In austenitic stainless steels, plastic deformation can induce martensite formation. The induced martensite is related to the austenite (gamma) instability at temperatures close or below room temperature. The metastability of austenite stainless steels increases with the decreasing of stacking fault energy (SFE). In this work, the deformation induced martensite was analyzed by X ray diffraction, electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD), magnetic methods and atomic force microscope (AFM) in samples of a low SFE austenitic stainless steel, AISI 301LN and compared with a medium SFE stainless steel, AISI 316L. Both techniques, X ray diffraction and EBSD, presented similar quantities for the alpha’-martensite. Texture results indicate that the crystallographic orientation of the formed alpha’-martensite is {001} and {103}. The morphology of alpha’-martensite was analyzed by AFM. Corrosion tests showed that deformation reduces pitting corrosion and generalized corrosion resistance in both steels

Experiments have been conducted to study the strain induced transformation from austenite to martensite in a metastable AISI 301LN austenitic stainless steel, deformed by uniaxial tension applied along rolling direction. Samples deformed 10 and 20% have shown the presence of α´ martensite phase. Measured pole figures of martensite phase were compared to calculated ones, assuming no variant selection and selection of variants where interaction between stress and the plate of martensite adds to the driving force transformation variants. EBSD (electron back scatter diffraction) microtexture experiments and macrotexture X-ray diffraction were performed. The orientation distribution functions (ODFs) from measured pole figure data were calculated. The measured results were compared with calculated results in both polycrystalline and single crystal samples of austenite. The results showed that the calculated textures based in a process of variant selection consistent with Patel and Cohen's theory, which emphasizes a mechanical component of free energy, were in good agreement with measured texture.

One method to face the effects of naphthenic acid corrosion in petroleun refining plants is to use alloys with good resistance to this kind of corrosion. For this purpose, molybdenum additions to chromium containing steels are specially recommended. In this work, experimental Fe-9Cr-xMo (x = 5, 7 and 9 wt. (%)) ingots were cast, forged and hot rolled before being tested in a naphthenic acid environment. Evolution of the mechanical properties with composition is presented. The precipitation and dissolution of phases were investigated with the help of Thermocalc and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD).