Special features of the fracture of ordered segregated excess cementite ineutectoid steels

Special features of plastic deformation and fracture of excess cementite se gregated under the conditions of high-temperature carbon supersaturation of steel are studied by the methods of light and scanning electron microscopy . It is shown that regularly oriented flakes of excess cementite with a lam ellar structure are formed within the former austenite grains. The cementit e flakes oriented along the rolling plane fracture by a brittle mechanism f orming numerous fragments. The behavior of free cementite under the conditi ons of cold rolling depends on the orientation of the flakes in the specime n. The mutual shift of the layers allows coarse cementite formations to def orm under the action of compressive stresses without cracking.