Correlation between microstructure and nanohardness in advanced heat-resistant steel

Abstract

As advanced ferritic/martensitic heat-resistant steels generally have a complex structure consisting of several microstructural units (lath, block, packet, and prior austenite grain), it is very hard to separate the contribution of each microstructural unit (or its each boundary) to the strengthening mechanism in such steels. Here we explore the role of each microstructural unit in strengthening of advanced high Cr steel through nanoindentation experiments performed at different load levels. Nanoindentation results are analyzed by comparing with microstructural observations and discussed in terms of prevailing descriptions of strengthening mechanism.