Effects of Carbide Precipitate Formation on the Change in Ultrasonic Velocity in Austenitic Stainless Steels Available to Purchase

Ultrasonic tests were conducted for 304 type austenitic stainless steels with different annealing conditions and effects of carbide precipitate formation on the velocity changes were evaluated. The velocity increased with higher annealing temperature and/or longer annealing time. SEM observations indicated that carbide precipitates were formed mainly on grain boundaries. Results show that it is not the precipitation itself but the removal of carbon from the matrix that determines the velocity change.