Properties of cold-rolled high-strength steel sheets

For high-strength steel sheets, a new concept has become necessary,viz, the relation between strength and formability. When the relation between tensile strength and elongation is appraised for ranking in terms of the strengthening mechanism, it is found that the substitutional solid-solution hardening type is excellent and the precipitation hardening type is inferior. In batch annealing, the phosphorus-added aluminum-killed steel sheets are representative of the former type having excellent formability as indicated by a highr values despite their tensile strength of 450 N/mm². The titanium-added aluminum-killed steel sheets, which are representative of the latter type, have a tensile strength of 600 N/mm² and a relatively highr value. Continuous annealing of the highstrength steel sheets of the same chemical composition causes higher yield stresses and combinations of yield stress and elongation. Alternatively with continuous annealing the same level of strength can be achieved with smaller additions of alloying elements than with batch annealing. An additional advantage of continuous annealing is the uniformity of properties along the length of the coil. The rapid cooling possible after continuous annealing allows production of high strength steel sheets having excellent mechanical properties that are unobtainable in the batched annealed steels. For example, steel sheets of 0.4 pet Si and 1.4 pet Mn after continuous annealing, haven values and Erichsen values as higher than conventional low-carbon rimmed or capped steel sheets even while they have a tensile strengths of 550 N/mm².      

Metallurgical aspects in cold rolled high strength steel sheets

Cold rolled high strength steel sheets with yield strength from 300 to 500 N/mm² have been developed by using conventional equipment for producing commercial cold rolled steel sheet, that is, cold rolling, box annealing, and temper rolling. Effective alloying elements for strengthening are carbon, silicon, manganese, phosphorus, niobium, etc. The sheets up to 400 N/mm² yield strength grade are easily produced by selecting appropriate chemical compositions. The sheets with higher yield strength grade than 450 N/mm² are obtained by introducing the new idea that the steel with more than 2 pct manganese is annealed between A₁ and A₃ transformation temperatures, and moderately temper rolled. Increase of tensile strength does not affect deep drawability while it deteriorates stretch-forming and stretch-flanging properties. As for electric resistance spot welding, shear tension strength increases in proportion to tensile strength, but cross tension strength hardly increases or tends to decrease. These sheets have been applied to door beams and bumper reinforcements.     

酸溶铝对罩退IF钢组织和性能的影响

作为重要的脱氧元素,铝质量分数对低碳铝镇静钢中的夹杂物数量和产品性能有重要影响。对工业生产中的罩退Ti- IF钢中酸溶铝(自由铝)质量分数变化(范围为0.0050%~0.0550%)对成品性能的影响进行了研究,对最终产品进行单轴拉伸和光学显微组织观察,发现与低碳铝镇静钢不同,除了屈服强度微小波动外,酸溶铝质量分数对罩式退火的Ti- IF钢的其他力学性能没有显著影响,退火后的组织呈现等轴状,晶粒度级别在9.0~9.5之间,成品均表现出良好的力学性能和成形性能。     

Laboratory Investigations on Copper‐alloyed Interstitial Free Steel – Part II: Effect of Coiling Temperature

The effect of coiling temperature on the annealing behaviour of copper‐alloyed interstitial free steel has been studied during batch and continuous annealing. The batch annealing kinetics undergoes a severe sluggishness in the so‐called industrial low temperature coiling condition, while retardation is less with high temperature coiling. The mechanism is believed to be the particle pinning effect exerted by peak‐aged or over‐aged copper precipitates. Room and high temperature coiled materials show similar strength and ductility after batch annealing. However, the texture development is different in the two cases, which leads to a variation in deep drawability. Copper precipitation has been observed to give rise to an unusual trend in strain hardening with the progress of batch annealing. The strength and formability parameters of the continuous annealed copper‐alloyed interstitial free steel do not depend on the coiling temperature due to dissolution of copper precipitates of the hot rolled material during continuous annealing. Irrespective of the coiling temperature continuous annealed copper‐alloyed interstitial free steels are as good as conventional interstitial free steels particularly in formability parameters.     

Effect of Processing Conditions on Mechanical Properties of a Ti Interstitial Free Steel

The effect of thermal cycle, cold reduction and temper rolling on texture, microstructure and mechanical properties of a Ti‐added IF steel is presented. Sheets with different cold reductions were annealed using cycles with temperatures, heating rates and soaking times including extreme annealing conditions like continuous and batch regimes. Microstructure is characterized by equiaxed grains of about 17 to 20μm, being independent of the annealing cycle applied. As a function of the processing variables, texture depended mainly on heating rate and cold reduction degree, showing little dependence on soaking time or temperature. Despite the great differences between batch and continuous annealing cycles, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and hardening coefficient n show little variation between these extreme regimes. This characteristic makes this steel almost insensitive to annealing conditions, strongly differing from other deep drawing materials like Al‐killed steels. The influence of texture on r‐value was studied using a Taylor‐based model which showed good agreement with experimental relationships. Finally, temper rolling of annealed materials was simulated with elongations varying from 0.5 to 7%. This resulted in an important increase of YS and a decrease of n, but had a deleterious effect on stretchability.     

