Papers by Keyword: High Strength Steel

Abstract: High-strength steel is a type of alloy steel that provides better mechanical properties or greater resistance to corrosion than carbon steel. Strip shape is an important factor affecting the strip quality significantly for the rolled products. Because of the complex influence factors of plate shape and profile, shape detection and control technology have not been solved, especially for high strength steel rolling. In this paper, a novel three dimensional finite element simulation of the strip shape and flatness of high strength steel has been proposed. The material constitutive model has been built up based on experimental results through the Gleeble 3800 Thermal Simulator under different temperatures and stain rates. The modelling of roll elastic deformation system, roll gap profile and edge drop has been set up systematically considering the influence of the work roll transverse shifting and roll bending. Results have shown that both higher bending force and more roll shifting will significantly reduce the strip crown, and obtain improved edge drop distribution as well. The proposed numerical model has been validated through hot rolling experiments in 4-high rolling mills.

Abstract: Recently, due to the requirements of lightweight and safety, the grade of 980MPa high-strength steel has the demand of high hole expansibility and high yield strength. Due to the large difference of hardness between the soft ferrite and hard martensite, the traditional DP980Y dual phase steel has poor hole expansibility. In order to improve the hole expansibility of DP980Y dual phase steel, the best way is to modify the microstructure into a single-phase to eliminate the large difference of hardness. In this paper, the steel of nearly full bainite microstructure with small amount of ferrite and M/A constituents was studied. Compared to the DP980Y dual phase steel, it was found that this modified steel with a single-phase microstructure has the same grade of 980MPa of tensile strength, but can achieve the demand of higher yield strength and hole-expansion ratio. This study shows reducing the amount of ferrite can increase the homogeneity of matrix with the single phase to improve the hole expansibility. In addition, the use of lower bainite transformation temperature and lower carbon content has the higher hole-expansion ratio due to the less amount of M/A constituents.

Abstract: Development of high strength or even ultra-high strength steels is mainly driven by the automotive industry which strives to reduce the weight of individual parts, fuel consumption, and CO₂ emissions. Another important factor is the passenger safety which will improve by the use of these materials. In order to achieve the required mechanical properties, it is necessary to use suitable heat treatment in addition to an appropriate alloying strategy. The main problem of these treatments is the isothermal holding time. These holding times are technologically demanding which is why industry seeks new possibilities to integrate new processing methods directly into the production process. One option for making high-strength sheet metals is press-hardening which delivers high dimensional accuracy and a small spring-back effect. In order to test the use of AHSS steels for this technology, a material-technological modelling was chosen. Material-technological models based on data obtained directly from a real press-hardening process were examined on two experimental steels, CMnSi TRIP and 42SiCr. Variants with isothermal holding and continuous cooling profiles were tested. It was found that by integrating the Q&P process (quenching and partitioning) into press hardening, the 42SiCr steel can develop strengths of over 1800 MPa with a total elongation of about 10%. The CMnSi TRIP steel with lower carbon content and without chromium achieved a tensile strength of 1160 MPa with a total elongation of 10%.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of non-isothermal tempering on microstructure evolution in large-size slabs. Using high-resolution dilatometry, three different cooling rates (from 0.08 to 3°C/s) representative of different regions from the surface to the core of the slab were experimentally simulated, and then tempering was carried out for each starting microstructure. A combination of light and electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses were employed to accurately analyze different phenomena occurring during the tempering process, specially, the identification of different microstructures (bainite, martensite and retained austenite), and the determination of the percentage of retained austenite for each experimental condition were considered. Experimental results revealed that the microstructure after the cooling rate of 0.08°C/s consisted of bainite and some retained austenite. For the cooling rate of 0.3°C/s, martensite plus bainite was detected, and when the cooling rate was increased to 3°C/s, a martensitic microstructure was obtained. Analysis of dilatometry curves indicated that tempering behavior varied significantly with the starting microstructure. Martensite tempering was accompanied with a length decrease due to the decomposition of medium-carbon martensite to low-carbon martensite plus carbides. Tempering of bainite and retained austenite resulted in a remarkable length increase.

Abstract: The present study focuses on characterizing cracks and fracture that appeared during solidification in the segregated zones of the as-cast structure of a large size ingot made of high strength low alloy steel. Solidification experiment was conducted, using Gleeble^® 3800 thermo-mechanical simulator, on samples taken from the ingot/hot top interface of a 40 MT (Metric Ton) ingot. The thermal cycle consisted in heating from ambient temperature to 1385 °C with a constant heating rate of 2 °C/s followed by a free cooling. Optical and scanning electronic microscopies were used to analyze and quantify the cracked regions. Microstructural observations revealed that shrinkage during rapid solidification of melted grain boundaries ultimately led to the initiation and propagation of cracks.

