study of secondary phases in trip steel by advanced SEM and AFM Techniques

Abstract

The paper aims to demonstrate a modern scanning electron microscope (SEM) as a powerful tool for visualization of the secondary phases in TRIP steel. The TRIP steel specimens prepared by various metallographic techniques were imaged by the SEM and the secondary phases presence was confirmed by an electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) technique. The chemical polishing by 5 % HF in H 2 O 2 for 10 seconds results in selective etching for each individual phase, as confirmed by an atomic force microscopy (AFM) and hybrid AFM-in-SEM techniques. The phases are easily distinguishable in the SEM micrographs created by the low energy high take-off angle signal electrons. The proposed sample preparation technique together with special SEM imaging conditions enables us accurate analysis of distribution of secondary phases within the TRIP steel matrix and moreover, the retained austenite is distinguishable from the martensite phase.