Fine-grained dual-phase (DP) steels are widely known to have an excellent combination of strength, ductility, and low yield ratio, which is beneficial for seismic-resistant structural applications. In contrast to conventional DP steels, the fine-grain...
Fine-grained dual-phase (DP) steels are widely known to have an excellent combination of strength, ductility, and low yield ratio, which is beneficial for seismic-resistant structural applications. In contrast to conventional DP steels, the fine-grained DP steel in this study did not exhibit the strength increase that generally accompanies the higher martensite fraction at elevated inter-critical annealing temperatures. That is, the yield strength decreased as the inter-critical annealing temperature increased, and the ultimate tensile strength and elongation remained nearly constant. To understand this mechanical properties behavior, the microstructural evolution and the phase-specific local strain behavior were investigated. Microstructural analysis under various inter-critical annealing conditions indicated that the prior-austenite grain (PAG) size remained constant with increasing annealing temperature, whereas the fractions of globular-type martensite and island-type martensite increased. The globular-type martensite at PAGBs and the island-type martensite within grain are considered to influence strength through mechanisms that differ from the mechanism associated with PAG growth. To identify the local deformation behavior, μ-DIC analysis method using Ag sputtering based nano-patterning was applied. The local deformation was mainly concentrated in the softer ferrite phase, whereas much less deformation occurred in the harder martensite phase. In addition, the ferrite adjacent to grain-boundary globular martensite exhibited larger deformation compared with the ferrite near island-type martensite within the grains.