Effect of V on Hot Deformation Characteristics of TWIP Steels

Twinning induced plasticity (TWIP) steels, which rely on high Mn contents to promote twinning as the deformation mechanism, exhibit high ultimate strengths together with outstanding combinations of ultimate strength and ductility. In terms of mechanical properties, one of the most important microstructural features is grain size. The knowledge of the kinetics of recrystallization mechanisms, i.e., dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and static recrystallization (SRX), can be used in order to control the grain size of the final product by a proper rolling schedule design. The focus of this work is the characterization of the DRX kinetics of two TWIP steels. The basic composition of the steels is Fe–21Mn–0.4C–1.5Al–1.5Si, and one of them is further alloyed with 0.12% V. With this objective, compression tests were carried out at 900, 1000, and 1100°C and strain rates ranging from 1 × 10^?1 s^?1 to 1 × 10^?4 s^?1. Furthermore, metallographic observation by optical microscopy (OM) was done to assess the evolution of grain size for the different deformation conditions. According to the results, the existence of V in the composition does not affect the hot flow behavior of the steel, although recrystallization fraction and recrystallized grain size decrease for the V‐containing steel.     

Flow Stress and Critical Dynamic Recrystallization Behavior of Cu–Fe16Mn0.6C High Manganese TWIP Steel

The true stress–strain curve of Cu–Fe16Mn0.6C twinning induced plasticity (TWIP) steel was studied with a compression test on Thermecmastor‐Z thermal simulator at a temperature range of 850–1150°C and strain rate range of 0.03–30 s^?1. The influence of deformation temperature and strain rate on high‐temperature flow stress and critical recrystallization behavior of the TWIP steel was investigated. It is concluded that the peak flow stress of Cu–Fe16Mn0.6C under high‐temperature deformation decreases as the temperature increases but increases with the strain rate. Meanwhile at strain rate of 0.03 and 30 s^?1 obvious peak stresses are observed which demonstrates the dynamic recrystallization. The constitutive equation of Cu–Fe16Mn0.6C under high temperature deformation is calculated by linear regression method. The activation energy is 505 kJ mol^?1. The relationship between critical strain of dynamic revrystallization and Zener–Hollomon parameter is determined by the curve between strain‐hardening rate and flow stress.     

Deformation Behavior and Evolution of Microstructure and Texture During Hot Compression of AISI 304LN Stainless Steel

Deformation behavior of hot-rolled AISI 304 LN austenitic stainless steel was studied by hot axisymmetric compression tests at 1173 K, 1273 K, and 1373 K (900 °C, 1000 °C, and 1100 °C) at strain rates of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 s^?1. The flow curves were examined to understand the deformation characteristics. The influence of Zener–Holloman parameter was analyzed using appropriate constitutive models. The activation energy for deformation was found to be 473 kJ/mol. Quantitative microstructural analysis was carried out using Electron backscattered diffraction. Compression at 1173 K (900 °C) at all true strain rates gave rise to partially dynamic recrystallized microstructure with strong α-fiber texture. The deformation texture is characterized by the formation of Brass component, and partial dynamic recrystallization (DRX) led to the development of Goss, S, and ube components. Necklace structure of small equiaxed recrystallized grains could be observed surrounding the large, elongated deformed grains. Compressions at 1273 K and 1373 K (1000 °C and 1100 °C) resulted in fully recrystallized microstructure consisting of mostly Σ3 and Σ9 coincidence site lattice high-angle boundaries. Compression at 1273 K (1000 °C) leads to the formation of low-intensity diffused α-fiber. DRX was confirmed by the presence of Goss, S, Cube, and rotated Cube components. Compression performed at 1373 K (1100 °C) resulted in nearly random texture with traces of α-fiber and prominent Cube/rotated Cube components. The microstructures of the 1173 K (900 °C)-compressed samples were partitioned using grain size and misorientation criteria to quantify DRX.     

