Microstructural Design and Mechanical Enhancement of δ-TRIP Steel Through Mo Micro-alloying and Isothermal Bainitic Transformation

This research was done to investigate third-generation Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) to improve mechanical properties and reduce production costs in the automotive industry. The potential of TRIP-assisted steel has been studied to address this issue, with a special focus on δ-TRIP steels. This research studied the δ-TRIP samples, which were micro-alloyed with 0.05 and 0.30 wt.% Mo, with isothermal bainitic transformation (IBT) time parameters. Microstructural analyses were conducted using optical microscopy (OM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). The volume percentage of retained austenite (RA) phase, critical to achieving the requisite mechanical characteristics, was determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The analysis of the samples revealed a complex, multi-phased structure comprising δ-ferrite matrix, α-ferrite, bainite, RA, and martensite. The quantity and morphology of RA significantly influenced the resulting mechanical characteristics. The experimental results demonstrated yield stresses (YS) of 400–440 MPa, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 790–870 MPa, and total elongations to failure (TEL) of 24–34% in δ-TRIP steels containing 0.05 and 0.30 wt.% Mo alloy. The optimal combination of UTS and TEL (UTS × TEL) is achieved at an impressive 850 MPa × 32% (27200 MPa.%). This remarkable achievement was made possible by adding only 0.30 wt.% Mo and IBT, which were carried out at 450°C for 10 min. Focusing on the effects of Mo-alloy content and heat treatment duration on microstructure and mechanical characteristics, this study provided insights into enhancing the quality of δ-TRIP steel while decreasing manufacturing costs.