HREM study on the ledge structures, transient lattices and dislocation structures at the austenite-martensite and austenite-bainite interfaces in Fe-based alloys

Abstract
High-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) has been performed to know the atomic arrangement of the austenite-martensite interface and the austenite-bainite interface in Fe-based alloys. The alloys studied are Fe-23.0Ni-3.8Mn, Fe-8.8Cr-l.lC, Fe-30.5Ni-lOCo-3Ti (mass %) for martensitic transformation and Fe-2Si-1.4C (mass %) for bainitic transformation. These alloys have various transformation characteristics depending on the alloy; for martensitic transformation, athermal and isothermal kinetics, the Kurdjumow-Sachs (K-S) and Nishiyama (N) orientation relationships, reversible and irreversible movement of the interface, and for bainitic transformation, upper bainite and lower bainite. All the interfaces observed had to be limited to 112 (macroscopically 225) or very close to 112 because of the geometrical condition that the atom rows of <110 >f, <lll >b and <100 >b must be observed parallel to the interface, i.e., the edge-on orientation. The austenite-martensite interface is (121)f with the K-S orientation relationship of (lll)f//(011)b and [ 01] f//[ 1] b, and the interface is basically composed of the terrace of (lll)f and the ledge of (010)f, which have the average ratio of 2:1 for the number of atom rows of [ 01] //[ 1] b on these planes. This interface always accompanies the transient lattice region with the thickness of 0.4-1.0 nm, where the lattice changes continuously from fcc to bcc (or bct). No extra-half plane is observed at the (121)f interface over a large distance of 100-200 lattice planes. The interface for both the upper and lower bainites is close to (112)f with the N orientation relationship of (lll)f/(011)b and [ 0] f//[ 00] b'. Contrary to the interface for martensite, this interface for bainite has many extra-half planes except when the interface is close to (112)f. The interface is basically made up of the terrace of (lll)f/(011)b and the ledge of (0 l)b'//( 2)f, and the height of the ledge is usually one or two atomic layers. No transient lattice region accompanies this interface. Transformation dislocations and a nucleating martensite are observed at the tip of growing martensite.