Evolution of precipitated phase during aging treatment in 316L austenitic stainless steel

The effects of the aging temperature and time on precipitation behavior of 316L austenitic stainless steel were analyzed,and the volume fraction and the sizes of the precipitates were determined. By the thermodynamic calculation with the update database,the results show that the precipitated phase in 316L austenitic stainless steel was M_(23)C_6 type carbide after aging at 850℃,and the amount and size of M_(23)C_6 were increased with enhanced aging time.After aging at 650℃for 100 h,the precipitated phase in steel was mainly composed of x phase.