Cluster-formula-based Composition Optimization of 316 Stainless Steel and Its Experimental Verification

doi:10.11901/1005.3093.2024.182

Chinese Journal of Materials Research

2025, Vol. 39

Issue (3): 207-216 DOI: 10.11901/1005.3093.2024.182

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Cluster-formula-based Composition Optimization of 316 Stainless Steel and Its Experimental Verification

RAN Zizuo¹, ZHANG Shuang¹(

), SU Zhaoyi¹, WANG Yang¹, ZOU Cunlei¹, ZHAO Yajun¹, WANG Zengrui², JIANG Weiwei¹, DONG Chenxi¹, DONG Chuang¹

^1.School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
^2.Shenyang Research Institute of Foundry Co. Ltd., Shenyang 110021, China

Cite this article:

RAN Zizuo, ZHANG Shuang, SU Zhaoyi, WANG Yang, ZOU Cunlei, ZHAO Yajun, WANG Zengrui, JIANG Weiwei, DONG Chenxi, DONG Chuang. Cluster-formula-based Composition Optimization of 316 Stainless Steel and Its Experimental Verification. Chinese Journal of Materials Research, 2025, 39(3): 207-216.

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Abstract

316 stainless steel is widely utilized due to its exceptional corrosion resistance and processibility. However, the broad composition range specified by the industrial standards can lead to obvious property variations. In this study, we first classify the solute elements of substitutional type into Cr-like ferrite stabilizer (Cr, Si, Mo) and Ni-like austenite stabilizer (Ni, Mn). Then we employ the “cluster-plus-glue-atom” model to obtain its composition unit, which contains 16 atoms. Accordingly, the GB standard is interpreted as being enclosed by five 16-atom formulas, corresponding respectively to the lower and upper limits of Cr- and Ni-like elements (Cr, Si, Mo)_{3.0625, 3.5}-(Ni, Mn)_{1.75, 2.25}-Fe_bal and the mid-value (Cr, Si, Mo)_3.25-(Ni, Mn)₂-Fe_bal. According to the above classification, five kinds of test steels were designed and melted by Ar-atmosphere arc furnace. Then in vacuum heat furnaces, they were homogenized (1150 ^oC/2 h/furnace cooling), cold-rolled (50% deformation) to 5mm sheets, and finally solutioned (1050 ^oC/0.5 h/water quenching). The steels containing the lowest Ni-like content of 1.75 in the 16-atom formulas (10.9%, atom fraction), form ferrite in austenite matrix, corresponding to the composition range of (21.2~18.5) (Cr, Si, Mo)-11.4(Ni, Mn)-Fe (%, mass fraction). The other three test steels consist of only single austenite phase. The average hardness value after rolling and solutioning is 160HV approximately, satisfying the GB requirement (< 200HV). The electrochemical tests in 3.5% NaCl solution demonstrates that the steel Cr_3.5-Ni_2.25-Fe_bal (Fe-17.8Cr-0.6Si-2.7Mo-14.0Ni-0.8Mn-0.021C), with the highest Cr-like element content, possesses the best corrosion resistance, next to it are alloys Cr_3.0625-Ni_2.25-Fe_bal and Cr_3.25-Ni₂-Fe_bal, containing Ni-like element above 2 in the formulas, covering a composition range of (18.4~21.1) (Cr, Si, Mo)-(14.7~13.0) (Ni, Mn)-Fe (%). The steels containing the highest Cr-like contents of 3.5 show the best pitting corrosion potential 0.211 V. It follows that the steel with proper amounts of alloying elements Cr_3.25-Ni₂-Fe_bal (Fe-16.7Cr-0.4Si-2.7Mo-11.9Ni-1.2Mn-0.021C), falling in the middle of the formula zone, can not only form single-phase austenite, but also meet the standard requirements of Vickers hardness (~160HV), while its corrosion resistance is also high (free-corrosion potential -0.082 V, corrosion current density 1.83 × 10^-6 A·cm^-2, PREN 25.6, and pitting corrosion potential 0.19 V).

