Papers by Keyword: Pearlite

Abstract: It is significant theoretically to study the nucleation laws of the phase transformation products of the supercooled austenite. The different iron and steel materials were used to study the nucleation of pearlite, bainite and martensite by QUANTA-400 environmental scanning electron microscope and JEM-2100 transmission electron microscope. The results show that, from the high-temperature zone to the low-temperature zone, the nucleation of the transformation products of the supercooled austenite is a gradually evolutionary process from two-phase nucleation to single-phase nucleation. Pearlite nucleates in the austenitic grain boundary, bainite nucleates preferentially in the grain boundary and sometimes in the grain interior and martensite nucleates preferentially in the interface and generally in the grain interior. The preferential nucleation sites are the interface, and with the decrease of the transformation temperature, they gradually shift to the defects in the grain interiors, which accord with the general rules of the phase transformation nucleation.

Abstract: Recently, wear and corrosion of the engine parts surrounded with combustion chamber is more serious compared to the other parts of the engine due to using of heavy oil of low quality. Therefore, an optimum repair welding for these parts is very important to prolong their lifetime in a economical point of view. In this study, Inconel 625 filler metal was welded with GTAW method in the forged steel which would be generally used with piston crown material. In this case, the mechanical and corrosion properties between weld metal zone (WM) welded to the groove which were artificially made in the base metal and deposited metal zone (DM) only welded by Inconel 625 filler metal on the surface of the base metal were investigated using electrochemical methods, such as measurement of corrosion potential, anodic polarization curves, cyclic voltammogram and impedance etc. in 35% H₂SO₄ solution. The deposited metal zone exhibited a better corrosion resistance compared to the weld metal zone, furthermore, its corrosion potential was a nobler value rather than that of the weld metal zone. However, the hardness indicated more or less higher value in the weld metal zone. The corrosive products after measurement of anodic polarization curves was hardly observed both in the weld and deposited zones, while, the morphologies of the corroded surfaces exhibited general and pitting corrosion in the weld and deposited metal zones respectively. The fine pearlite microstructure was a little observed in the weld metal zone, moreover, the microstructure of ferrite with elliptical pattern was significantly increased in the deposited metal zone. As a result, it is considered that the amount of Cr, Mo and Ni having a high corrosion resistance diffuse and migrate from the weld metal zone to the base metal zone, thus, the deposited metal zone indicated a better corrosion resistance than the weld metal zone because the amount of Cr, Mo and Ni were much involved in deposited metal zone compared to the weld metal zone.

Abstract: Design and safety assessment of advanced ductile cast iron (DCI) components like windturbines or transport and storage casks for radioactive materials require appropriate material data interms of strength and fracture toughness. Therefore, it is of vital importance to characterize andunderstand the deformation, damage and fracture behaviour of DCI which may substantially changefrom ductile to brittle by increasing loading rate, decreasing temperature and/or increasing stresstriaxiality. This paper reports on recent BAM investigations on different qualities of the widely usedDCI grade EN-GJS-400 with varying pearlite shares (none and 18 % respectively). The focus wason the influences of microstructure, temperature (ambient and -40 °C) and loading rate (quasi-staticto crash) on strength (YS, UTS, flow curve) and fracture mechanical properties (R-curve, crackinitiation toughness, fracture toughness). Systematic metallographical and fractographical analyseswere performed accompanying the whole test program and a systematics of specific damagebehaviour and fracture mechanisms was derived from the results.

Abstract: The brittle-to-ductile transition in fully pearlitic steels was investigated. The temperature dependence of the absorbed impact energy was measured with the blade speed of 0.0033 m/s. The absorbed energy per unit area increased with two steps as the test temperature increased: the first jump of around 10 kJm^-2 at 130 K and the second jump of around 22 kJm^-2 at 273 K. The twice jumps of the absorbed energy suggests a two-step brittle-to-ductile transition in fully pearlitic steels. SEM images of side surfaces exhibited that micro-cracks propagated through cementite lamellae at temperatures below only those of the second jump of the absorbed energy, suggesting that the deformability of cementite controls the second jump.

Abstract: Control of ductile fracture propagation is one of the major concerns for pipeline industry, particularly with the increasing demand of new control rolled steel grades required to maintain integrity at high operational pressures. The objective of this research is to understand which microstructural features govern crack propagation, and to analyse the effect of two of them (average grain size, and volume fraction of pearlite). The main disadvantage during classical Charpy test was to discriminate the crack initiation and propagation energy during fracture of a notched sample. The initiation appears to be caused by the stress state in the neighbouring of Ti-containing precipitates or pearlite particles (no presence of M/A constituents or MnS inclusions was detected in the evaluated grades), propagation-arrest of the crack is assumed to play the main role concerning the control of fracture. Our approach to characterize the fracture resistance is to measure the energy absorbed during the crack propagation stage by means of load-displacement curves obtained via instrumented Charpy test. It was observed that the energy absorbed during crack propagation is not influenced by the average grain size but by the fraction and the morphological (banded-not banded) distribution of second pearlitic phase. This suggests that a different approach to characterize the heterogeneities in grain size clustering might be followed to correlate the energy measured during crack propagation and the morphological features of the steel.

