Materials Science Forum Vols. 638-642

Abstract: The use of heavy gauge steel sheets for structural applications very often requires a combination of high yield strength and adequate toughness. The most cost effective way to realize a high yield strength and a high ductility in a low alloyed steel is grain refinement. In industrial practice, this refinement is realized by controlled processing. This process consists of controlling the slab reheating temperature, applying a large amount of hot deformation below the non-recrystallization temperature (Tnr) and accelerated cooling. A better knowledge of Tnr could optimize the process and the best mechanical properties could be reached against the lowest cost. Tnr can be raised by the addition of microalloying elements such as Nb. Nb can retard the static recrystallization of austenite at low temperatures either by solute drag or by precipitation pinning. In this study, the recrystallization behavior of five Nb-microalloyed model alloys with various Nb contents, was evaluated by double hit compression tests. Further, the precipitation state of the materials was investigated experimentally by Inductively Couples Mass Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction. The construction of recrystallization-time-temperature diagrams and precipitation-time-temperature diagrams showed that both mechanisms, i.e. recrystallization and precipitation, strongly influence each other.

Abstract: The precipitation behavior of several Cu-bearing steels with various copper contents during continuous cooling has been studied. The optical microscope and HRTEM were employed to study the influence of cooling rate on the precipitation process. Also, the hardness of samples with different processes is tested. The results show that when the steels was cooled at a cooling rate between 0.1-1°C/s with the cooling rate increasing the second phase precipitates become finer but the precipitates become denser. When the cooling rate is 1°C /s the density of the second phase precipitates are the largest. When the cooling rate is quicker than 1°C /s as the cooling rate increase the precipitates become finer and fewer. The hardness tests also show that the sample will get the highest hardness. When the samples are cooled at a rate larger than 5°C /s， there is few precipitates in samples. The copper-rich second phase form by Inter-phase precipitation, and the copper-rich phase i.e. G.P zone is the main cause to strengthen the alloy. As the copper content varies from 1.5wt% to 2.5wt% the highest hardness could be obtain when the samples is cooled at a rate of 1°C /s and the density of the precipitates is the largest

Abstract: Temperature development during plastic deformation affects the stability of retained austenite and thus the mechanical properties in transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steels. In this work, we used a thermo-camera to monitor the temperature development during a step-wise tensile test of an Al-containing multiphase TRIP steel. The tensile tests were performed by loading the specimen at six straining rates ranging from 5 to 30 s-1 to a stress of 700 MPa and then holding for 15 min, followed by further loading at 50 s-1 until fracture. It is found that temperature increases about 13 – 18 °C during the first loading process and drops back to room temperature with a time-constant of around 2 min. The increment of temperature increases with increasing straining rate. The temperature increases around 30 °C during the second loading process. The distribution of temperature over the specimen surface is found to be rather homogeneous along the longitudinal direction in most cases, except for the ending points of two loading processes. The measurement of temperature development is found to be consistent with previous numerical simulation on the temperature development under constant stress in TRIP steels.

Abstract: In this study, results are presented of an extensive experimental program to investigate the strain rate dependent mechanical properties of various Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) steel grades. A split Hopkinson tensile bar setup was used for the high strain rate experiments and microstructural observation techniques such as LOM, SEM and EBSD revealed the mechanisms governing the observed behavior. With elevated testing temperatures and interrupted tensile experiments the material behavior and the austenite to martensite transformation is investigated. In dynamic conditions, the strain rate has limited influence on the material properties. Yet an important increase is noticed when comparing static to dynamic conditions. The differences in strength, elongation and energy absorption levels observed between the investigated materials can be attributed to their chemical composition. Adiabatic heating during high strain rate deformation tends to slow down the strain induced martensitic deformation. The elongation of the ferritic and austenite constituents is found to be strain rate dependent and the strain induced martensitic transformation occurs gradually in the material.

Abstract: A transformation-induced plasticity steel was welded by gas tungsten arc welding. The microstructure of fusion zone was analyzed by means of optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with EDS. It is found that fusion zone may be classified into two zones, the completely melted zone and the partially melted zone. The microstructure of completely melted zone consists predominantly of martensite and bainite, and that of partially melted zone consists mainly of martensite, bainite and ferrite. The formation mechanism of fusion zone microstructure is analyzed. The micro-hardness distribution of the joint was measured by microhardness tester. Test results show that the partially melted zone is softened, which is resulted from the formation of 20.6% ferrite. During the bending test, crack occurred at 125 degree bending angle. It is found that the crack originates from the partially melted zone because of deformation concentration.

Abstract: The discontinuous precipitation of a high-nitrogen (0.8 wt%) austenitic steel has been investigated after successive steps of heat treatment at two different temperatures (800 and 850 °C). After each step of heating the material has been examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (OM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and microhardness tests. The precipitation of Cr2N induces the formation of a secondary austenitic phase, leads to the redistribution of N between transformed and untransformed zones and to local variations of mechanical properties.

Abstract: Transverse surface cracks in low carbon steel slabs are invariably inter-granular and follow the soft ferrite films outlining the grain boundaries of exceptionally large prior-austenite grains often found at the roots of oscillation marks in continuously cast low-carbon steel slabs. Plastic deformation is concentrated in the ferrite films and cracks initiate in the ferrite films, leading to crack propagation along the austenite grain boundaries. Hot-ductility is significantly reduced by an increase in austenite grain size and in situ observations revealed that depending on the cooling rate, austenite can nucleate and grow by diffusional mechanisms or forms by a massive type of reaction. The delta-ferrite transformation has also been studied by using neutron diffraction techniques and high-energy X-rays in a synchrotron.

Abstract: Industrial thin slab casting and direct rolling processing started in 1989 with the world’s first CSP® plant at Crawfordsville (USA). Since this time CSP® and competing thin slab casting and direct rolling concepts have been developed to a standard process for hot strip production. Typical features of the CSP® process are the homogeneous structural and mechanical properties all along the strip. Direct hot rolling of thin slabs may be followed by a well defined cooling pattern to produce fine-grained HSLA steel or multiphase hot strip on the runout table. The product range covers low carbon as well as medium and high carbon steel grades comprising IF-, HSLA-, API-, electrical- and multiphase steel grades. CSP® processed thin hot strip is used for non-exposed parts and may substitute cold rolled strip. Hot strip from thin slab can be easily further processed to cold rolled and/or surface treated strip. Today process and material developments e.g. go for energy saving, rise in productivity, advanced surface requirements, HSLA and multiphase steel grades combining higher strength and ductility as well as multiphase steel grades for hot dip galvanizing.

Abstract: The hot working behavior of Mg-3Sn-2Ca alloy has been investigated in the temperature range 300–500 oC and strain rate range 0.0003–10 s-1, with a view to evaluate the mechanisms and optimum parameters of hot working. For this purpose, a processing map has been developed on the basis of the flow stress data obtained from compression tests. The stress-strain curves exhibited steady state behavior at strain rates lower than 0.01 s-1 and at temperatures higher than 350 oC and flow softening occurred at higher strain rates. The processing map exhibited two dynamic recrystallization domains in the temperature and strain rate ranges: (1) 300–420 oC and 0.0003–0.003 s-1, and (2) 420–500 oC and 0.003–1.0 s-1, the latter one being useful for commercial hot working. Kinetic analysis yielded apparent activation energy values of 161 and 175 kJ/mole in domains (1) and (2) respectively. These values are higher than that for self-diffusion in magnesium suggesting that the large volume fraction of intermetallic particles CaMgSn present in the matrix generates considerable back stress. The processing map reveals a wide regime of flow instability which gets reduced with increase in temperature or decrease in strain rate.