Les aciers bainitiques sont utilisés industriellement pour leur bon compromis entre résistance, ductilité et ténacité. Cependant, après obtention de sa microstructure d'emploi, l’acier peut subir des maintiens additionnels en température (soit en fin de fabrication et/ou lors de son utilisation), susceptibles de dégrader ses propriétés. Ces travaux de thèse cherchent à comprendre les origines microstructurales de cette dégradation. Pour ce faire, des traitements thermiques contrôlés ont été appliqués à des aciers de nuances modèles FeNiC et FeNiMnC. Une première série de traitements a permis de fabriquer des microstructures bainitiques supérieure, inférieure, martensitique et mixtes. Ces produits de transformation bruts ont été caractérisés et analysés en détail, en particulier par EBSD en résolution angulaire améliorée. Les données ont été exploitées pour reconstruire les ex-grains austénitiques et distinguer les différents produits de transformation par l'organisation spatiale de leurs variants cristallographiques. Une deuxième série de traitements a consisté à soumettre ces microstructures à des maintiens isothermes prolongés. Nous avons montré que ces microstructures bainitiques en lattes ne sont pas stables dans certaines conditions ultérieures de maintien isotherme. Dans les cas les plus sévères, nous avons observé un processus de « granularisation » de la microstructure en lattes avec disparition des variants fortement désorientés et une maturation des carbures. Ces phénomènes sont observés sur nos alliages modèles y compris sur des temps courts (<1h) à basses températures (300°C). Ces évolutions ainsi que leurs cinétiques ont été investiguées à différentes échelles en couplant des observations en MEB, EBSD, MET et aussi in situ par DRX Haute Energie sur grands instruments. La composition chimique et la microstructure initiale affectent sensiblement les cinétiques. Mais nous avons surtout pointé le rôle majeur de la présence (même résiduelle) de bainite dite supérieure dans la microstructure initiale pour amorcer le processus de granularisation, indépendamment de la température de dénaturation. L’ensemble des résultats permet de discuter les possibles mécanismes sous-jacents et leurs forces motrices et ouvre une discussion plus large sur la classification des bainites / Bainitic steels are widely used in industry thanks to their good combinations of strength, toughness and ductility. Meanwhile, after obtaining the targeted microstructure, the steel can undergo additional isothermal holdings (either during manufacturing and/or during usage) prone to degrade its properties. The thesis work aims at understanding the microstructural origins of this degradation. To achieve this, we applied controlled heat treatments on model FeNiC and FeNiMnC steel grades. A first set of heat treatments allowed us to obtain different microstructures; upper and lower bainites, martensite and mixed concepts. These transformation products were characterized and analyzed in detail, particularly by EBSD with improved angular resolution. Data was operated to reconstruct prior austenitic grains and to distinguish the different transformation products according to their crystallographic variant spatial organization. A second set of heat treatments consisted in aging these microstructures by extended isothermal holdings. We show that lath-like bainitic microstructures are not stable under certain isothermal conditions. In the most advanced cases, we observed a « granularization » process of the lath microstructure, associated with high misoriented variant disappearance and carbides ripening. These phenomena were observed for the studied model alloys, even within short holding times (<1h) and at low temperatures (300°C). These highlighted evolutions as well as their kinetics were investigated at different scales, coupling SEM observations, EBSD, TEM and in situ XRD High Energy on large instruments. The initial microstructure and the steel chemical composition affect significantly the « granularization » kinetics. But we have above all put the light on the major role of the presence of an upper bainite fraction (even a residual one) in the initial microstructure, to start the granularization phenomenon, independently of aging temperature. All of these results allow discussing possible mechanisms with their respective driving forces and opening larger discussion about bainite classification

O aço maraging é conhecido pela sua alta resistência mecânica proveniente da formação de precipitados intermetálicos como Ni3Ti e Fe2Mo durante o envelhecimento, porém com subsequente perda de tenacidade à fratura. Existe uma vasta literatura sobre este tipo de aço, o qual é submetido a diversos tratamentos térmicos. Normalmente dois tratamentos térmicos são aplicados: uma homogeneização inicial para solubilização dos precipitados, sendo a recomendação geral 820 °C/1 h, e posteriormente o tratamento de envelhecimento, variando a temperatura de 455 °C a 510 °C e o tempo de 3 a 12 h. No entanto, pode haver variações no tratamento, como aquecimento após homogeneização numa faixa de temperatura intercrítica ou abaixo da Ac1 visando a reversão da martensita em austenita e o refino de grão. Até o presente momento, não está bem definida a influência da temperatura/tempo em tratamentos de temperaturas inter ou subcríticas que visam o refinamento da estrutura e o aumento da austenita retida/reversa. A literatura mostra tratamentos na liga maraging 300 por meio de estudos mais antigos, da década de 70 e 80, utilizando aquecimentos curtos e cíclicos para reversão e estabilização da austenita reversa. Estudos mais recentes de outras ligas utilizaram tratamentos isotérmicos para difusão e reversão da martensita em austenita. Nesta proposta serão pesquisadas as duas rotas de tratamento, cíclica e isotérmica, para avaliar a reversão martensita-austenita. Os tratamentos cíclicos foram caracterizados por EBSD, MEV e difração de raio-X ex-situ. Os tratamentos isotérmicos foram caracterizados por EBSD e difração de raio-X de fonte sincrotron in-situ, ou seja, medida em tempo real durante o tratamento. Ambas as condições foram avaliadas mecanicamente por meio de ensaios de flexão de 3 pontos. / Maraging steel is known for its high mechanical strength resulting from the formation of intermetallic precipitates such as Ni3Ti and Fe2Mo during aging heat treatment, with subsequent loss of fracture toughness. There is a vast literature on this type of steel, which is subjected to various thermal treatments. Normally two heat treatments are applied: an initial homogenization for solubilization of the precipitates, the general recommendation being 820 ° C/1 h, and later the aging treatment, varying temperature from 455 ° C to 510 ° C and time of treatment from 3 to 12 hours. However, there may be applied other heat treatments, such as heating after homogenization in an intercritical temperature range or below Ac1 for the reversion of martensite-to-austenite and grain refinement. To date, the influence of temperature and time on inter- or subcritical temperature treatments aiming at grain refinement and martensite-to-austenite reversion is not well defined. The literature shows treatments in the maraging 300 alloy, from the 70s and 80s, using short and cyclic heat treatment for reversion and stabilization of austenite. Recent studies of other alloys have used isothermal treatments for diffusion and martensite-to-austenite revresion. In this study, two heat treatment routes, cyclical and isothermal, were investigated to evaluate the martensite-to-austenite reversion. Cyclic treatments were characterized by EBSD, SEM and ex-situ X-ray diffraction. The isothermal treatments were characterized by EBSD and X-ray diffraction of synchrotron source in-situ, that is, measured in real time during the treatment. Both conditions were mechanically evaluated by 3-point-bending tests.