A Scale-up Study on Chemical Segregation and the Effects on Tensile Properties in Two Medium Mn Steel Castings

Two ingots weighing 400 g and 5 kg with nominal compositions of Fe-8Mn-4Al-2Si-0.5C-0.07V-0.05Sn were produced to investigate the effect of processing variables on microstructure development. The larger casting has a cooling rate more representative of commercial production and provides an understanding of the potential challenges arising from casting-related segregation during efforts to scale up medium Mn steels, whilst the smaller casting has a high cooling rate and different segregation pattern. Sections from both ingots were homogenised at 1250 \degree C for various times to study the degree of chemical homogeneity and $\delta$-ferrite dissolution. Within 2 h, the Mn segregation range (max $-$ min) decreased from 8.0 to 1.7 wt\% in the 400 g ingot and from 6.2 to 1.5 wt\% in the 5 kg ingot. Some $\delta$-ferrite also remained untransformed after 2 h in both ingots but with the 5 kg ingot showing nearly three times more than the 400 g ingot. Micress modelling was carried out and good agreement was seen between predicted and measured segregation levels and distribution. After thermomechanical processing, it was found that the coarse untransformed $\delta$-ferrite in the 5 kg ingot turned into coarse $\delta$-ferrite stringers in the finished product, resulting in a slight decrease in yield strength. Nevertheless, rolled strips from both ingots showed $>$900 MPa yield strength, $>$1100 MPa tensile strength and $>$40\% elongation with $<$10\% difference in strength and no change in ductility when compared to a fully homogenised sample.