Effect of aging temperature on microstructure and properties of maraging steel for ultra-low temperature

An 18Ni(200) maraging steel ingot was prepared using vacuum smelting, and after undergoing forging and two solution treatments at 1000 °C + 800 °C, the effect of aging treatment at 350–600 °C on the evolution of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy was investigated. The results...

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Main Authors: Jikang Hu, Yucheng Zhou, Litao Yin, Haoqiang Zhang, Zhou Li, Liujie Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Materials Research and Technology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425016217
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author Jikang Hu
Yucheng Zhou
Litao Yin
Haoqiang Zhang
Zhou Li
Liujie Xu
author_facet Jikang Hu
Yucheng Zhou
Litao Yin
Haoqiang Zhang
Zhou Li
Liujie Xu
author_sort Jikang Hu
collection DOAJ
description An 18Ni(200) maraging steel ingot was prepared using vacuum smelting, and after undergoing forging and two solution treatments at 1000 °C + 800 °C, the effect of aging treatment at 350–600 °C on the evolution of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy was investigated. The results demonstrate that the martensitic block size increases with increasing aging temperature, and reversed austenite is gradually formed and increased. When the aging temperature is 500 °C, there are a large number of Ni3Mo and Ni3Ti phases in the microstructure, and the yield strengths at room temperature and −196 °C are 1518 MPa and 1932 MPa, and the impact energy is 36.8 J and 8.7 J, respectively, at which time the strength reaches the highest, and the precipitation strengthening effect is significant. When the aging temperature was increased to 550 °C, the yield strengths at room temperature and −196 °C decreased to 1350 MPa and 1720 MPa, which were 11.1 % and 11 % lower; however, the impact energy increased to 53.4 J and 21.5 J, which were 45.1 % and 147.1 % higher. The presence of 23.7 % thin-film reversed austenite in the 550 °C aging-treated specimens effectively modulates the strength-toughness balance. In addition, this paper explores the formation mechanism of reversed austenite and the TRIP effect, and quantitatively evaluates the contribution of precipitation strengthening, dislocation strengthening, and grain boundary strengthening to yield strength.
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spelling doaj-art-cf87ee1398ea4de68755b810e7a9d8f02025-08-20T02:44:51ZengElsevierJournal of Materials Research and Technology2238-78542025-07-01372953296410.1016/j.jmrt.2025.06.198Effect of aging temperature on microstructure and properties of maraging steel for ultra-low temperatureJikang Hu0Yucheng Zhou1Litao Yin2Haoqiang Zhang3Zhou Li4Liujie Xu5School of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471000, ChinaNational Joint Engineering Research Center for Abrasion Control and Molding of Metal Materials, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, 471003, ChinaLuoyang CITIC HIC Casting & Forging Co Ltd, Luoyang, 471039, ChinaNational Joint Engineering Research Center for Abrasion Control and Molding of Metal Materials, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, 471003, ChinaNational Joint Engineering Research Center for Abrasion Control and Molding of Metal Materials, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, 471003, ChinaSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471000, China; National Joint Engineering Research Center for Abrasion Control and Molding of Metal Materials, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, 471003, China; Corresponding author. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471000, China.An 18Ni(200) maraging steel ingot was prepared using vacuum smelting, and after undergoing forging and two solution treatments at 1000 °C + 800 °C, the effect of aging treatment at 350–600 °C on the evolution of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy was investigated. The results demonstrate that the martensitic block size increases with increasing aging temperature, and reversed austenite is gradually formed and increased. When the aging temperature is 500 °C, there are a large number of Ni3Mo and Ni3Ti phases in the microstructure, and the yield strengths at room temperature and −196 °C are 1518 MPa and 1932 MPa, and the impact energy is 36.8 J and 8.7 J, respectively, at which time the strength reaches the highest, and the precipitation strengthening effect is significant. When the aging temperature was increased to 550 °C, the yield strengths at room temperature and −196 °C decreased to 1350 MPa and 1720 MPa, which were 11.1 % and 11 % lower; however, the impact energy increased to 53.4 J and 21.5 J, which were 45.1 % and 147.1 % higher. The presence of 23.7 % thin-film reversed austenite in the 550 °C aging-treated specimens effectively modulates the strength-toughness balance. In addition, this paper explores the formation mechanism of reversed austenite and the TRIP effect, and quantitatively evaluates the contribution of precipitation strengthening, dislocation strengthening, and grain boundary strengthening to yield strength.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425016217Maraging steelAging temperatureMechanical propertiesReversed austeniteStrengthening mechanism
spellingShingle Jikang Hu
Yucheng Zhou
Litao Yin
Haoqiang Zhang
Zhou Li
Liujie Xu
Effect of aging temperature on microstructure and properties of maraging steel for ultra-low temperature
Journal of Materials Research and Technology
Maraging steel
Aging temperature
Mechanical properties
Reversed austenite
Strengthening mechanism
title Effect of aging temperature on microstructure and properties of maraging steel for ultra-low temperature
title_full Effect of aging temperature on microstructure and properties of maraging steel for ultra-low temperature
title_fullStr Effect of aging temperature on microstructure and properties of maraging steel for ultra-low temperature
title_full_unstemmed Effect of aging temperature on microstructure and properties of maraging steel for ultra-low temperature
title_short Effect of aging temperature on microstructure and properties of maraging steel for ultra-low temperature
title_sort effect of aging temperature on microstructure and properties of maraging steel for ultra low temperature
topic Maraging steel
Aging temperature
Mechanical properties
Reversed austenite
Strengthening mechanism
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425016217
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AT litaoyin effectofagingtemperatureonmicrostructureandpropertiesofmaragingsteelforultralowtemperature
AT haoqiangzhang effectofagingtemperatureonmicrostructureandpropertiesofmaragingsteelforultralowtemperature
AT zhouli effectofagingtemperatureonmicrostructureandpropertiesofmaragingsteelforultralowtemperature
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