Fe-26Mn-xAl-1C steels with various Al concentrations (3, 6, 10, 12%) and stacking-fault energies ranging from 37 to 96mJ/m2 were investigated. The results showed that the microstructure was fully austenitic when the Al concentration was 3 or 6%. It consisted of austenite phase and carbides when the Al concentration was above 10% and ferrite appeared when the Al concentration was 12%. All of the steels exhibited continuous yielding, and the yield strength increased as the Al concentration increased. Microstructural observation revealed that the deformation mechanisms and strain-hardening behaviors were quite different for steels with differing stacking-fault energies.

Microstructural Evolution and Deformation Behaviors of Fe-Mn-Al-C Steels with Different Stacking Fault Energies. D.Hua, H.Li, Z.Wu, H.Mingli, H.Li, Q.Xin: Steel Research International, 2013, 84[12], 1288-93