Papers by Author: Mehdi Asadi

Abstract: The increased demand for advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) is driven mainly by the need of the automotive industry to reduce weight and to improve safety. Beside good ductility and high strength, those steels have a high bake hardening (BH) effect, giving additional contribution to the strength of structural parts, subjected to the paint baking process. In this paper results are presented gained from hot rolled martenstitic steels. For the simulation of changing conditions within the final hot rolling process the specimens were hot deformed using different schedules changing reductions and temperatures been selected according to the non-recrystallization temperature By controlling the deformation temperature and the amount of strain below non-recrystallization during the thermomechanically controlled process it was possible to refine the martensitic steel structure, resulting in an improved strength and BH behaviour. A wide spectrum of mechanical properties could be obtained. The best strength and BH levels were recorded where the deformation was applied below T_nRX at the highest amount of strain.

Abstract: This research deals with processes leading to local strengthening effects in Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS). Dual phase (DP), retained austenite (RA) - both hot and cold rolled - and complex phase (CP) steels have been investigated to examine the effect of thermal and mechanical processing parameters on local properties. For this purpose, a method has been investigated to achieve local strengthening, namely local deformation and local heat treatment. Samples were locally deformed by bending and embossing processes. A local deformation with defined pre-strains leads to enhanced hardness and strengthening. A subsequent aging treatment leads to a further increase in mechanical properties. Local heat treatment was applied using a laser and an electron beam. Following local heat treatment with selected parameters, the microstructure of the surface and the cross section as well as the mechanical properties were evaluated by light optical, scanning as well as transmission electron microscopy, hardness measurement, tensile testing and thermal modelling. It can be stated that with partial heat treatment, local high strengthening can be produced. At lower heat treating temperatures, this effect could be attributed to bake hardening. With increased heat treating temperature, the initial microstructure near the surface is affected. A model can be improved, which defines the correlation between the influencing parameters and the local properties. The influence of over-aging in locally strengthen regions has been studied. For this investigation, parameters are stable to locally adjust the strengthening effect. Partial strengthening of AHSS by local deformation or local heat treatment can open up new fields of applications for locally using the strengthening effect to only influence relevant areas of interest, thus providing the potential for saving energy and designing the component’s behaviour.

Abstract: The investigations deal with processes leading to local effects of strengthening in multiphase steels, being characterized by good formability, continuous yielding, high strength and a strong bake hardening and ageing effect. Dual phase and complex phase steels are under investigation to examine the effect of thermo-mechanical processing parameters on local ageing ability and its use for designed properties. For this purpose local heat treatment by laser are studied, as well as stability of local ageing on the adjusted strength. A remarkable increase of the hardness in the heat treated zone was observed. Stability of the local strengthening effect could be confirmed. Partial heat treatment of multiphase steels by laser can open a new field of application for the local use of the strengthening effect to influence only relevant areas, thus giving potential for energy saving.

Abstract: Dilatometric measurements were used to design the processing parameters of two types of bainitic steels. The first type is a hypoeutectoid ultra fine bainite steel, for which the dilatometer was used to locate the temperature at which cementite is completely dissolved during intercritical annealing (TC). The intercritical annealing temperatures are then selected will above TC. To obtain the martensite start temperatures (MS), the steel is quenched to the room temperature (RT) from these selected temperatures and then the bainite transformation temperatures were selected to be well above MS. The dilatometer was then used to monitor the bainite transformation kinetics from which the required time frames for cessation of the bainitic reactions were estimated. In the second type, bimodal bainite had been produced in thermo-mechanically processed TRIP-steel. A deformation dilatometer is used to perform three deformation-steps before slow cooling to form approx. 30% polygonal ferrite. The material was then rapidly cooled to the first bainite formation temperature. During this step, the dilatometer was used to monitor the bainite reaction from which the required time for 50% decomposition of austenite is estimated. The martensite start of the undecomposed austenite was located by quenching to RT. The second bainite transformation step was then performed well above the new MSII to form a second generation of finer bainite.