Papers by Keyword: Thermo-Mechanical Processing

Abstract: Numerical modelling tools provide valuable means to quantitatively control thermomechanical processing. Several modelling tools have been applied and developed at University of Oulu during previous years, such as finite element models for hot rolling, recrystallization models, heat transfer and conduction model, coupled with phase transformation, as well as cellular automata and phase field models for simulating phase transformation during cooling. This article describes the overall development and recent progress of the developed numerical modeling tools.

Abstract: Three ductile irons with different aluminum-and manganese-content were subjected to two thermo-mechanical schedules. In the first schedule, a total deformation of φ_t = 0.3 is applied on the ductile irons in the austenitic region before the austempering process. In the second schedule, the materials are subjected to deformation of 0.2 in the austenitic region and deformation of 0.1 during austempering (ausforming). Mechanical deformation of austenite prior to the transformation “stage I” pronouncedly accelerated the transformation due to increasing the nucleation sites of ausferrite. This increase has its impact on enhancing the microstructural uniformity and refining the ausferrite platelets. On the other hand, the retained austenite content was not significantly affected by the applied ausforming. Remarkable increase in hardness, strength and ductility of the ausformed ductile iron due to the latter effects is observed.

Abstract: Two intermediate thermal mechanical treatment (ITMT) Processes were designed for investigation the influence of multi-scale precipitated particles on microstructure evolution during thermo-mechanical processing of Al-7.6Zn-1.5Mg-1.75Cu-0.12Zr alloy by hot compressive experiments and microstructure testing of OM and EBSD. It is found that the size and distribution of precipitated particles preprocessed by over-aging at 400°C for14h can meet the particle stimulated nucleation of recrystallization. Refined and uniform grains present in the sample after hot deformation at about 20 of LnZ up to 80% reduction and subsequent final solid solution treatment. But for samples preprocessed by solid solution at 435°C for 2h and aging at 200°C for 12h, Refined uniform recrystallized grains or recovery sub-grains in elongated grains present in the samples after hot deformation at about 25 of LnZ up to 60% reduction followed by annealing at 350°C for 0.5h and final solution treatment.

Abstract: Grain boundary engineering (GBE) was carried out on 316L austenitic stainless steel with Thermo-mechanical processing (TMP), which was performed by unidirectional compression and subsequent annealing. The effect of TMP parameters including the strain and annealing time on grain boundary character distribution (GBCD) and the corresponding mechanism was investigated in the study. The results showed that high fraction of low-Σ coincident-site lattice (CSL) grain boundaries (about 55%) associating with interrupted network of random boundaries was obtained through TMP of 5% cold compression followed by annealing at 1000 °C for 45 min. The fraction of low-Σ boundaries increased with increasing the annealing time under all the experiment strain, but the mechanisms were different between the low and medium above levels of strain. Grains rotation and reaction of migratory boundaries might be the reasons of low-Σ boundaries growth in the strain of 5% and in the strain greater than or equal to 10%, respectively.

Abstract: The Ti-25Ta-25Nb alloy was produced in a levitation induction melting furnace, under argon protective atmosphere. The obtained ingots were two times remelted, in order to obtain a high degree of chemical homogeneity. The alloy was then thermo-mechanically processed by a first cold-rolling and a recrystallization treatment in a heat treatment oven, followed by a second cold-rolling, to achieve final strips of 141 μm thickness. Using a PanalyticalX’Pert PRO MRD diffractometer, the as-cast specimens and the final cold processed specimens were XRD characterized, so that the phase structure and phase characteristics could be determined. The position of each diffraction peak, the intensity and the peak broadening parameters were determined using the PEAKFIT v4.11 software package. Finally the structural features of Ti-25Ta-25Nb alloy in the as-cast state and thermo-mechanically processed state were shown and discussed.

