Hot deformation mechanism and microstructure evolution of an ultra-high nitrogen austenitic steel containing Nb and V

The flow curves of an ultra-high nitrogen austenitic steel containing niobium (Nb) and vanadium (V) were obtained by hot compression deformation at temperatures ranging from 1000°C to 1200°C and strain rates ranging from 0.001 s−1 to 10 s−1. The mechanical behavior during hot deformation was discussed on the basis of flow curves and hot processing maps. The microstructures were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. The relationship between deformation conditions and grain size after dynamic recrystallization was obtained. The results show that the flow stress and peak strain both increase with decreasing temperature and increasing strain rate. The hot deformation activation energy is approximately 631 kJ/mol, and a hot deformation equation is proposed. (Nb,V)N precipitates with either round, square, or irregular shapes are observed at the grain boundaries and in the matrix after deformation. According to the discussion, the hot working should be processed in the temperature range of 1050°C to 1150°C and in the strain rate range of 0.01 to 1 s−1.