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Volume 19
Issue 13
10.3390/ma19132728
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Article

Effect of Heat Treatments on the Corrosion Resistance of a TRIP Steel and Its Evaluation by Non-Destructive Testing

by
Karla Ivette Vega-Nava
1,
Ariosto Medina-Flores
1,*,
Marco Antonio Espinosa-Medina
2,
José Sergio Pacheco-Cedeño
3,
Héctor Guillermo Carreón-Garcidueñas
1,
Francisco Fernando Curiel-López
1 and
José Jaime Taha-Tijerina
4,*
1
Instituto de Investigación en Metalurgia y Materiales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia 58000, Mexico
2
Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia 58000, Mexico
3
Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia, Morelia 58120, Mexico
4
Mechanical Engineering Department, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Materials 2026, 19(13), 2728; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19132728 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 11 May 2026 / Revised: 8 June 2026 / Accepted: 16 June 2026 / Published: 25 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Welding Technologies)
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Abstract

The development of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) for the automotive industry requires optimizing the balance between mechanical properties and durability in aggressive environments. This study investigates the effects of two heat treatment routes on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of a transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steel (Fe-0.2C-1.75Mn-0.5Si-1Al). Route A includes a full austenitizing step at 1000 °C prior to intercritical annealing, whereas Route B omits this step and begins directly with intercritical annealing at 800 °C. Microstructural characterization (SEM/XRD), electrochemical assays, and eddy current tests were employed. The results revealed that Route A yields a homogeneous microstructure with 12.7% retained austenite, higher than the 7.7% obtained with Route B. Electrochemically, the steel from Route A exhibited the greatest resistance, with the lowest corrosion current density (icorr) of 3.72 µA/cm2 and a more noble corrosion potential (Ecorr) of −743 mV compared to SCE. The improvement mechanism is that the homogeneity induced by complete austenitization minimizes the formation of internal galvanic cells between phases; likewise, the higher austenite fraction provides superior chemical stability, which favors denser passivation. Finally, Route A exhibited the lowest loss of electrical conductivity (16%), validating the use of eddy currents for monitoring the integrity of advanced steels.
Keywords: TRIP Steels; microstructure; corrosion; austenite phase; electrical conductivity; hardness; eddy current testing; microstructural homogeneity TRIP Steels; microstructure; corrosion; austenite phase; electrical conductivity; hardness; eddy current testing; microstructural homogeneity
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MDPI and ACS Style

Vega-Nava, K.I.; Medina-Flores, A.; Espinosa-Medina, M.A.; Pacheco-Cedeño, J.S.; Carreón-Garcidueñas, H.G.; Curiel-López, F.F.; Taha-Tijerina, J.J. Effect of Heat Treatments on the Corrosion Resistance of a TRIP Steel and Its Evaluation by Non-Destructive Testing. Materials 2026, 19, 2728. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19132728

AMA Style

Vega-Nava KI, Medina-Flores A, Espinosa-Medina MA, Pacheco-Cedeño JS, Carreón-Garcidueñas HG, Curiel-López FF, Taha-Tijerina JJ. Effect of Heat Treatments on the Corrosion Resistance of a TRIP Steel and Its Evaluation by Non-Destructive Testing. Materials. 2026; 19(13):2728. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19132728

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vega-Nava, Karla Ivette, Ariosto Medina-Flores, Marco Antonio Espinosa-Medina, José Sergio Pacheco-Cedeño, Héctor Guillermo Carreón-Garcidueñas, Francisco Fernando Curiel-López, and José Jaime Taha-Tijerina. 2026. "Effect of Heat Treatments on the Corrosion Resistance of a TRIP Steel and Its Evaluation by Non-Destructive Testing" Materials 19, no. 13: 2728. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19132728

APA Style

Vega-Nava, K. I., Medina-Flores, A., Espinosa-Medina, M. A., Pacheco-Cedeño, J. S., Carreón-Garcidueñas, H. G., Curiel-López, F. F., & Taha-Tijerina, J. J. (2026). Effect of Heat Treatments on the Corrosion Resistance of a TRIP Steel and Its Evaluation by Non-Destructive Testing. Materials, 19(13), 2728. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19132728

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