Deposits of excess carbonitride phase in microalloyed steel coils and sheet with different cooling conditions

Deposits of the carbonitrides (Ti, Nb)(C, N), Nb(C, N), and (Nb, V)(C, N) in the austenite and ferrite phases of X70 steel sheet after thermomechanical treatment are investigated. Nb(C, N) particles measuring up to 10 nm are seen in austenite in the final stage of rolling and after its conclusion prior to accelerated cooling of thick sheet. After intense accelerated cooling, most of the niobium and vanadium is retained in the solid solution, as confirmed by the vigorous deposition of (Nb, V)(C, N) particles measuring ∼2–4 nm in ferrite after tempering at 600°C. In coil production, the particles observed may be the result of general deposition or interphase deposition, depending on the cooling of the strip on the output roller conveyer of the continuous broad-strip mill. Carbonitride particles measuring 2–8 nm are deposited at winding temperatures of 550–570°C in steel with niobium and vanadium and at 590°C in steel without vanadium.     

Use of Accelerated Cooling to Improve the Mechanical and Processing Properties of Rolled Plates Used to Make Large-Diameter Gas-Line Pipe

A process called controlled thermomechanical rolling has been developed to make low-alloy steels used in the production of large-diameter pipes. The process, carried out on plate mills, combines thermomechanical (controlled) rolling with accelerated cooling done after the rolling operation. The results of commercial trials of the technology lead to the following conclusions: 1. Compared to conventional controlled rolling (CR), use of the additional operation of accelerated cooling (AC) makes it possible to significantly increase strength properties without lowering impact toughness or cold resistance. Accelerated cooling also makes it possible to broadly vary the properties of rolled products of a given chemical composition and thickness. 2. The accelerated cooling of plates makes it possible to replace the ferritic-pearlitic structure usually formed in steel after conventional controlled rolling with a fine-grained ferrite-bainite stucture having a diminished level of striation. 3. Compared to traditional controlled rolling, CR + AC makes it possible to attain a prescribed level of strength with lower quantities of carbon and alloying elements. That in turn improves the weldability of the steel. 4. The use of accelerated cooling reduces the load on the mill because a higher finishing temperature is used than in traditional CR. Thus, it also becomes possible to increase rolling speeds through a reduction in the number of pauses made to cool the slabs on the mill. __________ Translated from Metallurg, No. 6, pp. 49–54, June, 2005.     

Dynamic and Static Recrystallization Behaviour of Coarse-grained Austenite in a Nb-V-Ti Microalloyed Steel简

The dynamic recrystallization （DRX） and static recrystallization （SRX） behaviour of coarse-grained aus- tenite in a Nb-V-Ti microalloyed steel were studied by using a Gleeble thermomechanical simulator. Continuous and interrupted compression tests of coarse-grained austenite were performed in the temperature range of 1000-1 150 ℃ at a strain rate of 0. 1- 5 s 1. The peak and critical strains for the onset of DRX were identified with strain hardening rate analysis, and the ratio of critical strain to peak strain was found to be consistent with the one reported for fine- grained austenite. An equation of the time for 50% softening was proposed by considering the activation energy of steel without microalloying elements and the solute drag effect of microalloying elements. Strain-induced precipitation may not take place at the deformation temperature above 1000 ℃, which indicates that SRX of coarse-grained aus- tenite is mainly retarded by coarse grain size and Nb in solution during rough rolling.     

Effect of Cyclic Thermal Process on Ultrafine Grain Formation in AISI 304L Austenitic Stainless Steel

As-received hot-rolled commercial grade AISI 304L austenitic stainless steel plates were solution treated at 1060 °C to achieve chemical homogeneity. Microstructural characterization of the solution-treated material revealed polygonal grains of about 85-μm size along with annealing twins. The solution-treated plates were heavily cold rolled to about 90 pct of reduction in thickness. Cold-rolled specimens were then subjected to thermal cycles at various temperatures between 750 °C and 925 °C. X-ray diffraction showed about 24.2 pct of strain-induced martensite formation due to cold rolling of austenitic stainless steel. Strain-induced martensite formed during cold rolling reverted to austenite by the cyclic thermal process. The microstructural study by transmission electron microscope of the material after the cyclic thermal process showed formation of nanostructure or ultrafine grain austenite. The tensile testing of the ultrafine-grained austenitic stainless steel showed a yield strength 4 to 6 times higher in comparison to its coarse-grained counterpart. However, it demonstrated very poor ductility due to inadequate strain hardenability. The poor strain hardenability was correlated with the formation of strain-induced martensite in this steel grade.     

