The final microstructure of DP and TRIP assisted steels can evolve after hot working
(hot rolling) or during post heat treatment process. In the formation of the final structure a number
of different technological parameters have important role, e.g. finishing temperature of rolling,
cooling rates, temperature of intercritical annealing, etc. As a result of the individual factors and
their combinations a lot of production technology routes are feasible. The effect of the different
combinations of these technological parameters on the microstructure can be mapped by a special
Jominy end-quench test (so called intercritical Jominy end-quench test) described in this paper.
Unlike the traditional Jominy test, in this case there is a partial austenizing between A1 and A3
temperatures which results in a given amount of ferrite in the microstructure before quenching. The
amount of ferrite depends on the temperature. In some cases the quenching process was interrupted
for a given period of time in order to model the cooling process on the run-out table. During cooling
each point of the Jominy specimen has a different cooling rate, so the effect of cooling rate on the
microstructure can be evaluated along the length of the specimen.
Mechanisms of austenite growth during intercritical annealing in medium manganese steels