Investigation on Precipitation Hardening High Strength IF Steel Sheet for Automotive Application

High strength IF steel sheets with sufficient formability had been extensively used in automotive industry.In this paper,a new type of high strength cold-rolled IF steel with higher carbon and niobium contents was studied.Thermal plastic and continuous annealing were performed on thermo-mechanical simulator.The transformation points were tested by thermal expansion apparatus.Optical microscopy and transmission election microscope (TEM) were used to analyze the microstructure and the secondary precipitates of the steel.The results showed,the ductibility temperature range was from 950℃ to 1250℃ and the transformation points were 887℃ and 913℃ respectively.The grain size of this steel was smaller than that of conventional high strength IF steel.At the mean time,there were many fine Nb(C,N) precipitates distributed in the intra-granular regions and the PFZ (precipitate free zone) were formed in the neighborhood of grain boundaries.Due to the unique micro-structural feature,the yield strength and the yield ratio of the steel were decreased while the tensile strength was increased.With the increasing of the annealing temperature,the strength decreased,the total elongation A50,r-value at 15% strain and n-value were all increased.In order to obtain the favorable mechanical properties,the skin-pass rolling rate should be chosen at 0.6-0.8%.     

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On industrial scale, high strength P- containing IF (Interstitial Free) steels were produced with both batch annealing and continuous annealing processes and their microstructures and properties were studied. Forming abilities of the two steels were compared with commercial Al- killed steel DC01 and extreme deep drawing IF steel DC04 produced with batch annealing. The results show that the microstructures of high strength IF steels are composed of equi- axial ferrite and their mechanical properties meet the requirement of relevant standard. The batch annealed high strength P- containing steels show poorer formability than continuous annealed ones. The test results of texture and orientation distribution function (ODF) demonstrate that density of ??- fiber increases in order of batch annealed high strength P- containing IF steel, commercial DC01, continuous annealed high strength P- containing IF steel and normal IF steel DC04.     

Influence of annealing pattern on microstructure and mechanical property of low carbon Al- killed steel

Comparison was conducted about the influence of annealing patterns on the microstructure, mechanical property and natural aging property of Al- killed steel with carbon content range between 0. 04 mass% to 0. 06 mass% by optical observation and uniaxial tensile testing. The results show that the product with batch annealing process exhibits lower strength, higher elongation and better formability property. The strength increases with the increase of the strip thickness while the elongation shows a decreasing tendency. Yield strength ratio has different relation to thickness for both strips. The final product with continuous annealing shows apparent sensitivity to coiling temperature. And ferrite grain size increases with increasing coiling temperature. Furthermore, batch annealed sheet enjoys better natural anti- aging property which can be guaranteed within six months.     

The Effect of Annealing Processes on Fish-Scaling Resistance in V-Ti-N Microalloyed Low Carbon Steel Sheets for Enameling

Annealing process will have greatly influence on microstructure of V,Ti and N microalloyed low carbon steel sheets.In this paper,the experimental steels with given amount of V,Ti and N elements were annealed at 4 routes to simulate batch annealing and continuous annealing processes,respectively.The enameling tests for the annealed steel sheets were undergone in same enameling and firing processes to study the relationship between microstructure and fishscale.The result shows that the cold-rolled steel sheets annealed at 750 ℃for 6 minutes even for 30 minutes exhibit excellent fishscale resistance.     

Laboratory Investigations on Copper‐alloyed Interstitial Free Steel – Part I: Effect of Annealing

Effect of 1.18 wt.% copper on the annealing behaviour and the resulting mechanical properties in conventional mild interstitial free steel has been investigated. It is revealed that copper forms complex precipitates during batch annealing and modifies the batch annealing characteristics as compared with the base steel. Accordingly, strength‐formability parameters are influenced as well. In case of continuous annealing, solute copper controls the mechanical properties.     

