High-strength stainless steels are essential materials for critical load-bearing aerospace components, and solution treatment serves as a core process governing their strength–toughness balance. However, in novel multi-element alloy systems, the complex dissolution behavior of precipitates and its underlying mechanisms affecting matrix phase transformations require further investigation. This study systematically explores the thermodynamic evolution and microstructural response of a novel Fe-Ni-Cr-Mo-Al-Ti ultra-high-strength stainless steel during solution treatment. The research highlights how solution temperature drives Laves phase dissolution, controls prior austenite grain growth, redistributes local chemical elements, and dictates retained austenite stability. By establishing the relationship between microstructural features and macroscopic properties, this study aims to provide crucial theoretical guidance for optimizing heat treatment protocols to achieve superior comprehensive mechanical properties in advanced high-strength stainless steels.
Niu et al. (Sat,) studied this question.