Abstract: Changing the lamellar morphology of pearlite to a globular morphology significantly enhances the formability of pearlite-ferrite steels. This change is conventionally achieved by soft annealing. Annealed structures possess low yield strength and excellent ductility and this ensures their good cold formability. The problems of these technologies lie not only in long processing times, but also in high energy consumption which makes the final product quite expensive. The time necessary for cementite spheroidization can be shortened by unconventional heat treatment around A_c1 temperature combined with deformation applied at various processing stages. Several processing methods were utilized for spring steel 54SiCr with ferrite-pearlite original microstructure and lamellar pearlite morphology. The hardness of this structure reached 290 HV10. Three main strategies were tested in this work, using either tensile and compression deformation with following hold applied at heating temperature, temperature cycling around A_C1 temperature, or deformation cycles applied at heating temperature. First of all, various heating temperatures in the region of 680-740°C were tested to determine the most suitable heating temperature for this steel. Subsequently, the influence of the character and intensity of applied deformations on cementite spheroidization and ferrite grain refinement were investigated. Carbide morphology and distribution were determined by the means of light and scanning electron microscopy and mechanical properties were determined by hardness measurement. Spheroidized carbides evenly distributed in fine ferrite matrix were obtained after the optimization of processing parameters.

Abstract: Tensile tests on smooth and notched axisymmetric specimens were carried out to determine the large strain work-hardening curves and the ductile fracture characteristics of an AA6060 aluminium alloy for three different processing routes. The alloy was processed in three subsequent steps: 1) casting and homogenization, 2) extrusion, and 3) cold rolling and heat treatment to obtain a recrystallized grain structure. After each processing step, the material was tested after natural ageing for more than one week. A laser-based extensometer was used to continuously measure the average true strains to failure in the minimum cross-section of the specimens and the true stress-strain curves were calculated. Since these curves are influenced by necking, they do not represent the correct work-hardening of the material. Accordingly, finite element (FE) simulations of the tensile tests on the smooth axisymmetric specimens were conducted to determine the work-hardening curves to failure, using an optimization tool that interfaced with the nonlinear FE code and the experimental stress-strain curves as objectives. The microstructure of the alloy was characterized after the three processing steps by optical and scanning electron microscopy, and fractography was used to investigate the failure mechanisms.

Abstract: Ti6Al4V samples were isothermally compressed using a Gleeble^(TM) 1500D thermo-mechanical simulator. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), microstructural analyses, and thermodynamic calculations were used to investigate the sequence of transformation of β into α or vice-versa and the presence of different phases in the compressed Ti6Al4V sample. Globular alpha phase was revealed in the isothermally compressed sample in addition to martensitic and lamellar α/β structures. The transition temperature range of β into α-phase was determined using the DSC thermograms and thermodynamic calculated diagrams. The fraction of α-phase globulized increased as the strain rate decreased from 0.01s^-1 to 10^-3s^-1, and the spheroidization of the α-phase is only possible in a specific range of deformation temperatures.

Abstract: In this investigation, microstructure evolution of Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si alloy during thermo-mechanical processing at temperatures in beta single-phase and alpha+beta two-phase fields was studied. Microstructure analyses indicate that: (1) in the beta single-phase field, dynamic recovery accompanied by geometric dynamic recrystallization at large strains takes place dominantly within elongated large prior beta grains with serrate grain boundaries during deformation at higher temperatures and lower strain rates; and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization occurs along elongated small prior beta grain boundaries during deformation at lower temperatures and higher strain rates. During discontinuous dynamic recrystallization, recrystallized grain size is a function of Zener–Hollomon parameter, and a modified Avrami recrystallized kinetic model was established. (2) In the alpha+beta two-phase field, the globularization process is a thermally activated process controlled by parameters of temperature and strain rate. A modified Avrami globularized kinetic model was established. The primary alpha grain size is a function of Z on a ln-ln scale.

Abstract: Analysis of standard and experimental lean alloyed chemical composition for pipeline steel X80 was made. Rolling schedules for experimental X80 chemical composition by means of computer simulation using HSMM, AusEvol+ and AusTran software were developed for continuous mill 2000. Developed schedules were analyzed in order to choose one of them which guarantees the required microstructure receiving. The chosen schedule was realized on Gleeble-3800 system by tension-compression tests for experimental chemical composition. Microstructure analysis and mechanical testing of received samples was made to compare results with requirements submitted to pipeline steel X80.