Effect of Strain Rate on the Dynamic Recrystallization Behavior in a Nitrogen-Enhanced 316L(N)

In this paper, the effect of strain rate (in the domain of 0.001 to 10 s^?1) on dynamic recrystallization (DRX) kinetics in a nitrogen-enhanced 316L(N) austenitic stainless steel during high temperature [≥1123 K (≥850 °C)] deformation is reported. In the low strain rate domain (i.e., <0.1 s^?1), the DRX is predominantly governed by higher growth of DRX grains resulting in a higher DRX fraction and larger DRX grain size. On the other hand, DRX at higher strain rates (i.e., ≥1 s^?1) is mainly controlled by higher nucleation resulting in higher DRX fraction with a finer grain size. In the intermediate strain rate regime of 0.1 s^?1, sluggish kinetics of DRX is observed since neither the nucleation nor the growth of DRX grains is predominant. The annealing twinning event, which may accelerates the DRX kinetics, is also observed to occur more frequently during the low and high strain rate deformations.     

Dynamic Recrystallization Behavior and Microstructure Evolution of Bridge Weathering Steel in Austenite Region

The austenite dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior and microstructure evolution of a bridge weathering steel was systematically investigated at a deformation temperature range of 800–1100°C and strain rate of 0.1–10 s^?1 by using hot compression test and optical microscopy. The stress exponent and hot deformation energy were obtained by regression method to determine thermal deformation constitutive equation. The curve of stress versus strain is used, combined with high order polynomial fitting, to accurately determine the critical value of DRX. The relationships between critical strain, critical stress, and Z parameter of the bridge weathering steel were obtained by regression method. Moreover, the influence factors of DRX kinetics of the bridge weathering steel were studied in the light of the experimental results. It is shown that the strain rate has a more significant effect on the rate of DRX than that of the deformation temperature, and there is almost 0.85 orders of magnitude increment in the rate of DRX as the strain rate increases an order of magnitude. The dynamically recrystallized grain size can be decreased with decreasing the deformation temperature and increasing the strain rate during the austenite deformation.     

Hot Deformation Characteristics and Dynamic Recrystallization Mechanisms of a Newly Developed Austenitic Heat-Resistant Alloy

The hot deformation characteristics, microstructure evolution, and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) mechanism of the newly developed austenitic heat-resistant steel Fe–18Cr–10Ni–0.3Nb–2.5Cu were systematically investigated by thermal compression tests combined with microstructure characterizations. The activation energy (Q) map, Zener–Hollomon parameter (Z) map, and processing map were plotted according to the stress–strain curves to reveal the inherent connection between the three maps and the hot deformation characteristics of this alloy. The high η region in the processing map does not precisely correspond to the region where DRX developed. Nevertheless, the flow instability map accurately predicts the microstructure. The variation pattern of Z corresponded more closely to the hot deformation microstructure evolution than did the variation pattern of Q. The degree of DRX increases with decreasing Z. The optimal process parameters are 1000 °C/0.01 s⁻¹/0.8 and 1100 °C/10 s⁻¹/0.8 (temperature/strain rate/strain), and they result in complete DRX and a narrow range of Z values. The DRX mechanism at high strain rate is characterized by the combined enhancement of discontinuous DRX (DDRX), continuous DRX (CDRX), and twin-DRX (TDRX). The dominance of the particle-stimulated nucleation (PSN) mechanism at intermediate strain rate results in the formation of incompletely recrystallized microstructures with approximate orientation. Sufficient time at low strain rate promotes the development of DDRX and CDRX.

