Effects of Alloying Elements on Hardening and Restoration Behavior of 15Cr-15Ni High Hardness Non-magnetic Stainless Steel

Abstract

In order to obtain informations for developing very hard non-magnetic stainless steel, the effects of various alloying elements on solid-solution hardening, cold-work hardening, strain age hardening, precipitation hardening and restoration behavior were investigated by using 15Cr-15Ni-1.5Mn steels melted in a vacuum furnace. These alloying elements were C, N, Si, P, Mo and B. Besides Vickers hardness tests, tensile tests, transmission electron microscopy, magnetic measurements, X-ray diffraction measurements, electrical resistivity measurements and autoradiography of B¹⁰ were carried out. By these experiments, the effects of alloying elements and their co-addition on hardness and strength were observed in detail and discussed at each step of solution treatment, cold-rolling and heating. Several effects were revealed especially concerning interaction of the elements.