Lath boundaries in a maraging stainless steel of composition 13Cr-8Ni-2Mo-2Cu-1Ti-0.7Al-0.3Mn-0.2Si-0.03C (at%) have been investigated using atom probe tomography following aging at 475 °C for up to 100 h. Segregation of Mo, Si and P to the lath boundaries was observed already after 5 min of aging, and the amount of segregation increases with aging time. At lath boundaries also precipitation of η-Ni₃(Ti, Al) and Cu-rich 9R, in contact with each other, takes place. These co-precipitates grow with time and because of coarsening the area number density decreases. After 100 h of aging a ∼5 nm thick film-like precipitation of a Mo-rich phase was observed at the lath boundaries. From the composition of the film it is suggested that the phase in question is the quasicrystalline R' phase. The film is perforated with Cu-rich 9R and η-Ni₃(Ti, Al) co-precipitates. Not all precipitate types present in the matrix do precipitate at the lath boundaries; the Si-containing G phase and γ'-Ni₃(Ti, Al, Si) and the Cr-rich α' phase were not observed at the lath boundaries.
Keywords: Atom probe tomography; Lath boundaries; Maraging steel; Precipitation; Segregation; Stainless steel.
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