Papers by Author: Siegfried Kleber

Abstract: Ingot breakdown is the most significant process for achieving high-quality billets in the cogging process. Especially microstructure evolution and grain refinement during the plastic deformation are of technical interest for the metal forming industry. To obtain refined and uniform microstructures after processing, it is necessary to understand deformation mechanisms as well as recovery-and recrystallization phenomena. Polycrystalline pure nickel and cast structured austenitic stainless steels were deformed by a compression test at different warm forming temperatures (800-1200°C) to investigate the influence of initial grain size, strain and strain rate on the structural refinement process. To get rid off static-and postdynamic softening processes the samples were immediately water quenched after deformation. By using the electron back scatter diffraction technique, the microstructural evolution and the crystallographic orientations were captured after deformation.

Abstract: The investigated super duplex steel belongs to the group of stainless steels which exhibits an austenitic-ferritic microstructure with a phase fraction of about 50% austenite and 50% ferrite. The alloy shows excellent general corrosion resistance as well as a good resistance against stress corrosion cracking, corrosion fatigue and erosion corrosion. Due to these outstanding properties, the super duplex alloy is used in components for sea or waste water applications and in the offshore and chemical industry. In addition, the investigated super duplex steel exhibits a good weldability and a high strength in comparison to pure austenitic steel grades In order to optimize the production process and to provide a suitable microstructure to satisfy the customer’s requirements multiaxial forging test at various temperatures were performed in the Gleeble Maxstrain system. The force and the displacement after each anvil stroke were measured and used to distinguish the mechanical behaviour in the forging process at different thermal conditions. The recorded force and displacement is also compared with a multi step compression test to show the influence of change in the deformation direction. A certain number of samples were exposed an in-situ heat treatment after the deformation while other samples were immediately quenched after the forging to preserve the deformed microstructure, which was measured by optical microscopy and electron microscopy. Furthermore, electron back scatter diffractions scans were applied to characterize the degree of dynamic recrystallization during the forging process.

Abstract: The microstructural evolution, the changes in microhardness and the recrystallization behavior of a modified 316L stainless steel were investigated during high pressure torsion (HPT) and subsequent annealing. To study the impact of the governing process parameters on the evolving microstructures, the applied strain, the strain path and the annealing temperatures were varied. In contrast to ordinary single phase steels, which showed a decrease in the structural size ending in a saturation of the microstructural refinement between an equivalent strain eq of 10 and 15, HPT of the modified 316L results in a steep increase in shear stress at very small strains and the saturation region is reached far before eq = 10. Studies using the transmission electron microscope (TEM) revealed that at large strains the original coarse grains are converted by the massive intersection and fragmentation of twins into a nanometer-scaled microstructure. In the case of monotonic HPT, shock annealing of the deformed discs results in rows of fine and coarse grains. In the cyclic deformed discs a homogenous, fine-grained and almost fully recrystallized microstructure was observed. The results clearly show that both the strength and ductility of the material can be significantly influenced by SPD and subsequent annealing. Possible reasons for the observed differences in the deformation and annealing behavior are discussed.

Abstract: Industrial available FeSi, FeCo and FeNi alloys with an initial grain size of 20-50 m were subjected to Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) up to strain levels where a saturation of the microstructural refinement is observed. For both SPD conditions, ambient temperature (293 K) and liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K), the microstructure of the severely deformed state is analysed by Back Scattered Electrons (BSE) micrographs captured in a SEM. Additionally, samples that were deformed at 77 K are examined in a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The magnetic properties were characterised by means of SQUID-magnetography providing information about the magnetization behaviour of the material in the as-processed state. Depending on the SPD conditions the mean microstructural sizes in the steady state are about 100-150 nm and 30-80 nm at 293 K and 77 K, respectively. The small microstructural sizes influence significantly the magnetic properties of these ferritic alloys. The initial soft-magnetic behaviour of the coarse grained state shifts towards a hard-magnetic with decreasing crystallite size. For crystallite sizes smaller than ~80 nm the magnetic properties become again more soft-magnetic. The experiments show that very low coercitivity can be obtained by SPD if the grain size is smaller than ~50 nm.

Abstract: Evolutions of profiles for a cylindrical specimen during hot compression were calculated with finite element methods. The calculations have been carried out with different characteristics of flow behaviors for the alloy 16CrMo4. Variations in the maximal radius of the specimen are determined predominately on geometric factors of the compression, while indifferent to magnitudes as well as strain hardening rates of flow stresses. This result was verified by hot compression testes of two different alloys employing Gleeble experiments. The increment of the maximal radius within a definite strain range is enhanced by introducing significant temperature gradients.

Abstract: For the investigation of retained strains during hot forming, which are related to the dislocation structure, single and double hit compression tests were carried out at different temperatures and strain rates for a stainless steel. Using microhardness measurements the retained strains after the first and second pass were investigated as a function of the amount of deformation, temperatures as well as strain rates and dwell durations. In general, the retained strain decreases with increasing dwell durations in both the deformed and recrystallized grains, respectively. At a given total amount of deformation in a double hit compression, the retained strains for the as deformed unrecrystallized grains are reduced for a lower deformation in the first hit. For the recrystallized grains the retained strain increases, when comparing double hit with single hit compression.

Abstract: Double-hit compression tests were carried out at different temperatures and strain rates for a nickel based alloy and a stainless steel. Using microhardness measurements the retained strains after the first and second pass were investigated as a function of the amount of deformation, temperatures as well as strain rates and dwell durations. In general, the retained strain decreases with increasing dwell durations. It is shown that at a given total amount of deformation, the retained strain is reduced for the as deformed grains that have not been recrystallized yet, but increased for the recrystallized grains, when comparing double hit with single hit compression tests.

Abstract: A commercial FeCo ferritic steel with an initial grain size of 10 μm was subjected to Severe Plastic Deformation in a temperature range between 293 K (0.16Tm, Tm: melting temperature in K) and 723 K (0.4Tm) up to strain levels where a saturation of the microstructural refinement is observed. The microstructure of the severely deformed state is analyzed by Back Scattered Electrons micrographs captured in a SEM. The magnetic properties were characterized by means of SQUID-magnetometer providing information about the magnetization behavior of the material in the as processed state. Depending on the deformation temperature mean microstructural sizes in the steady state of 50 nm and 270 nm were observed after SPD at 293 K and 723 K, respectively. These small microstructural sizes influences significantly the magnetic properties of the material: it shifts the behavior from soft-magnetic in the initial coarse grained state towards a hard-magnetic with decreasing size of the crystallites. For sizes of the crystallites smaller than about 100 nm the magnetic properties become again more soft-magnetic.

Abstract: The stress relaxation method has been applied to the nickel-based alloy 80A to predict meta-dynamic (MDRX) and static recrystallization (SRX) kinetics. Compression tests were performed on a Gleeble 3800 system atr different temperatures (950-1200°C). The strain rate was varied in the case of MDRX and the pre-strain in the case of SRX. To investigate MDRX, the prestrain was set to twice the peak strain in order to reach steady state before holding. To focus on the interaction of MDRX and SRX, the pre-strain was set to the peak strain, where dynamic recrystallization (DRX) starts but does not yet reach steady state. Avrami type equations for the prediction of both the MDRX and SRX were adapted to feed a semi-empirical grain structure model.