This article describes metallographic preparation and examination techniques for stainless steels and maraging steels. It presents a series of micrographs demonstrating microstructural features of these alloys. Procedures used to prepare stainless steels for macroscopic and microscopic examination are similar to those used for carbon, alloy, and tool steels. Cutting and grinding must be carefully executed to minimize deformation because the austenitic grades work harden readily. The high-hardness martensitic grades that contain substantial undissolved chromium carbide are difficult to polish while fully retaining the carbides. Unlike carbon, alloy, and tool steels, etching techniques are more difficult due to the high corrosion resistance of stainless steels and the various second phases that may be encountered. The microstructures of stainless steels can be quite complex. Matrix structures vary according to the type of steel, such as ferritic, austenitic, martensitic, precipitation hardenable, or duplex.

Maraging steels are highly alloyed low-carbon iron-nickel martensite steels that possess an excellent combination of strength and toughness superior to that of most carbon-hardened steels. This article provides a detailed account of the formation of martensite in maraging steels. It discusses the heat treatment of these steels, namely, aging, solution annealing, age hardening, and nitriding. Their hardening during aging has been attributed to two different mechanisms: short-range ordering and precipitation. The article concludes with a discussion on the grain refinement using thermal cycling and transformation-induced plasticity maraging methods.

Maraging steels comprise a special class of high-strength steels that differ from conventional steels in that they are hardened by a metallurgical reaction that does not involve carbon. Instead, these steels are strengthened by the precipitation of intermetallic compounds at temperatures of about 480 deg C. Commercial maraging steels are designed to provide specific levels of yield strength in the range of 1030 to 2420 MPa. However, some experimental maraging steels have yield strengths as high as 3450 MPa. These steels typically have very high nickel, cobalt, and molybdenum contents and very low carbon contents. This article outlines the processing of maraging steels: melting, hot working, cold working, machining, heat treating, surface treatment, and welding. It also covers mechanical and physical properties as well as tooling and aerospace applications, where maraging steels are extensively used.

This article is an atlas of fractographs that helps in understanding the causes and mechanisms of fracture of maraging steels and in identifying and interpreting the morphology of fracture surfaces. The fractographs illustrate the tensile-test fracture, low-cycle fatigue fracture, fibrous fracture, crack-initiation zone, microvoid coalescence, fatigue-crack surface, hydrogen embrittlement, and fatigue striations of these steels.

Ultrahigh-strength steels are designed to be used in structural applications where very high loads are applied and often high strength-to-weight ratios are required. This article discusses the composition, mechanical properties, processing, product forms, and applications of commercial structural steels capable of a minimum yield strength of 1380 MPa (200 ksi). These include medium-carbon low-alloy steels, such as 4340, 300M, D-6a and D-6ac steels; medium-alloy air-hardening steels, such as HI1 modified steel and H13 steel; high fracture toughness steels, such as HP-9-4-30, AF1410, and AerMet 100 steels; and maraging steels.

Specialty steels encompass a broad range of ferrous alloys noted for their special processing characteristics (powder metallurgy alloys), corrosion resistance (stainless steels), wear resistance and toughness (tool steels), high strength (maraging steels), or magnetic properties (electrical steels). This article provides a detailed discussion on the various surface treatments, including cleaning, nitriding, carburizing, coating, and plating, performed on specialty steels.

This article describes the heat treating (stress relieving, normalizing, annealing, quenching, tempering, martempering, austempering, and age hardening) of different types of steels, including ultrahigh-strength steels, maraging steels, and powder metallurgy steels. Tabulating the recommended temperatures for normalizing and austenitizing, it provides information on mechanism, cooling media, principal variables, process procedures, and applications of heat treating. In addition, the article gives a short note on the cold and cryogenic treatment of steel.

This article reviews general trends in the cyclic response for representative commercial alloys to establish the spectrum of cyclic properties attainable through microstructural alteration. Individual alloy classes are examined in detail to assess the understanding of relationships between microstructure and fatigue resistance. These alloys classes include ferritic-pearlitic alloys, martensitic alloys, maraging steels, and metastable austenitic alloys. The article also discusses the role of internal defects and selective surface processing in influencing fatigue performance.