result, the grain bod- strength.
200 A . A . Astaf'ev

Q, (cm 2 - kg)/g scribing the relative reduction of area, the maximum error did
.IS -4~ not exceed 1.0%. Such a correspondence is quite natural. The
relative reduction of area characterizes the degree of local
3.0 plastic deformation, and the abrasion strength also reacts
markedly to the local deformation caused by the presence of
W /~y~ - 30
grain boundaries.
2.8 We studied the microstructure of steel IlOG13L pro-

2,6
! 20
cessed by two regimes, namely, ( I ) tempering in a tempera-
ture range of 5 5 0 - 6 5 0 ~ and (2) quenching from I100~
r (for 3 h) in water with subsequent tempering at 5 5 0 - 650~
After tempering at 550~ for 25 h (regime 1) we ob-
2.4 9 10
served the transformation of austenite over grain boundaries
I 2 3 4 Grain No. and segregation of the products of austenite decomposition in
grain bodies in a crystalline dendritic form (Fig. 5a). After
Fig. 4. The impact abrasion strength Q and the relative reduction of area
as functions of the grain size of steel 110GI3L.
quenching with tempering at 550~ for 25 h the structure of
the steel changed markedly. We did not determine any pro-
duct of austenite decomposition in a dendritic form; all the
products of the transformation of austenite were positioned
over grain boundaries and over shear planes in grain bodies
(Fig. 5b). Plastic deformation that appeared in quenching lo-
calized the stresses on grain boundaries and shear planes
where dislocations were accumulated in a great amount. The
dislocations were centers of the formation of ferrite and car-
bides from austenite. The localization of deformations and
stresses on grain boundaries and shear planes is a feature of a
quenched austenite structure. The shear planes emerging in
grain bodies limit the possibility of free plastic deformation
of grain boundaries and reduce their deformability. In the
presence of coarse grains, when the susceptibility to plastic
deformation on grain boundaries is high, such restraining of
this deformation causes early fracture.

CONCLUSIONS

!. The grain size in quenched austenite steel 110G l 3 L af-

Fig. 5. Microstructure of heat treated steel 110G 13L (• 100): a) tempering at
550~ for 25 h; b) quenching from I I00~ (3 h) in water, tempering at
550~ for 25 h.
We compared the variation of the abrasion strength in im-
pact loading and the characteristics determined in tensile and
impact tests as functions of the grain size. It was established
that the relative reduction of area and the abrasion strength
depend on the grain size similarly. The curves of these de-
pendences were plotted so that the points corresponding to
the largest grains (No. |) and to the fine grains (Nos. 4 and 5)
coincided. The dependences of these characteristics on the
grain size virtually coincided (Fig. 4). When we determined
the abrasion strength under an impact load from the curve de-
fects considerably the entire set of its mechanical and opera-
tional properties. When the grain is crushed, the strength, the
ductility, the impact toughness, the intensity of strain-harden-
ing, and the impact abrasion strength increase.
2. There is a linear relation between the rupture strength,
the reduction of area, and the impact toughness of steel
l l0GI3L. The dependences of these parameters on the grain
size plotted in appropriate scales can be represented by a sin-
gle curve.
3. In quenched coarse-grain steel l l0G13L plastic defor-
mation occurs predominantly over grain boundaries because
only a small number of grains are oriented favorably relative
to the acting stresses, and therefore the total degree of strain-
hardening is inconsiderable. In a fine-grain steel, plastic de-
formation develops predominantly in grain bodies, which
promotes considerable strain-hardening and increases the
hardness.
4. The dependences of the impact abrasion strength of
steel 110G13L and the relative reduction of area on the grain
size behave similarly. Both these characteristics reflect the
Effect of Grain Size on the Properties of Manganese Austenite Steel IIOGI3L
susceptibility o f the steel to fracture caused by local deforma-
tions and decrease with an increase in grain size.
5. Steel 110GI3L with large grains is susceptible to local
deformations over grain boundaries; the shear planes that ap-
pear in quenching hamper these deformations and cause pre-
mature fracture. For this reason, the mechanical and opera-
tional properties o f coarse-grain steel l l 0 G I 3 L are substan-
tially lower.
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