Toward unraveling the mechanisms responsible for the formation of ultrafine grained microstructure during tempering of cold rolled martensite

The mechanisms responsible for the formation of ultrafine grained microstructure during tempering of cold-rolled martensite in a low-carbon steel at moderate temperatures were unraveled based on the microstructural examinations and mechanical properties. A type of continuous recrystallization process was found to be the main phenomenon that controls the microstructural evolution. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.