Development and Production of Weldable High-Strength Steels with a Yield Point in the Range from 600 to 950 N/mm2

Studies have been made of the microstructure of steel 18KhGNMFR after the quenching and tempering and “ normalizing rolling” of plates 12 and 22 mm thick. Raising the quenching temperature to 950°C leads to growth of the austenite grains, which reduces impact toughness. Thus, the quenching temperature for steel 18KhGNMFR should be no greater than 920°C. On the whole, the structure of the steel in 9–14-mm-thick plates subjected to normalizing rolling is uniform and is free of grain-boundary precipitates of carbide particles. This ensures that the steel will have satisfactory toughness properties. __________ Translated from Metallurg, No. 6, pp. 55–58, June, 2005.     

Development of microalloyed steel for pipeline applications

Abstract

An experimental HSLA steel was produced by the electric arc furnace, vacuum degassing, ladle treatment and continuous casting route. The experimental steel was then rolled in a laboratory using a hot rolling schedule to simulate an industrial controlled hot rolling procedure for the production of plates as closely as possible to investigate the effect of a thermomechanical processing schedule plus the use of water quench, accelerated cooling followed by forced nitrogen gas or air as cooling media, on the mechanical properties of plates. The results showed that the controlled thermomechanical hot rolling schedule of slabs followed by the cooling of plates in either forced nitrogen gas or by accelerated cooling exhibited target properties equivalent to a steel grade API X-80.     

Development and Commercial Use of Weldable High-Strength Cold-Resistant Steel for Load-Bearing Structures in Transportation Engineering

Ural'skaya Stal' has developed and introduced new grade of steel 12KhGN2MA. The steel is designed for use on the frames of quarry trucks, mining machinery, and other metal structures used at low temperatures. The steel is distinguished by its excellent cold resistance (KCV⁻⁷⁰ ≥ 50 J/cm²) and good weldability, and it has satisfactorily high strength and ductility (σ_0.2 ≥ 690 N/mm², δ_u ≥ 790 N/mm², and δ₅ ≥ 16%) after quenching and tempering. The cold-shortness threshold — corresponding to 50% ductile component in the fracture — is below −40°C for steel 12KhGN2MA (25-mm thick plate). Alloying the steel with elements that help stabilize austenite (chromium, nickel, molybdenum, and magnesium) ensures the formation of a martensite-bainite structure. The technology used to make the steel provides for its refining in electric-arc furnaces, rolling of the steel on a 2800 mill, and subsequent heat treatment of the plates in high-productivity regimes. The weldability of the steel was studied by simulating the effects of the thermal welding cycle on the structure and properties of the metal in the near-weld zone. This metal is given good cold resistance down to −70°C by using cooling rates corresponding to the types and regimes of welding actually used. Ural'skaya Stal' has successfully begun production of plates of the new steel in the 10–45-mm thickness range. __________ Translated from Metallurg, No. 5, pp. 55–58, May, 2005.     

Measurement of Flow Stress in Supercooled Austenite for High Hardenability Steel

In this article, the isothermal flow stress in supercooled austenite was measured for a high hardenability steel. Supercooled austenite forms at the nonequilibrium phase and changes into other phases within a short time. It was confirmed that conventional tensile tests, which require maintaining a constant temperature before stretching, cannot accurately measure the flow stress in supercooled austenite. Therefore, a new tensile test named “the continuous cooling tensile test” was developed. In this test, stretching is conducted during continuous cooling. In the continuous cooling tensile test, the flow stress between 673 K and 973 K (400 °C and 700 °C) was measured. Microscopic observations of the continuous cooling test results verified that the microstructures were supercooled austenite.     

The Structure Dependence of Deformation Behavior of Transformation-Induced Plasticity–Assisted Steel Monitoring by In-Situ Neutron Diffraction

Tensile deformation behavior of two transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)–assisted multiphase steels with slightly different microstructures due to different thermomechanical treatment conditions applied was investigated by in-situ neutron diffraction. The steel with lower austenite volume fraction (f ^γ  = 0.04) and higher volume fraction of needlelike bainite in the α-matrix exhibits higher yield stress (sample B, 600 MPa) but considerably lower elongation in comparison to the steel with higher austenite volume fraction (f ^γ  = 0.08), granular bainite, and polygonal ferrite matrix (sample A, 500 MPa). The neutron diffraction results have shown that the applied tensile load is redistributed at the yielding point in such a way that the retained austenite bears a significantly larger load than the α matrix during the TRIP-assisted steel deformation. This article is based on a presentation given in the symposium entitled “Neutron and X-Ray Studies for Probing Materials Behavior,” which occurred during the TMS Spring Meeting in New Orleans, LA, March 9–13, 2008, under the auspices of the National Science Foundation, TMS, the TMS Structural Materials Division, and the TMS Advanced Characterization, Testing, and Simulation Committee.     