汽车用冷轧超低碳烘烤硬化钢板的组织性能与析出

实验研究了汽车用冷轧超低碳烘烤硬化钢板的成分、热轧冷轧及退火工艺对钢组织性能的影响规律,并分析了冷轧后连续退火和罩式退火不同条件下钢中析出第2相粒子形态和钢板的织构变化。     

Optimizing Cold Rolling and Mode of Annealing of Interstitial‐Free High‐Strength Steel Sheets

Percentage of cold rolling and mode of annealing significantly influence the formation of structures and textures of steel sheets. The objective is to co‐relate the micro‐structures and textures at each step of processing and their effect on mechanical properties. In addition, an attempt has been made to distinguish the batch and continuous mode of annealing. In the present investigation, interstitial free high strength (IF‐HS) steel was first hot rolled to 85‐90%, followed by cold rolling (CR) and then annealed. Annealing was carried out in the batch as well as the continuous mode. It was found that a fine pancake type and strong hot band texture was developed after hot rolling. Its very strong orientations were and . An almost uniform α‐fibre and γ‐fibre were developed at 80% cold reduction. After annealing, the new γ‐fibre was found to be developed replacing the old one for both modes of annealing i.e. batch and continuous. Further, it was observed that the intensity of the γ‐fibre was higher at 80% CR after continuous annealing than after batch annealing. The strain energy introduced during cold rolling could not be removed completely in batch annealing. Therefore, the drawability obtained through continuous annealing was higher than that after batch annealing. The process route of 80% CR and annealing, either in batch or in continuous mode, has developed optimum strength and drawability in steel sheets. Either batch or continuous mode can be used for annealing to cold rolled IF‐HS steel sheets, but the latter one is found to be superior to the former one.     

Effect of strain and strain rate on the bauschinger effect response of three different steels

The Bauschinger behavior after a strain reversal was evaluated for samples with microstructures representative of production sheets for a low-carbon (LC) steel, a high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel, and a dual-phase (DP) steel. The microstructures were produced in the samples by laboratory hot rolling and heat treatment. Bauschinger tests were run at strain rates of 0.0001, 0.001, and 0.01 s⁻¹, with tensile prestrains between 1 and 7 pct. After the reversal, the samples were strained 2 pct in compression. The Bauschinger effect is described by a Bauschinger effect parameter (BE), which is the difference between the steel strength at reversal and the 0.05 pct offset yield strength on the reversal, normalized by the steel strength at reversal. It is found that the Bauschinger effect is a continuous increasing function of the strength of the steel, provided the steel is prestrained at least 2.5 pct or beyond the yield point elongation. A single trend line describes the Bauschinger effect variation with steel strength, for all three steels in the present study and for an aluminum-killed drawing quality (AKDQ) steel from a previous investigation. No strain rate influence on the BE was found, due to the limited strain rate range and data uncertainty.     

汽车用含铜高强度薄钢板

介绍了最新开发的汽车用含铜高强度热轧薄板和冷轧薄板。在超低碳钢中添加１％以上的铜，利用含铜相的沉淀硬化，获得了高强度和优良成形性兼备的冷轧和热轧薄板。含铜热轧薄板是一种热处理强化类型钢，经时效热处理使铜析出，产生强烈沉淀硬化，钢的抗拉强度在原基础上提高２００ＭＰａ以上。     

Influence of Carbon on Mechanical Properties of Cu bearing Extra Low Carbon Steel Sheets

This paper examines the effect of carbon (C) on solid solution strengthening, bake hardening and anti‐strain aging property for copper (Cu) bearing extra low carbon (ELC) steel sheets. For this purpose, five ELC steels that contain different content of C were selected. We have investigated the effect of C on mechanical properties and microstructures for the continuous annealed ELC steel sheets. Mechanical properties and microstructures were analyzed as well using uni‐axial tensile test and electron back‐scattered diffraction (EBSD) technique following pilot rolling and continuous annealing. It has been found that the addition of C increases the solid solution strengthening as well as 19.9MPa per 0.0010wt%C in yield strength. What is more, the addition of C increases the bake hardenability (BH) as well as 18.7MPa per 0.0010wt%C. In addition, the addition of C delays the recrystallization during continuous annealing process. From an industrial standpoint, it is possible to control both a stable anti‐strain aging property and high bake hardenability for the ELC steel sheets without Ti and Nb addition.     

