Achieving High-Temperature Oxidation and Corrosion Resistance in Fe-Mn-Cr-Al-Cu-C TWIP Steel via Annealing Control

doi:10.1007/s40195-025-01821-5

Abstract

Abstract:

Twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel shows great potential in engineering due to its excellent strength and ductility synergy, and strengthening research on its corrosion resistance and high-temperature oxidation resistance is critical for broader applications. Herein, the effect of annealing temperature on the high-temperature oxidation and corrosion behavior of Fe-Mn-Cr-Al-Cu-C TWIP steel is investigated. The results show that increasing the annealing temperature from 700 °C to 1100 °C reduced the mass gain of the TWIP steel oxidized at 800 °C for 8 h from 1.93 to 0.58 mg·cm⁻². Additionally, the self-corrosion current density decreases from 6.52 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.32 × 10⁻⁶ A·cm⁻², while charge transfer resistance increases from 1461 to 3339 Ω·cm⁻². The reduction in grain boundaries and dislocation density in the TWIP steel attributed to the increase in annealing temperature inhibits short-circuit diffusion, local galvanic corrosion and pitting, ultimately improving both oxidation and corrosion resistance. Moreover, high-temperature annealing prevents the formation of carbon-rich compounds and ensures uniform element distribution. The accumulation of Cu and Cu-rich products formed at the interface further protects against Cl⁻ erosion, inhibiting pitting and local corrosion, thus enhancing the corrosion resistance of the TWIP steel.

Key words: Twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel, Oxidation, Corrosion, Annealing, Microstructure

Yang Feng, Shuai Wang, Yang Zhao, Li-Qing Chen. Achieving High-Temperature Oxidation and Corrosion Resistance in Fe-Mn-Cr-Al-Cu-C TWIP Steel via Annealing Control[J]. Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters), 2025, 38(4): 642-656.

Figures/Tables 17

Table 1 Specific composition of the newly designed experimental steel (wt%)

C	Mn	Cr	Al	Cu	Fe
0.22	22.40	6.26	2.61	2.58	Bal.

Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of the experimental procedure

Table 2 Mechanical properties of the experimental steels

Steel code	Yield strength (MPa)	Ultimate tensile strength (MPa)	Total elongation (%)	Product of strength and elongation (GPa·%)
AT700	895	1020	18.4	18.8
AT800	430	730	47.2	34.5
AT1100	295	560	64.7	36.2

Fig. 2 Microstructural evolution of the experimental steels annealed at different temperatures: a-c orientation imaging maps; d-f grain orientation spread maps; g-i phase maps; j-l grain size distribution

Fig. 3 EBSD analysis of grain boundary characteristics of the experimental steels annealed at different temperatures: a-c grain boundary maps; d-f misorientation angle distribution. a, d AT700; b, e AT800; c, f AT1100 (The red, green and blue lines indicate the low-angle grain boundaries with an orientation difference of 2°-15°, the high-angle grain boundaries with an orientation difference of > 15°, and the Σ3 grain boundaries, respectively)

Fig. 4 Microstructure and element distribution of the experimental steels annealed at different temperatures: a AT700; b AT800; c AT1100

Fig. 5 Oxidation kinetics curve of the experimental steels at 800 °C in air for 8 h: a mass gain curves; b relationship between square of mass gain and exposure time

Table 3 Oxidation rate of the experimental steels at different oxidation stages (mg2·cm−4·h−1)

Steel code	Stage I	Stage II	Stage III
AT700	0.077 (t = 0-0.67 h)	0.285 (t = 0.67-3 h)	0.121 (t = 3-8 h)
AT800	0.073 (t = 0-0.67 h)	0.064 (t = 0.67-8 h)	−
AT1100	0.068 (t = 0-0.67 h)	0.011 (t = 0.67-8 h)	−

Fig. 6 SEM morphologies of the surface oxidation products for the experimental steels oxidized at 800 °C for 8 h: a, d AT700; b, e AT800; c, f AT1100

Fig. 7 XRD patterns of high-temperature oxidation products of the experimental steels

Fig. 8 Cross-sectional morphology of the experimental steels after oxidation for 8 h at 800 °C: a AT700; b AT800; c AT1100

Fig. 9 Cross-sectional morphology and element distribution of oxide layer after oxidation for 8 h at 800 °C: a AT700; b AT800; c AT1100

Fig. 10 Potentiodynamic polarization curves of the experimental steels in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution

Table 4 Parameters of characteristic electrochemical based on EIS results of the experimental steels

Steel code	E_corr (V)	I_corr (A·cm⁻²)	R_s (Ω·cm⁻²)	CPE	n	R_p (Ω·cm⁻²)
AT700	− 0.481	6.52 × 10⁻⁶	20.03	3.26 × 10⁻⁴	0.81	1461
AT800	− 0.401	5.19 × 10⁻⁶	21.39	2.68 × 10⁻⁴	0.84	2274
AT1100	− 0.366	1.32 × 10⁻⁶	20.78	1.18 × 10⁻⁴	0.85	3339

Fig. 11 EIS of the experimental steels in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution under OCP condition: a Nyquist plot; b Bode plot. The inset in a is the equivalent electric circuit model used to fit the EIS data

Fig. 12 Surface morphologies of the experimental steels after electrochemical corrosion: a, d AT700; b, e AT800; c, f AT1100

Fig. 13 Surface morphologies of the experimental steels after immersion in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution

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