Papers by Keyword: Thermomechanical Process

Abstract: Dynamic recrystallization, on which grain size of the final forging depends mainly, is one of the most important microstructure evolution processes in moderate-to-low stacking fault energy metals. In this paper, the process of dynamic recrystallization is simulated by numerical method. The paper first gives a visco-plastic model considering dynamic recrystallization in detail; secondly gives the applied finite element formulation and compiles an finite element program in Visual Fortran 6.5 based on the updated Lagrangian formulation rigid-plastic finite element; thirdly the material parameters are identified through inverse analysis, based on the compiled finite element program and the developed global optimization method; at last, the compiled finite element program is applied to simulate the microstructure evolution caused by dynamic recrystallization, the calculated result agrees with the experimental result relatively well.

Abstract: Grain refinement of 01420 Al-Li alloy through particle stimulated nucleation(PSN) of recrystallization is reported. The results showed that the rolling in the overaged 01420 Al-Li alloy resulted in the formation of the deformation zones associated with the second phase particles larger than 0.80 μm which can act as the nucleation sites for recrystallized grains. The precipitates larger than 0.80 μm are sticked shaped S-phase(Al2MgLi) and globular β-phase(Mg2Al3), and the density of β-phase particles is approximately as two to three times as the S-phase particles. The S-phase particles can’t be as PSN sites since they were broken to small dispersoid particles during rolling. The average grain size of 01420 Al-Li alloy solutioned at 470°C for 2h, aged at 300 °C for 48h, 81% rolled at 300 °C and finally recrystallized at 500 °C for 10min is approximately 10 μm.

Abstract: Thermomechanical processing (TMP) involves both thermal and mechanical treatments that define both product shape and microstructure/properties. Since the industrial revolution, machines of augmented power, size and precision have given rise to TMP that challenged explanation of the crystal mechanisms. In wrought iron, lamellar ferrite exhibited high transverse crack resistance due to fine slag stringers that as flux facilitated welding of puddled bars in forging of shafts or rolling of plates for bell-welding into pressure tight pipes; the substructure developed in the iron as working continued below 900°C strengthened it. Patenting of high C steel wire led to an optimum cold-drawn structure for outstanding strength and toughness. Hot forming technology, combined with the refining potential for austenite decomposition gave rise to controlled rolling for enhanced ferrite nucleation, ausforming to refine martensite and intercritical rolling to deform the ferrite or to spheroidize the carbides. Cold rolling and annealing have been scheduled to impart suitable strength, grain size, substructure and texture.

Abstract: Large amount of nitrogen addition into an austenitic stainless steel can improve the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance remarkably as far as the nitrogen is in solid solution. However, once the nitrogen precipitates as nitride, it results in deteriorations in the properties of the high nitrogen austenitic stain steel. During welding, a high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel is ready to precipitate rapidly immense amounts of chromium nitride in the heat affected zone (HAZ), as intergranular or cellular morphologies at or from grain boundaries into grain interiors. The nitride precipitation reduces seriously the local mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. The present authors have demonstrated that a thermomechanical-processing as grain boundary engineering (GBE) inhibited intergranular chromium carbide precipitation in the HAZ of a type 304 austenitic stainless steel during welding and improved the intergranular corrosion resistance drastically. In the present study, the thermomechanical-processing was applied to a high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel containing 1 mass% nitrogen to suppress the nitride precipitation at or from grain boundaries in the HAZ during welding by GBE. GBE increases the frequency of coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundaries in the material so as to improve the intergranular properties, because of strong resistance of CSL boundaries to intergranular deteriorations. The optimum parameters in the thermomechanical-processing brought a very high frequency of CSL boundaries in the high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel. The GBE suppressed the intergranular and cellular nitride precipitation in the HAZ of the high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel during welding.

Abstract: Superplastic properties of fine-grained ultrahigh carbon steels (UHCS) have been greatly improved through the addition of 3 wt% Si (UHCS-3Si) and through improved processing conditions. This material showed an elongation to failure of 1300% under optimum superplastic conditions. It is also superplastic at very high strain rates, i.e. 10-2 s-1, in the temperature range between 800 and 825°C. An analysis of the effect of silicon additions on the UHCS and the influence of the introduction of temperatures regions in the phase diagram on the superplastic properties is made.

Abstract: Orientations of both the α and γ phases in a multi-phase commercial steel were measured by means of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques. Using the average orientation of each austenite grain as the reference frame, the orientation relationships between the two lattices were compared with the common orientation relationships (i.e. the Kurdjumov-Sachs and Nishiyama-Wassermann) in Rodrigues-Frank space. The occurrence of variant selection in individual austenite grains was examined using a recent dislocation-based model. This model considers the role of the slip systems that were active during prior deformation, as well as those of in-plane reactions, cross-slip and the partial dislocations that are linked to specific variants. It also unites the competing K-S and N-W relationships through the dissociation of perfect dislocations. Reasonably good agreement was observed between the predictions and the observations. Possible explanations for some of the discrepancies are also presented.

Abstract: The strip casting of steel, whereby liquid steel is solidified between twin water cooled copper rolls directly into its final shape, is a radical, energy efficient, cost effective route for the production of steel products that also provides exciting opportunities for the development of new products. An experimental program is currently underway to study phenomena associated with rapid solidification of steel using levitating droplet techniques and Gleeble®3500 thermo-mechanical processing. For example, studies have been conducted to investigate the heat transfer, nucleation behaviour and microstructure development during solidification of a low carbon steel and a peritectic steel on copper substrates hard coated electrolytically or using Filtered Arc Deposition (FAD). It was found that peak and average heat fluxes were significantly higher for steels solidified on the first substrate than for the FAD coated substrates. Maximum heat flux on the respective substrates was 36.5 to 39.0 MW/m2 and 8.3 to 9.4 MW/m2. The average heat flux on the respective coated substrates ranged between 9.6 to 12.5 and 5.5 to 6.6 MW/m2.

Abstract: Titanium alloys are subject to high expectation of damage tolerance in terms of high fracture ductility and low rate of fatigue crack propagation to suit the preference in material consideration for aircraft manufacture. This paper reviews the researches in damage-tolerant medium- and high-strength titanium alloys.

Abstract: Crystallographic texture has an important effect on the magnetic quality of electrical steel: a specific texture parameter A is defined and used to estimate the magnetic quality of texture components. It is shown that obtaining the best possible texture in non oriented electrical steel can reduce the losses with 1,5 W/kg. Two production schemes for high silicon electrical steel are described: a conventional processing through hot and cold rolling with adequate temperatures and cooling rates and an immersion-diffusion process by hot dipping in a Si- and Al-rich bath followed by diffusion annealing. The texture evolution in these experimental materials is under study and first results are reported for conventional alloys (rolling procedure) and for immersion-diffusion alloys, which are annealed after dipping in order to obtain a controlled concentration gradient with high Si and/or Al at the surface or a homogeneous Si and/or Al-content over the thickness.