Papers by Author: Andrey Belyakov

Abstract: The microstructure evolution and strength properties of a Cu-0.096%Cr-0.057%Zr alloy subjected to equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) at a temperature of 673 K via route B_C to total strains of 1 to 4 were examined. The planar low-angle boundaries with moderate misorientations form within initial grains during the first ECAP passes. Upon further processing the misorientations of these boundaries progressively increase and the formation of new ultrafine grains occurs as a result of continuous dynamic recrystallization. Partially recrystallized ultrafine grained structure evolves at strains above 4. After straining to 4 the (sub) grain size attains 0.65 μm. The large plastic straining provides significant strengthening. The ultimate tensile strength increases from 190 MPa in the initial state to 420 MPa after 4 ECAP passes. A modified Hall-Petch analysis is applied to investigate the contribution of grain refinement and dislocation density to the overall strengthening.

Abstract: The deformation microstructures and their effects on mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steels processed by cold rolling at ambient temperature to various total strains were studied. The cold working was accompanied by the development of strain-induced martensitic transformation because of meta-stable austenite at room temperature. The strain-induced martensitic transformation and deformation twinning promoted the grain refinement during cold rolling, leading to nanocrystalline structures consisting of a mixture of austenite and martensite grains with their transverse grain sizes of 50-150 nm containing high dislocation densities. The rolled samples experienced substantial strengthening resulted from high density of strain induced grain/phase boundaries and dislocations. The yield strength of austenitic stainless steels could be increased to 2000 MPa after rolling to total strains of about 4. The martensite and austenite provided almost the same contribution to overall yield strength. The dislocation strengthening was much higher than the grain boundary strengthening at small to moderate strains of about 2, whereas the latter gradually increased approaching the level of dislocation strengthening with increasing the strain.

Abstract: The regularities of static recrystallization in an Fe-0.3C-17Mn-1.5Al TWIP steel subjected to cold rolling and annealing were studied. The cold rolling led to noticeable increase in the dislocation density, extensive mechanical twinning and shear banding. The subsequent annealing resulted in the development of recovered or recrystallized microstructure depending on the rolling reduction and the annealing temperature. An increase in the rolling reduction promoted the recrystallization development, which led to ultrafine-grained microstructure with a grain size below 10 μm. The developed ultrafine-grained steel samples are characterized by beneficial mechanical properties.

Abstract: The formation of submicrocrystalline structure during severe plastic deformation and its effect on mechanical properties of an S304H austenitic stainless steel with chemical composition of Fe – 0.1C – 0.12N – 0.1Si – 0.95Mn – 18.4Cr – 7.85Ni – 3.2Cu – 0.5Nb – 0.01P – 0.006S (all in mass%) were studied. The severe plastic deformation was carried out by high pressure torsion (HPT) at two different temperatures, i.e., room temperature or 400°C. HPT at room temperature or 400°C led to the formation of a fully austenitic submicrocrystalline structure. The grain size and strength of the steels with ultrafine-grained structures produced by cold or warm HPT were almost the same. The ultimate tensile strengths were 1950 MPa and 1828 MPa after HPT at room temperature and 400°C, respectively.

Abstract: The influence of thermo-mechanical treatment consisting of cold rolling followed by recrystallization annealing on the grain size and mechanical properties of a high-Mn TWIP steel was studied. An Fe-23Mn-0.3C-1.5Al TWIP steel (wt. %) was subjected to extensive cold rolling with a reduction of 80% (true strain of ∼1.6) and then annealed in the temperature interval ranging from 400 to 900 °C during 20 minutes. Recovery processes took place below 500 °C, partial recrystallization was evident at ~550°C and fully recrystallized structure evolved after annealing at 600 °C and higher. The static recovery resulted in a slight decrease in the yield strength from 1400 MPa to 1250 MPa and the ultimate tensile strength from 1540 MPa to 1400 MPa whereas the total elongation of 4% did not changed. The recrystallization development led to a drastic drop of strength and an increase in ductility. The yield strength of 225 MPa, the ultimate tensile strength of 700 MPa and the total elongation of 79% was obtained after annealing at 900 °C. Correspondingly, the grain size increased from 0.2 μm to 6.2 μm with increase in anneal temperature from 550 to 900°C.

