Analysis of medium manganese steel through cold-rolling and intercritical annealing or warm-rolling

Medium manganese steel is typically fabricated from hot-rolling followed by cold-rolling and intercritical annealing processes. However, a singular process, warm-rolling, is an appealing prospect. The microstructure, mechanical properties and texture of a 8 wt-% Mn–0.08 wt-% C steel was investigated by cold-rolling followed by intercritical annealing or warm-rolling. The product from both processes exhibited a highly refined microstructure as well as a large volume fraction of austenite. However, a slightly larger volume fraction as well as a more heterogeneous austenite morphology resulted from the warm-rolling process, associated with a higher work-hardening rate. Microstructural analysis revealed intense α-fibre components due to a higher strain following the warm-rolling process as well as a considerably high-angle grain boundary number which was associated with dislocation accumulation. This paper is part of a Thematic Issue on Medium Manganese Steels.