Texture and Formability of One-Step and Two-Step Cold-Rolled and Annealed Interstitial Free High-Strength Steel Sheets

In the current experimental investigation, a comparative study has been carried out to understand the development of texture under different conditions, viz. controlled hot-rolled, one-step cold-rolled (CR) and annealed, and two-step cold-rolled and annealed conditions. Mechanical properties were determined and experimental formability limit diagrams (FLDs) were plotted after both one-step and two-step cold-rolled and annealed conditions. From the tabulated data, it was found that hot band texture of 85 to 90 pct deformation was strong and the main orientations were ( 112 )[ 1[`1]0 ] \left( {112} \right)\left[ {1\bar{1}0} \right] and ( 332 )[ [`1][`1]3 ]. \left( {332} \right)\left[ {\bar{1}\bar{1}3} \right]. One-step cold rolling developed the strong and uniform α-fiber and γ-fiber at 80 pct cold reduction. The strong and uniform new γ-fiber was obtained at the one-step 80 pct CR annealed condition. In addition, the highest drawability was found at the one-step 80 pct CR annealed condition. In two-step cold rolling, orientation ( 223 )[ 1[`1]0 ] \left( {223} \right)\left[ {1\bar{1}0} \right] was the main texture component along with extremely strong γ-fiber. Moreover, batch annealing of two-step cold-rolled steel sheets developed exceptionally strong and uniform γ-fiber, and all mechanical properties were enhanced significantly except yield strength. From FLDs, it is observed that the formability properties of interstitial free (IF) high-strength (HS) steel sheets were excellent at both one-step and two-step cold-rolled and annealed conditions. However, the two-step cold-rolling and annealing process was found to be superior to the one-step process. The data of this investigation may be used at the industrial level to design the entire processing of IF-HS steel sheets.     

Formability behavior of brass alloy sheet: the role of twins in microstructure

Quantitative understanding of the process and formability parameters involved in grain size and the formation of annealing twins after plastic straining is important in the control of the manufacturing process. There is a synergistic effect of strain and temperature on the density of annealing twins. Formability of brass alloy sheets was studied after annealing of 65% cold worked (CW) samples at different temperatures (300–600°C). Tensile, deep drawing and Erichsen tests were carried out at room temperature to evaluate formability of alloy. Effect of annealing temperature on density, distribution and size of twins is investigated. It was shown that annealing of brass alloy resulting in formation of annealing twins which at higher annealing temperature were reduced by increasing grain size. Best deep drawability would be achieved by annealing at moderate temperature 400–450°C which microstructure consists of fine grain and twin bands. Work hardening exponent of samples was calculated based on the tensile test data and correlated with stretch ability of annealed brass sheets. It was found that the sheets annealed at 600°C possess best ductility and high average n-value.     

退火工艺对高强细晶IF钢的组织与性能的影响

 本文以新型的含铌高强细晶IF钢为研究对象，在实验室进行了热轧、冷轧以及轧后模拟连续退火实验。通过微观组织观察可以发现化学成分的改善、轧制及退火工艺的控制不仅可以使这种钢具有细小的晶粒，而且存在大量细小的析出物Nb（C、N）；同时晶界附近析出物非常稀少，称之为PFZ带（晶界无析出物区），且仅存在于晶界的一侧。实验结果表明由于Nb系析出物非常细小以及晶粒细化作用使实验钢具有较高强度和良好的延伸率；而PFZ带的存在，这种钢具有较低的屈服强度。与传统的IF 钢相比，实验钢具有晶粒细小、屈强比低、延伸率良好且塑性应变比r值较高的特点。     

Microalloyed,vacuum degassed high-strength steels with special emphasis on IF steels

In comparison with other high-strength concepts, high-strength IF steel has a particularly high forming capacity with increased strength, while the sheet thickness reduction through forming is, on the whole, smallest with high-strength IF steel. Solid-solution hardening through Si, Mn and P is particularly suitable as a mechanism for increasing strength, as this leads to comparatively low formability losses with increased strength values. An additional increase in strength is possible using the bake-hardening effect. This can be achieved with an incomplete C and N binding through Ti and/or Nb, or through stoichiometric microalloying with V. The effect is basically caused by the relatively low thermodynamic stability of VC. V-alloyed, vacuum degassed steel combines in this way good forming behaviour with an increase in strength through bake-hardening. Through an increasing segregation of P at grain boundaries, solid solution hardening with this element can lead to unfavourable embrittlement in higher strength IF steel and to intercrystalline fracture. B-addition to the amount of 0.002% (mass content) greatly reduces the tendency to become brittle without leading to any remarkable losses with regard to formability. Examinations concerning the precipitation behaviour of Ti-IF steel with P show that a formation of iron titanium phosphate (FeTiP) in the hot strip only occurs where there is an excess of Ti and high coiling temperatures are used. For a P-alloyed IF steel with stoichlometrical Ti-content no precipitation of FeTiP takes place in hot band, nor is the thermal activation in continuous annealing simulation sufficient to achieve a transformation of existing Ti-precipitates into FeTiP, which might occur according to literature.