Study of the Ti-Mn-Al-Si-O-S Complex Inclusions Inducing Intragranular Acicular Ferrite
High temperature confocal laser microscope, FE-SEM-EDS and EPMA were utilized to study the Ti-Mn-Al-Si-O-S complex inclusion inducing IAF in Ti deoxidized steel. FactStage was also used to calculate the thermodynamics of inclusion formation. It was demonstrated that when the cooling rate is fixed to 5°C/s, IAF can be induced by complex inclusions which act as the core of IAF at 609°C. Microstructure of the complex inclusions is complicated. These inclusions are consisted of the TiOx-MnO core which is surrounded by MnO-Al2O3-SiO2 complex inclusions and small amount of MnS. The reason that Ti-Mn-Al-Si-O-S complex inclusions can induce IAF is that a Mn-depleted zone is formed by the core TiOx-MnO and the MnS around it. Meanwhile, the difference between MnO-Al2O3-SiO2 and austenite thermal expansion coefficients is tremendous is another principle element for the IAF formation.