Effect of δ-ferrite, lead and sulphur on hot workability of austenitic stainless steels with solidification structure

The impurities sulphur, phosphorus, lead, bismuth, tin and antimony affect the hot workability of stainless steels. In this study, the authors show that sulphur and lead segregate to phase and solidification grain boundaries, where cracks appear during hot deformation. The workability was tested by the hot rolling and hot bending of industrial and laboratory steels.