Deformation induced martensitic transformation in 304 austenitic stainless steel: In-situ vs. ex-situ transmission electron microscopy characterization

304 stainless steel is known to be metastable as the austenite phase can transform into martensite under deformation. In this work, both ex-situ and in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization were used to investigate the mechanisms of the deformation-induced transformation at room temperature. The ex-situ tensile tests were conducted at a strain rate of 10−3 s−1 until rupture, followed by TEM and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Samples were also interrupted at strains of 7%, 18%, and 30% with the goal of investigating the intermediate microstructure. In addition, tensile tests were conducted in-situ in a TEM at 25 °C using a special straining-stage with the goal of capturing the nucleation and growth of the martensitic phase as it develops under deformation. The formation of stacking faults and the subsequent formation of ε-martensite (hcp) through their overlapping/bundling was captured in-situ, confirming the role played by Stacking Faults (SFs) as intermediate step during the transformation from γ-austenite to ε-martensite. Direct transformation of γ-austenite (fcc) to α'-martensite (bcc) was also captured upon straining and characterized. Such unique in-situ observations showcase how in-situ straining in a TEM, as a small scale tensile technique, is a powerful technique to visualize and investigate the mechanisms of deformation induced phase transformations.