Static recrystallization kinetics and high temperature deformation properties of austenitic stainless steel SUS304 (AISI 304) have been investigated. It was established that the grain size of reversely transformed (α'→γ) and statically recrystallized microstructures varied directly with the volume of initial martensite phase which was induced by cold working. It was concluded that such recrystallization processes with reverse transformation could be divided into four stages.
Tensile tests in this alloy sheets with initial grain sizes of about 1.0μm have been conducted at different temperatures, below the static recrystallization temperature, and at strain rates ranging from 3.0×10^-5 to 1.0×10^-2s^-1. The elongation to failure exceeded 300pct and strain-rate sensitivity index (m) of about 0.4 were obtained at a test temperature of 998K at an initial strain rate of 3.0×10^-5. The influence of high temperature deformation on grain coarsening has also been investivated in this material.