Retained Austenite

Retained austenite is the amount of austenite that remains after cooling because the transformation is incomplete. This often happens in higher-alloy steels or when cooling is too fast. In the weld structure, it can affect hardness and deformation behavior, and depending on the application, that is not always desired. If you want to keep the amount small, you have to pay attention to the cooling conditions and, if necessary, do a post-weld heat treatment. Simply let the weld cool slower or run a stress-relief annealing, then it usually works out.