Abstract: A Standing Contact Fatigue (SCF) test set up has been developed in order to facilitate quick testing of contact fatigue resistance of material surfaces. In this method the sample is pressed against a hard ball rapidly and the resulting crack formation is studied in order to evaluate the SCF resistance. Induction hardened surfaces of cam-ring steel and steels with pearlitic, martensitic, bainitic, ausferritic and quench and tempered microstructures have been studied. Characterization was performed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and hardness measurements. Ring-cone cracks were found at the edge of the indentations but inside the indent in the surface hardened cam-ring steel samples. Sectional views revealed that these cracks also grow underneath the indentation. Radial cracks were found in non-surface hardened samples. The test of the SCF resistance of steels with different microstructures showed that the ausferritic microstructures tested shoved better SCF resistance than the quench and tempered samples with similar hardness. A comparison between different tempering temperatures of surface hardened steels showed that samples tempered at the higher temperature 240 °C resulted in better SCF resistance.

Abstract: Energy dispersive synchrotron diffraction has been carried out on cold drawn pearlitic steel wires. In this paper the observed cementite peaks are analysed. For a broad range of true drawing strains sin²(Ψ) curves have been measured. The residual stress in the cementite is found to saturate after reaching a maximum at a strain of about 1.6. No indication of significant texture development in the cementite could be observed. An explanation is given in terms of possible physical mechanisms. Peak broadening was observed at the early stages of deformation.

Abstract: The original austenite grain size, the inclusions and the isothermal annealing microstructure of 20MnCrNi2Mo wear-resistant cast steel without and with Rare Earth were observed by metallographic microscope and QUANTA-400 environmental scanning electronic microscope. The effect mechanism of Rare Earth in 20MnCrNi2Mo wear-resistant cast steel was investigated. The results show that adding Rare Earth in 20MnCrNi2Mo wear-resistant cast steel can refine the original austenite grains. Meanwhile, it can reduce the inclusions size and change the inclusions shape from irregular to nearly spherical. In addition, the Rare Earth in 20MnCrNi2Mo wear-resistant cast steel can increase the amount of ferrite, reduce that of pearlite in the isothermal annealing microstructure and refine the microstructure of pearlite.

Abstract: A suitable match of annealing process parameters is critical for obtaining the fine microstructure of material. Low carbon low alloy steel (20CrMnTi) was heated for various durations near Ac temperature to achieve fine pearlite and ferrite grains. Annealing temperature and time were used as independent variables, and material property data were acquired by orthogonal experiment under intercritical annealing followed by subcritical annealing process (IASAP). The weights of plasticity (hardness, yield strength, section shrinkage, and elongation) of annealing material were calculated by analytic hierarchy process, and then the process parameters were optimized by using the grey theory system. The results observed by SEM images show that the optimized material microstructure consists of refining and distributing uniformly ferrite-pearlite grains, and smaller lamellar cementites. Morphologies on tension fracture surface of the optimized material indicates that the numbers of dimple fracture show more finer toughness obviously comparing with other annealing materials. Moreover, the yield strength value of the optimized material decreases apparently measured by tensile test. Thus, the new optimized strategy is accurate and feasible.

Abstract: Micro and Nano Features of Microstructural Properties along with Micro-Cracks and Voids, which Severely Affect the Strength and Toughness of the Material, Were Studied in Commercial EN9 Steel Round Product by Using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). this Has Overcome the Limitations of Optical and Scanning Microscopy. the Aim of the Present Work Is to Characterize the Pearlite Matrix Properties for Nanoscale Results as Pearlitic Morphology and Lamellae Play a Significant Role in Influencing the Mechanical Properties. it Is Also Shown that the Atomic Force Microscope Is a 3D Characterizing Tool which Can Facilitate Visualizing the Adjacent Corners in Alternate Layers of Ferrite-Cementite Lamellae. it Is Also Noted that the Micro-Sized Cracks Exist at the Weak Interfaces between the Ferrite and Cementite Lamellae, which Would Limit the Work Hardening Property of Pearlite and Thus Reduce the Ultimate Tensile Strength Significantly. in Addition, Phase Transformation from γ-Phase to Pearlite Was Schematically Predicted and Discussed as Evident from Microstructural Characterization.