Multiscale characterisation of the transformation texture in a high performance steel

The orientation relationships operating during the austenite (FCC) to BCC phase transformation were investigated in a high performance steel using X-ray and electron diffraction techniques and employing several length scales. These steels contain some retained austenite that permits the direct comparison of the textures of the parent (austenite) and product (ferrite, bainite, martensite) phases. X-ray diffraction allowed the global texture of the rolled parent austenite phase to be determined as well as that of its transformation product. EBSD techniques permitted study of the orientation relationships on a local scale. The observed correspondence relations are expressed in Rodrigues-Frank space. The exact Kurdjumov-Sachs relation was never found. The local spread of orientation in the parent austenite (due to deformation) is seen to be inherited by the bainite. This is attributed to the displacive mode of transformation to bainite. The influence of prior deformation of the austenite on the occurrence of variant selection was also studied. It appears that a critical strain is necessary to produce a significant amount of variant selection