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The effect of aging on the precipitates, mechanical and magnetic properties of Fe-21Cr-15Ni-6Mn-Nb low magnetic stainless steel were investigated. The steel was aged at 550–750 °C for 2 h after solution heat treatment at 1100 °C for 1 h. During the aging treatment, the (Nb, V)(C, N) particles gradually precipitated in the grain, which were coherent or semi-coherent with the matrix. When the aging temperature was beyond 650 °C, the coarsening rate of (Nb, V)(C, N) particles increase rapidly and the coherent orientation between (Nb, V)(C, N) particles and the matrix was lost gradually. Meanwhile, coarse M23C6 was distributed at the grain boundary with chain shape, which was non-coherent with the matrix. The coarsening behavior of (Nb, V)(C, N) precipitates in the grain was analyzed, and the size of the particles precipitated after aging treatment at 650°C for different time was calculated and studied. After aging treatment at 650 °C for 2 h, the yield strength and tensile strength of the stainless steel was 705.6 MPa and 1002.3 MPa, the elongation and the relative magnetic permeability was 37.8% and 1.0035, respectively.

The present work investigates the annealing twins of Fe-20Mn-4Al-0.3C austenitic steels in symmetric hot rolling (SHR) and asymmetric hot rolling (ASHR). The average grain size is 26 (±9.6) μm and 11 (±7.0) μm for the tested steel in SHR and ASHR processes. The density of high angle grain boundary (HAGB) and annealing twin boundary increase with the decrease of grain size. The annealing twin is obviously higher in ASHR than in SHR. The linear relation model between the logarithm of twin boundary density and the logarithm of the grain size is established. The grain boundary migration is continuously generated during recrystallization in SHR process. The coincident site lattice (CSL) boundary proportion increases with local grain boundary continuing bugling and the migration direction of bugling grain boundary constantly changes. The tensile property of the tested steel is improved due to the effective grain refinement and high density of annealing twins caused by the severe strain in the ASHR process. The purpose of high density HAGB for austenitic steels is helpful to an improvement in mechanical properties.