Improving properties of a low-carbon microalloyed steel by means of accelerated cooling of dynamically recrystallized austenite

Ferrite formation from the ultra-fine dynamically recrystallized austenite (d_γ < 5 μm) was investigated on a microalloyed steel with 0.11%C. Hot rolling conditions were simulated by the hot deformation simulator Wumsi. Due to accelerated cooling a corresponding fine homogeneous ferrite grain of d_α < 2 μm was achieved with a pearlite free acicular microstructure after a cooling rate of more than 20 K/s. Excellent mechanical properties (2.0% proof stress of over 700 MPa and impact transition temperature of -180°C) were obtained, superior to those after thermomechanical processing of the same steel without dynamic recrystallization of the low-temperature austenite.     

Effect of Cooling Patterns on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Hot-Rolled Nb Microalloyed Multiphase Steel Plates

 The effect of the run-out table cooling patterns on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Nb microalloyed steel plates was investigated by hot rolling experiment. The results showed that the mixed microstructure containing ferrite, bainite and significant amounts of retained austenite can be obtained through three kinds of cooling patterns on the run-out table under the same hot rolling condition. Three kinds of cooling patterns possess different austenite transformation kinetics, which leads to variations in microconstituent characteristics. The yield strength increases, the tensile strength decreases and the total elongation tends to increase as the cooling patterns Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ were applied respectively. The yield strength, the total elongation and the product of tensile strength and ductility reach the maximum values (547 MPa, 37.2% and 28384 MPa·%, respectively) for the steel plate processed by cooling pattern Ⅲ.     

Influence of strain-induced phase transformation on the surface crystallographic texture in cold-rolled-and-aged austenitic stainless steel

Stainless steels (SSs) having a stable and metastable austenitic phase were studied to see the influence of strain-induced phase transformation in the metastable austenitic stainless steel on the evolution of texture during cold rolling and aging. AISI 304L and 316L SS plates were unidirectionally cold rolled up to a 90 pct reduction and aged at different aging temperatures. The strain-induced transformation of austenite to α′-martensite phase and the evolution of texture in both the phases were studied as a function of rolling reduction as well as aging temperature in the metastable 304L austenitic stainless steel. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique was employed to quantify the volume fractions and characterize the texture of austenite and martensite phases in the rolled and aged conditions. Results are compared with the texture evolution in the stable austenitic 316L SS.     

终轧温度对高氮奥氏体钢组织和力学性能的影响

通过加压冶炼、控制轧制方式获得氮质量分数为0.59%的Mn18Cr18N钢板,研究了终轧温度对高氮奥氏体钢组织和力学性能的影响。结果表明,在再结晶区轧制并且终轧温度为970 ℃的钢板,组织为奥氏体等轴晶和部分孪晶,强度较低,塑性、冲击韧性较好;终轧温度为910 ℃的钢板,大部分组织为变形奥氏体晶粒,有少量再结晶晶粒,随着终轧温度降低钢板强度升高,塑性和冲击韧性降低;在未再结晶区轧制并且终轧温度为780 ℃的钢板,组织为变形严重的奥氏体晶粒,强度最高,塑性、韧性最低。所有试验钢有晶界析出的Cr₂N相,降低终轧温度和减缓轧后冷却速度,会增加Cr₂N相的析出。     

Recrystallization controlled rolling and accelerated cooling for high strength and toughness in V-Ti-N steels

Optimum thermomechanically controlled process parameters have been established for the production of Ti-V-N microalloyed high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels. On the basis of laboratory simulation and full-scale processing, it has been shown that nitrogen is an essential alloying element addition and full appreciation of its effects leads to the ability to utilize high nitrogen steel in connection with hot rolling in a high-temperature regime to produce HSLA products with very favorable combinations of yield strength and toughness. The effects of reheating temperature, rolling reduction, cooling rate, and finish-cooling temperature (FCT) on the ferrite grain size and mechanical properties have been examined. It has been shown that the potential for precipitation strengthening is dependent on vanadium, nitrogen, and cooling parameters. Accelerated cooling (ACC) prevents precipitation of vanadium nitrides in austenite and enhances both grain refinement and precipitation strengthening. By adjusting nitrogen content and processing parameters, a yield strength of 500 MPa and impact transition temperature (ITT) below -60 ‡C can be obtained in the as-hot-rolled condition in Ti-V-N steels, using high finish-temperature hot rolling and accelerated cooling.     

