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D. Wipp, M. Weiss, A. Limbeck, A. Gramlich, S. Zamberger, M. Galler, E. Povoden-Karadeniz:
"Tracing competitive segregation effects in boron containing micro-alloyed steels";
Talk: Materials Science & Technology 2019, Portland, Oregon; 2019-09-29 - 2019-10-03.

Complementary analysis techniques Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and Atom Probe Tomography (APT or 3D Atom Probe) are used to determine the distribution of alloying elements in Boron containing micro-alloyed steel.
Heterogeneous distributions throughout the samples cross sections are evident by analyzing the LA-ICP-MS results, in both conditions, before (ferritic-pearlitic) and after a low-temperature heat treatment (bainitic). Boron, Chromium and Manganese exhibit a similar concentration profile, whereas Carbon and Aluminum signals do not follow this trend. APT-measurements of bainitized samples show clearly Boron and Carbon segregation to and next to grain boundaries, along with Chromium and Manganese.
Our tentative interpretation is that even though Boron and Carbon seem to co-segregate locally at grain boundaries, various mechanisms seem to control the partitioning of these two elements and this is why their concentration profiles differ. Therefore, LA-ICP-MS and APT are excellent methods to investigate segregation and precipitation competitions.

Project Head Erwin Povoden-Karadeniz:
CDL-IPE