Abstract: The recent studies on grain refinement in austenitic stainless steels during large strain deformations are critically reviewed. The paper is focused on the mechanism of structural changes that is responsible for the development of submicrocrystalline structures that can be interpreted as continuous dynamic recrystallization developing under conditions of warm working. The final grain size that is attainable by large strain warm working can be expressed by a power law function of temperature compensated strain rate with an exponent of about -0.15. The development of submicrocrystalline structures is assisted by the deformation microbanding and dynamic recovery, which are characterized by opposite temperature dependencies. The grain refinement kinetics, therefore, are characterized by a weak temperature dependence for a wide range of warm working conditions.

Abstract: A Cu-0.87%Cr-0.06%Zr alloy was subjected to equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) at a temperature of 400 °C up to a total strain of ~ 12. This processing produced ultra-fine grained (UFG) structure with an average grain size of 0.6 μm and an average dislocation density of ~4×10¹⁴ m^-2. Tensile tests were carried out in the temperature interval 450 – 650 °C at strain rates ranging from 2.8´10^-4 to 0.55 s^-1. The alloy exhibits superplastic behavior in the temperature interval 550 – 600 °C at strain rate over 5.5´10^-3 s^-1. The highest elongation-to-failure of ~300% was obtained at a temperature of 575 °C and a strain rate of 2.8´10^-3 s^-1 with the corresponding strain rate sensitivity of 0.32. It was shown the superplastic flow at the optimum conditions leads to limited grain growth in the gauge section. The grain size increases from 0.6 μm to 0.87 μm after testing, while dislocation density decreases insignificantly to ~10¹⁴ m^-2.

Abstract: The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of 316L and 304L austenitic stainless steels subjected to large strain cold bar rolling and subsequent annealing were studied. The cold working was accompanied by mechanical twinning and strain-induced martensitic transformation. The latter was readily developed in 304L stainless steel. The uniform microstructures consisting of elongated austenite and martensite nanocrystallites evolved at large total strains, resulting in tensile strength above 2000 MPa in the both steels. The subsequent annealing at temperatures above 700°C was accompanied by the martensite-austenite reversion followed by recrystallization, leading to ultrafine grained austenite.

Abstract: The development of submicrocrystalline structure in a Cu-0.3wt.%Cr-0.5wt.%Zr during multidirectional forging (MDF) and equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) was investigated in comparison. A large number of strain-induced subboundaries with low-angle misorientations appeared at early deformation. The subsequent straining led to an increase in the misorientations of these subboundaries, resulting in the formation of submicrocrystalline structure at sufficiently large strains. The process of microstructural evolution can be considered as continuous dynamic recrystallization. MDF provided faster kinetics of new ultrafine grain formation as compared to ECAP. The fraction of ultrafine grains with a size below 2 μm comprised 0.59 or 0.23 after MDF or ECAP to a total strain of 4, respectively. The grain refinement kinetics could be accelerated by the presence of second phase precipitates. The fraction of ultrafine grains after MDF to a strain of 4 achieved 0.36 or 0.59 in the solution treated or aged samples, respectively.

Abstract: The microstructure evolution and the deformation behavior of a Cu-0.3%Cr-0.5%Zr alloy subjected to multidirectional forging at a temperature of 673 K under a strain rate of about 10^-3 s^-1 were studied. Following a rapid increase in the flow stress during straining to about 1, the strain hardening gradually decreases, leading to a steady-state flow behavior at total strain above 2. The multidirectional forging led to the development of ultrafine grained microstructures with mean grain sizes of 0.9 μm and 0.64 μm in the solution treated and aged samples, respectively. The presence of second phase precipitates promoted the grain refinement. After processing to a total strain of 4, the fractions of ultrafine grains (D < 2 μm) comprised 0.36 and 0.59 in the solution treated and aged samples, respectively.