Phase and structural transformations when forming a welded joint from rail steel. Report 2. Isothermal diagram of decomposition of supercooled austenite of R350LHT rail steel

An isothermal diagram of decomposition of supercooled austenite of R350LHT steel was constructed based on the results of dilatometric, metallographic and hardness analysis of this decomposition during continuous cooling and under isothermal conditions. When comparing the thermokinetic and isothermal diagrams, it was found that the thermokinetic diagram plotted during continuous cooling shifts downward and to the right in comparison with the isothermal diagram. This result is fully consistent with the known regularities. During the research, the critical points of R350LHT steel were determined: Ас₁ = 711 °С; М_n = 196 °С. This isothermal diagram was used to determine the temperature of the minimum stability of overcooled austenite, which was 500 °C. Under isothermal conditions, pearlite-type structures appear in the temperature range from 700 to 600 °C. At 550 °C, a mixture of pearlitic and bainitic structures is formed. In the temperature range from 500 to 250 °C, bainitic structures are formed: at 500 – 400 °C – upper bainite; at 350 ° C – a mixture of upper and lower bainite; at 300 – 250 °С – lower bainite. Almost in the entire studied temperature range of overcooled austenite isothermal decomposition, an increase in the hardness of the transformation products is observed with a decrease in the holding temperature from 246 HV (at 700 °C) to 689 HV (at 250 °C). However, at a temperature of 500 °C, a slight drop in hardness occurs, which is apparently caused by the appearance of retained austenite during the development of bainitic transformation.

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