Effect of fresh martensite on the stability of retained austenite in quenching and partitioning steel

Restrictions on fuel consumption and safety in the automotive industry have stimulated the development of quenching and partitioning (Q&P) steel. This steel is expected to have very high strength in combination with acceptable ductility owing to its microstructure consisting of martensite with a considerable amount of retained austenite. The effect of retained austenite on the mechanical properties and its transformation stability were...