Effect of Cold Working on Sensitization of Austenitic Stainless Steel

The effect of cold working following the sensitizing heat treatments on the degree of sensitization ratio, the effect of cold working before the sensitizing heat treatments on the time at which the degree of the sensitization shows a maximum value, and the effect of cold working on this maximum value have been investigated by the reactivation ratio obtained from the EPR test.The materials used in this experiment were type 304 stainless steel plates having 0, 5, 15 and 30% plastic strains. For the sensitizing heat treatments, isothermal heat treatments were used.The cold working following the sensitizing heat treatments does not affect the degree of sensitization. However, before the sensitizing heat treatment, it shortens the time needed for the degree of sensitization to reach the maximum value, but it does not affect this maximum value.