Influence of strain-induced phase transformation on the surface crystallographic texture in cold-rolled-and-aged austenitic stainless steel

Stainless steels (SSs) having a stable and metastable austenitic phase were studied to see the influence of strain-induced phase transformation in the metastable austenitic stainless steel on the evolution of texture during cold rolling and aging. AISI 304L and 316L SS plates were unidirectionally cold rolled up to a 90 pct reduction and aged at different aging temperatures. The strain-induced transformation of austenite to α′-martensite phase and the evolution of texture in both the phases were studied as a function of rolling reduction as well as aging temperature in the metastable 304L austenitic stainless steel. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique was employed to quantify the volume fractions and characterize the texture of austenite and martensite phases in the rolled and aged conditions. Results are compared with the texture evolution in the stable austenitic 316L SS.