A commercial low-alloy steel exhibiting combinations of mechanical properties superior to those of many other highly alloyed steels has been designed. The good properties are achieved by a carbide-free bainitic–austenitic structure, which can be produced by isothermal heat treatment of high-carbon silicon-alloyed steels in the upper bainite temperature range. Structure–property relationships are evaluated in order to find the optimum combination of heat treatment and alloy content. The effective grain size, the austenite volume fraction, and the austenite morphology are important factors controlling the properties. The mechanical stability of the austenite is of little importance.
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