Microstructure characterization and strengthening behavior of dual precipitation particles in Cu Ti microalloyed dual-phase steels

Copper particles that directly nucleated on the interphase precipitated TiC within the ferrite matrix were found in the CuTi bearing dual-Phase (DP) steel after a multistep heat treatment process. The formation of dual precipitates within ferrite grains should be considered a separated phase transformation process because only titanium carbides form initially when austenite undergoes decomposition reaction; subsequently, copper particles heterogeneously nucleate on these carbides.