Key words: metallic materials composition optimization cluster-plus-glue-atom model 316 stainless steel microstructure pitting corrosion

Received: 25 April 2024

ZTFLH:

TG142.71

Fund: National Natural Science Foundation of China(52101127);National Natural Science Foundation of China(52171134);Foundation of Liaoning Province Education Administration(LJKMZ20220858);Foundation of Liaoning Province Education Administration(LJKMZ20220837);Foundation of Liaoning Province Education Administration(LJKMZ20220866);“Rejuvenating Liaoning Talents Plan” Project of Liaoning Province(XLYC2203121);Outstanding Youth Science and Technology Talent Project of Dalian(2023RY040)

Corresponding Authors: ZHANG Shuang, Tel: (0411)84106876, E-mail: zhangshuang@djtu.edu.cn

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	Articles by authors
	RAN Zizuo
	ZHANG Shuang
	SU Zhaoyi
	WANG Yang
	ZOU Cunlei
	ZHAO Yajun
	WANG Zengrui
	JIANG Weiwei
	DONG Chenxi
	DONG Chuang

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https://www.cjmr.org/EN/10.11901/1005.3093.2024.182 OR https://www.cjmr.org/EN/Y2025/V39/I3/207

Fig.1 (Cr, Si, Mo)-(Ni, Mn)-Fe pseudo-ternary composition diagram of 316 stainless steel with the unit of number of atoms (total number per cluster formula being 16). The area enclosed by the red dotted lines represents the composition zone of 316 stainless steel in GB standards, while that by the blue solid lines labelled as ABFE is the optimized composition zone according to the cluster formulas, and the red triangles represent the designed compositions based on the cluster formulas

Table 1 The designed compositions according to the 16-atom cluster formula of 316 stainless steel, with the alloy codes, cluster formulas, and compositions listed. The first letter of the alloy code indicates the content of Ni-like elements, and the second one indicates that of Cr-like elements, among which, B (bottom) means the lower limit, T (top) means the upper limit, and M (medium) means the medium values

Fig.2 XRD diffraction patterns of designed alloys in as-cast state (a) and as-final state (b)

Fig.3 OM images of as-cast alloys of Cr_3.5-Ni_1.75-Fe_bal (a), Cr_3.0625-Ni_1.75-Fe_bal (b), Cr_3.25-Ni₂-Fe_bal (c), Cr_3.0625-Ni_2.25-Fe_bal (d), and Cr_3.5-Ni_2.25-Fe_bal (e)

Fig.4 SEM images of as-cast alloys of BT alloy Cr_3.5-Ni_1.75-Fe_bal (a) and BB alloy Cr_3.0625-Ni_1.75-Fe_bal (b)

Fig.5 OM images of as-final alloys of Cr_3.5-Ni_1.75-Fe_bal (a), Cr_3.0625-Ni_1.75-Fe_bal (b), Cr_3.25-Ni₂-Fe_bal (c), Cr_3.0625-Ni_2.25-Fe_bal (d), and Cr_3.5-Ni_2.25-Fe_bal (e)

Fig.6 Vickers hardness of as-cast and as-final alloys

Fig.7 Polarization curves of as-cast alloys measured at a scan rate of 1 mV/s. Note that the abscissa is shown in logarithm

Fig.8 Tafel fitting results of the polarization curves of the as-final alloys

Table 2 Electrochemical parameters of as-final alloys in 3.5% NaCl solution (These parameters are obtained from their corresponding polarization curves)

Fig.9 Pitting resistance equivalent values and pitting corrosion potentials (E_Pit) of as-final alloys

Fig.10 OM images of as-final alloys after electrochemical corrosion

Table 3 Pitting densities, sizes, and GB pitting rating criteria of as-final alloys

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