Abstract: The objective of this article is to present the newest results of our research work related to the high cycle fatigue resistance of advanced high strength steels. In order to determine and compare the fatigue resistance, high cycle fatigue (HCF) tests were performed on two strength categories (S690 and S960) of high strength steels including quenched and tempered (Q+T) and thermomechanical (TM) types. During the HCF tests base materials and their welded joints were investigated at different mismatch conditions (matching, undermatching, overmatching). Measured and analysed data about base materials and welded joints were compared and discussed. Statistical approach was applied during the preparation and the evaluation of the investigations, which increased their reliability. The parameters of the HCF design curves were calculated based on the Japanese testing method (JSME S 002-1981) which uses 14 specimens. During the evaluation the results were compared with each other and with literary data. According to the presented examinations the HCF resistance of the base materials is more advantageous than the welded joints. The TM steel indicated better fatigue resistance than the quenched and tempered one of the same category. The matching problem had influence on the HCF resistance of high strength steels, depending on the strength category and the steel type.

Abstract: The objective of the paper is to present the newest results of our complex research work. In order to determination and comparison of the fatigue resistance, fatigue crack growth tests were performed on different grades of S690QL quenched and tempered, and S960TM thermomechanically rolled high strength steels. 15 mm and 30 mm thick base materials were used for our investigations. Welded joints were made from these base materials, using gas metal arc welding with matching, overmatching, and undermatching filler metals. In the paper, the performance of the welding experiments will be presented, especially with the difficulties of the filler material selection; along with the results of the fatigue crack growth examinations executed on the base materials and its welded joints. Statistical aspects were applied both for the presenting of the possible locations of the cracks in the base materials and the welded joints and for the processing of the measured data. Furthermore, the results will be compared with each other, and the possibility of derivation of fatigue crack propagation limit curves will be referred.

Abstract: Roll – forming is through the allocation of roll the sheets for multiple successive of transverse bending deformation process of the section, to form a specific shape with high energy efficiency, uniform cross section, stable product quality, etc. Since the 19th century began to study the roll-forming process, successively completed the exploration of this kind of technology and promotion from 1938 to 1938.It has entered the rapid development of roll-forming technology at present. Began to roll-forming technology research relatively late in our country, but the trend of development of fast, such as the construction industry, automotive industry, white home appliance industry has been widely used, to specific parts such as highway anti-collision WeiDang, auto parts anticollision beam beams, before and after the threshold of the anticollision beam and a side door production, etc. Roll-forming technology belongs to the nonlinear problem of large plastic deformation, the forming theory of the present domestic scholars have researched, forming a simplified analytical method, energy analysis method, cable original research method and finite element method theory. With the development of computer aided design technology, through the computer simulation of sheet deformation and regional stress analysis, and makes the product design cycle is shortened, the product design quality was improved. At home and abroad, roll-forming equipment have developed highly efficient, the formation of the uncoiled stamping - roll-forming - welding - material such as plastic - cut – code craft route, eventually forming the results approach to the product shape, implementation process highly integrated production mode, cold-formed molding equipment of high automation intelligent design, help to realize planning of ‘Made in China 2025 strategy’ in the industry of roll-forming.

Abstract: TRIP (transformation induced plasticity) steels are low alloyed low carbon steels with complex microstructures consisting of ferrite, bainite and retained austenite. This complex microstructure provides them with excellent strength to ductility balance, making them a member of advanced high strength steels (AHSS) group. Suitable microstructure can be obtained by either heat or thermo-mechanical treatment. A hold in bainite transformation region is an integral part of any form of commercial TRIP steel processing route, as it enables formation of sufficient volume fraction of bainite and also stabilization of retained austenite in the final microstructure. Various bainitic hold temperatures ranging from 350 °C to 500 °C were tested within thermo-mechanical treatment of 0.2C-1.5Mn-0.6S-1.5Al steel and the final microstructures were evaluated with regard to the suitability to TRIP effect and achieved mechanical properties. The microstructures were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and mechanical properties measured by tensile test.

Abstract: The problems related to welding of the high strength steel, aimed for manufacturing of welded structures operating in the prominent wear conditions, is considered in this paper. The paper presents an analysis of possibilities and prescribing the technology for welding the high strength steel HARDOX 450. The methodology for estimate the weldability of this steel was established in the theoretical part of the paper, as well as calculations of the welding parameters, while the hardness was investigated in details and the macro and micro structures of the individual welded joint zones were estimated in the experimental part. Obtained experimental results could be usefully applied for selecting and establishing the optimal welding technology for structures made of this steel. The technology thus established and the GMAW welding regime can enable successful execution of the welded joints and reduce the possibility for appearance of flaws and cracks to a minimum.