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Barry
Hi, I am researching maraging steel material used in additive manufacturing and there are references in the literature to a mesostructure. Can anyone clarify?
What is the context of the term mesostructure with respect to martensitic steel. Normally, meso refers to a domain larger than micro. In the context of materials, microstructure usually refers to grains and their structures, including second phase particles. Mesostructure would likely refer to regions larger than grains, especially where two or more types of grains, e.g., α+β, or α+γ, and so on.Barry said:Hi, I am researching maraging steel material used in additive manufacturing and there are references in the literature to a mesostructure. Can anyone clarify?
See the section entitled, "Modelling of mesostructure"In recent years, the attempt to control mesostructure is actively conducted to give various macroscopic properties for example mechanical property and formability. So it may be more important to predict macroscopic property analytically not from material test results but from mesostrucure. Actually the mechanical and deformation properties, dual phase metal should be subjected to influence by the combination of the each phase property and multiphase structure-induced effect. The macroscopic Dual Phase steels which is one of HSS and composed of ferrite and martensite depend on mesostructural difference such as mechanical properties and volume fraction and morphology of each phase (Sun et al., 2009).
The complex mesostructure that develops on transforming a large-grained prior austenite grain in a prototypical lath martensitic steel is illustrated in figure 3, taken from Maki [6]. The prior austenite grains are divided into ‘packets’ that are subdivided into ‘blocks’ of martensite laths.
A mesostructure in martensitic metal refers to the arrangement and organization of the microstructural features at a scale larger than the individual crystals but smaller than the overall structure of the metal. It includes features such as grain boundaries, dislocations, and precipitates.
The mesostructure has a significant impact on the mechanical, physical, and chemical properties of martensitic metal. It determines the strength, ductility, toughness, and corrosion resistance of the metal, among other properties.
The mesostructure is influenced by various factors such as the chemical composition of the metal, the processing conditions (e.g. temperature, cooling rate), and the presence of impurities or alloying elements. These factors affect the kinetics of the phase transformation and the resulting mesostructure.
Yes, the mesostructure of martensitic metal can be controlled and manipulated through different heat treatments and thermomechanical processing techniques. These methods can be used to modify the size, distribution, and orientation of the microstructural features, thereby altering the properties of the metal.
Understanding the mesostructure is crucial for predicting and optimizing the properties of martensitic metal. It also provides insights into the mechanisms of phase transformation and deformation, which are essential for developing new alloys and improving the performance of existing ones.