On the Significance of Nature of Strain-Induced Martensite on Phase-Reversion-Induced Nanograined/Ultrafine-Grained Austenitic Stainless Steel

We recently described the reversal of strain-induced martensite to the parent austenite phase in the attempt to produce nanograins/ultrafine grains via controlled annealing of heavily cold-worked metastable austenite. The phase-reversion-induced microstructure consisted of nanocrystalline (d < 100 nm), ultrafine (d ≈ 100 to 500 nm), and submicron (d ≈ 500 to 1000 nm) grains and was characterized by high strength (800 to 1000 MPa)–high ductility (30 to 40 pct) combination, which was a function of cold deformation and temperature-time annealing sequence.[1] In this article, we demonstrate that the success of the approach in obtaining nanograined/ultrafine-grained (NG/UFG) structure depends on the predominance of dislocation-cell–type structure in the severely deformed martensite. Electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction analysis indicated that with an increase in the degree of cold deformation there is transformation of lath martensite to dislocation-cell–type martensite, which is a necessary prerequisite to obtain phase-reversion-induced NG/UFG austenite. The transformation of lath-type to dislocation-cell–type martensite involves refinement of packet and lath size and break up of lath structure. Based on detailed and systematic electron microscopy study of cold-deformed metastable austenite (~45 to 80 pct deformation) and constant temperature-time annealing sequence, when the phase reversion kinetics is rapid, our hypothesis is that the maximization of dislocation-cell–type structure in lieu of lath-type facilitates NG/UFG structure with a high strength–high ductility combination. Interestingly, the yield strength follows the Hall–Petch relation in the NG/UFG regime for the investigated austenitic stainless steel.     

Nucleation sites for ultrafine ferrite produced by deformation of austenite during single-pass strip rolling

An austenitic Ni-30 wt pct Fe alloy, with a stacking-fault energy and deformation characteristics similar to those of austenitic low-carbon steel at elevated temperatures, has been used to examine the defect substructure within austenite deformed by single-pass strip rolling and to identify those features most likely to provide sites for intragranular nucleation of ultrafine ferrite in steels. Samples of this alloy and a 0.095 wt pct C-1.58Mn-0.22Si-0.27Mo steel have been hot rolled and cooled under similar conditions, and the resulting microstructures were compared using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction, and X-ray diffraction. Following a single rolling pass of ∼40 pct reduction of a 2mm strip at 800 °C, three microstructural zones were identified throughout its thickness. The surface zone (of 0.1 to 0.4 mm in depth) within the steel comprised a uniform microstructure of ultrafine ferrite, while the equivalent zone of a Ni-30Fe alloy contained a network of dislocation cells, with an average diameter of 0.5 to 1.0 μm. The scale and distribution and, thus, nucleation density of the ferrite grains formed in the steel were consistent with the formation of individual ferrite nuclei on cell boundaries within the austenite. In the transition zone, 0.3 to 0.5 mm below the surface of the steel strip, discrete polygonal ferrite grains were observed to form in parallel, and closely spaced “rafts” traversing individual grains of austenite. Based on observations of the equivalent zone of the rolled Ni-30Fe alloy, the ferrite distribution could be correlated with planar defects in the form of intragranular microshear bands formed within the deformed austenite during rolling. Within the central zone of the steel strip, a bainitic microstructure, typical of that observed after conventional hot rolling of this steel, was observed following air cooling. In this region of the rolled Ni-30Fe alloy, a network of microbands was observed, typical of material deformed under plane-strain conditions.     

Recrystallization, Precipitation Behaviors, and Refinement of Austenite Grains in High Mn, High Nb Steel

Through a series of experiments conducted on three kinds of high Mn steels with different Nb content, including stress relaxation tests, physical metallurgical modeling, and observation of prior austenite grains and precipitates, the effect of Nb on recrystallization and precipitation behaviors were investigated. The results indicate the existence of a novel deformation temperature range for grain refinement resulting from complete static recrystallization (SRX) in high Mn, high Nb steel, whereas slow SRX kinetics can be accelerated by a finer initial grain size. In this deformation temperature range, the effect of precipitation is too weak to prohibit SRX nucleation efficiently, but solute drag is still large enough to slow down growth rate. As a consequence, shorter incubation and homogeneous recrystallized nucleation can be realized at relative low temperature, and the coarsening rate of grains is much slower because of the high solute drag effect in the rolling of low C high Mn, high Nb line pipe steel.