Influences of thermomechanical treatments on the cryogenic treatability of a slightly unstable austenitic stainless steel

The success of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) of austenitic stainless steels (AusSSs) relies heavily on martensitic transformation. For AusSSs that are not prone to martensitic transformation, thermomechanical treatments (such as high-temperature solution treatment, plastic deformation, and sensitisation) may expedite DCT by encouraging martensite formation. This paper looks into the influences of the aforementioned thermomechanical treatments on the cryogenic treatability of a slightly unstable AusSS regarding tensile properties. Overall, no noticeable strengthening could be achieved through DCT, but a slight improvement in ductility was observed for all the thermomechanical treatment conditions mentioned above. Preliminary results indicated that the pitting corrosion resistance of the AusSS was almost unaltered by DCT.