Papers by Keyword: Austenitization

Abstract: The press hardening steel sheets WHF1500H with different original structures produced by compact strip production (CSP) line in Wuhan Iron and Steel Ltd. were austenitized at 950 °C for 5 min, and then hot stamped and quenched by using the flat die. The microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated by optical microscope, transmission electron microscope and universal testing machine. The results show that the microstructure after stamping and quenching is fully composed of lath martensite. The mechanical properties of the steel samples with different original structures are different after hot stamping and quenching, and this difference is smaller than that before hot stamping and quenching. When the original structure consists of ferrite and pearlite, the austenite grains after austenitization are fine and uniform. In addition, the martensite structure obtained after hot stamping and quenching is also uniform and fine, leading to higher mechanical properties. With the increase of the strength of the original steel, when the original structure is martensite, the austenite grains after austenitization are coarse, and the martensite structures obtained after quenching is also coarse, and thereby decreasing the strength.

Abstract: The austenitization and inter-critical annealing of X4CrNiMo16-5-1 (1.4418) supermartensitic stainless steel were investigated in-situ with synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), dilatometry and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under isochronal heating conditions. Austenitization occurred in two stages: the austenitization started at approx. 600 °C, decelerated at approx. 700 °C at 60 to 75 v.% of transformed austenite, and first resumed after heating for approx. 100 °C. This plateau in the transformation curve was more dominant for faster heating rates. Inter-critical annealing at 675 and 700 °C revealed, that austenite can to a certain extent be stabilized to room-temperature. There was good agreement for the transformation curves yielded by dilatometry and XRD. Some deviation occurred due to the different applied heating principles, different temperature monitoring and the impact of surface martensite formation on the XRD measurement. The applicable temperature range for DSC as well as the close proximity of the A_c1- and the Curie-temperature limited the usage of the technique in the present case.

Abstract: The paper examines the available experimental data to produce a model for quantitative prediction of the change of M₇C₃ carbide fraction and austenite chemical composition during holding of ternary alloys Fe–Cr–C (used as wear-resistant white cast irons and tool steels) in austenite + carbide region. Carbide dissolution is well described by Avrami type equation with exponent n close to 1/2. Dependences of the coefficient of this equation on carbide fraction and of the activation energy of the temperature dependence of this coefficient on carbide composition are established. As a result, a model that permits to calculate the fraction and chemical composition of austenite and M₇C₃ carbide in an Fe–Cr–C alloy of arbitrary composition after isothermal holding at given temperature for given time is obtained; equilibrium phase composition is needed to be known from thermodynamic models. This allows predicting the results of hardening after different austenitization regimes.

Abstract: The austenitization of steels can occur in a wide variety of initial microstructures. In this study we addressed the transformation of banded pearlite steels. Banded pearlite initial structures similar to the real ones were created. In these structures the entire transformation process was simulated whose part processes are nucleation and grain growth. The nucleation is described by a free energy based model, and the Fick II. diffusion equation by using Finite Difference Method describes the grain growth. These models have been coupled in cellular automata simulations.

Abstract: Press hardening steel is the best solution for application of extremely high strength steel in automotive structures in order to reduce the weight of body-in-white. Effect of austenitizing temperature on the grain coarsening of a press hardening steel has been investigated by using dilatometer at first. The mechanical properties of press-hardened steel austenitized at temperature between 850 to 950oC by using a pilot hot stamping line have been investigated. The strength, especially the ultimate tensile strength, was improved by the grain refinement with lower austenitization temperature.

Abstract: Due to high temperature and inevitable contact with air, strong oxidation and decarburization of the bare steel exist in hot stamping of ultra-high strength steels. Martensitic stainless steel could be a potential solution with its corrosion resistance and high strength. In this paper, the influences of austenitization temperature (850 to 1000 °C) and time (3 to 10 min) on final properties of 410 martensitic stainless steel were investigated, to obtain an ultra-high strength up to 1500MPa. The hot stamping of 410 steel is simulated by compression tests with a flat die. Mechanical properties of blanks after hot stamping process were detected by tensile tests. Results show that the final strength of 410 steel increases and the plasticity decreases, with the increase of austenitization temperature and time. After austenitization at 1000 °C for 5-10 min, an ultimate tensile strength up to 1500MPa is obtained with a martensite dominated microstructure.

Abstract: The effects of heating rate and prior cold work on the development of dual-phase steel microstructures in three low carbon steels were evaluated with samples processed on a Gleeble 3500 thermomechanical processing simulator. The nominally 0.2 wt pct carbon steels included a plain carbon steel and modified alloys incorporating higher manganese contents, boron additions, and microalloy additions. Each alloy was prepared with two different cold rolled reductions. Heating rates from 1 to 1000 ^oC/s were selected to span the rates typically experienced in conventional furnace heat treating up to rates for induction heating. Critical transformation temperatures were obtained from dilatometric curves. Dual-Phase microstructures after heat treatment with different heating rates were compared. Transformation temperatures decreased with an increase in cold work and increased with an increase in heating rate. The steels with higher manganese and carbon additions exhibited lower Ac₃ values across all heating rates and the steels with higher silicon higher Ac₁ temperatures across all heating rates. Ac₁ increased less than Ac₃ with increasing heating rate. The increase in transformation temperatures between 100 and 1000 °C/s was smaller than values exhibited over other increments in heating rate, and decreased in one steel; contributing factors were identified for this behavior.

Abstract: The austenitization is a solid phase transformation process accompanied by nucleation and nucleus growth controlled by long-range carbon diffusion. In the course of our work, a method was developed by which spheroidite model structures were constructed such a way that their different parameters (the size of ferrite grains, the average value of carbon concentration, the size of cementite spheroids) could be changed optionally. In addition, a nucleation model of free enthalpy base was created by which the difference between the two different places of nucleation can be distinguished on the basis of their free enthalpy. The effects of structure parameters, interface free enthalpies and temperature on the nucleation rate of austenite were investigated by cellular automaton simulations.

Abstract: Our aim was to develop initial structures similar to the real structures of unalloyed steels that could later be used for simulating austenitization. Both simple models and models that can be compared to the real structures were developed. In our paper, it is described how the initial structures were developed by using digitalized microscopic images.

Abstract: This work is part of a collaborative study between CEA-Saclay and LMT-Cachan on the numerical simulation of multi-pass GTA-Welding of thick specimens made of X10CrMoVNb9-1 (ASTM 387 or “T91”) steel. This material is considered as a candidate for some components of future Very High Temperature nuclear Reactors. Some parts of these components should be manufactured by assembling thick components (typically 200 mm) using narrow groove multi-pass GTA-Welding process. This welding process generates complex thermo-mechanical cycles in the HAZ (Heat Affected Zone) inducing complex microstructural transformations and residual stresses which should affect the integrity of the vessels behaviour. In a previous study, G.-M. Roux [1] developed a first version of a Thermo-Metallurgical-Mechanical "TMM" model for the X10CrMoVNb9-1 martensitic steel. This model was validated regarding residual stresses on simple mono-pass spot-welding tests. In this paper, focus is made on the modelling of the complex austenitisation process of the tempered martensitic steel as induced by the multi-pass process. Three different approaches are presented, viz. a model first proposed by Brachet et al., second a new model based on JMA approach and last, the simple differential Leblond model that is implemented in various finite element codes. These models are identified from standard dilatometry tests performed over a large range of heating rates, viz. [0.1°C/s, 100°C/s]. Finally, the response of these models, and therefore, their predicting capabilities, are compared to the experimental response of the material for different transients that have been designed to be representative of the temperature history in different points of a multi-pass welding HAZ.