초록
In the present study, we investigated whether the surface oxidation of C-bearing TWIP steel ℃curs in the air during specimen delivery from an annealing furnace to a water bath and how the microstructure and tensile properties are influenced by surface oxidation. A cold-rolled Fe-18Mn-0.6 (wt%) steel was exposed in the air for 5 s after annealing at various temperatures (750℃, 850℃ and 1000℃) for 10 min in a vacuum, and then water-quenched. For comparison, another specimen, which had been quartz-sealed in a vacuum, was annealed at 1000℃ for 10 min and immediately water-quenched without exposure to air. The 750℃ and 850℃-annealed specimens and the quartz-sealed specimen showed a γ-austenite single phase in the entire specimen due to negligible surface oxidation. However, the 1000℃-annealed specimen exhibited a dual-phase microstructure consisting of ε-martensite and γ-austenite at the sub-surface due to decarburization. Whereas the specimens without decarburization revealed high elongations of 70-80%, the decarburized specimen exhibited a low elongation of ~40%, indicating premature failure due to cracking inside the decarburized layer with ε-martensite and γ-austenite.