     

A Study on Microstructural Evolution and Dynamic Recrystallization During Isothermal Deformation of a Ti-Modified Austenitic Stainless Steel

Dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior in hot deformed (by uniaxial compression in a thermomechanical simulator in the temperatures range 1173 K to 1373 K [900 °C to 1100 °C]) Ti-modified austenitic stainless steel was studied using electron back scatter diffraction. Grain orientation spread with a “cut off” of 1 deg was a suitable criterion to partition dynamically recrystallized grains from the deformed matrix. The extent of DRX increased with strain and temperature, and a completely DRX microstructure with a fine grain size ~4 μm (considering twins as grain boundaries) was obtained in the sample deformed to a strain of 0.8 at 1373 K (1100 °C). The nucleation of new DRX grains occurred by the bulging of the parent grain boundary. The DRX grains were twinned, and a linear relationship was observed between the area fraction of DRX grains and the number fraction of Σ3 boundaries. The deviation from the ideal misorientation of Σ3 boundaries decreased with an increase in the fraction of Σ3 boundaries (as well as the area fraction of DRX) signifying that most Σ3 boundaries are newly nucleated during DRX. The generation of these Σ3 boundaries could account for the formation of annealing twins during DRX. The role of Σ3 twin boundaries on DRX is discussed.     

Hot Deformation and Dynamic Recrystallization Behaviour of Medium Carbon Steel in Austenite Region

The hot deformation behaviour of a 0.47%C (JIS‐S45C) steel in the stable austenite region was systematically investigated under various deformation conditions to collect fundamental data on its high‐temperature deformation and microstructure evolution. The medium carbon steel showed dynamic recrystallization in a wide range of temperatures (850°C～1150°C) and strain rates (10^‐3 s^‐1～100 s^‐1) in the stable austenite region. The dynamically recrystallized grain size was monotonically decreasing with increasing steady state stress. The minimum grain size obtained through dynamic recrystallization was 8.3 μm when the S45C specimen was deformed at 850°C and 1 s^‐1. The stress‐strain relationships were formularized based on a phenomenological model. The stress‐strain curves estimated by the obtained equation were in good agreement with the experimental results.     

Dynamic Recrystallization of Hot Deformed 3Cr2NiMnMo Steel: Modeling and Numerical Simulation

Hot compression tests of 3Cr2NiMnMo steel were performed at temperatures in the range of 850 to 1100 °C and with strain rates of 10^?2s^?1 to 1s^?1. Both the constitutive equations and the hot deformation activation energy were derived from the correlativity of flow stress, strain rate and temperature. The mathematical models of the dynamic recrystallization of 3Cr2NiMnMo steel, which include the dynamic recrystallization kinetics model and the crystallization grain size model, are based on Avrami's law and the results of thermosimulation experiments. By integrating derived dynamic recrystallization models with the thermal-mechanical coupled finite element method, the microstructure evolution in hot compressive deformation was simulated. The distribution of dynamic recrystallization grains and grain sizes were determined through a comparison of the simulation results with the experimental results. The distribution of strain and dynamic recrystallization grain is also discussed. The similarity between the experimental results and the simulated results indicates that the derived dynamic recrystallization models can be applied effectively to predict and analyze the microstructure evolution in hot deformed 3Cr2NiMnMo steel.     

Mechanical Behavior and Microstructural Change of a High Nitrogen CrMn Austenitic Stainless Steel during Hot Deformation

The hot deformation behavior of a high nitrogen CrMn austenitic stainless steel in the temperature range 1173 to 1473 K (900 to 1200 °C) and strain rate range 0.01 to 10 s⁻¹ was investigated using optical microscopy, stress-strain curve analysis, processing maps, etc. The results showed that the work hardening rate and flow stress decreased with increasing deformation temperature and decreasing strain rate in 18Mn18Cr0.5N steel. The dynamic recrystallization (DRX) grain size decreased with increasing Z value; however, deformation heating has an effect on the DRX grain size under high strain rate conditions. In the processing maps, flow instability was observed at higher strain rate regions (1 to 10 s⁻¹) and manifested as flow localization near the grain boundary. Early in the deformation, the flow instability region was at higher temperatures, and then the extent of this unstable region decreased with increasing strain and was restricted to lower temperatures. The hot deformation equation as well as the quantitative dependence of the critical stress for DRX and DRX grain size on Z value was obtained.     

Transitional Behavior for Dynamic Recrystallization in Nuclear Grade 316H Stainless Steel during Hot Deformation

The dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behaviors and their transformation process during hot deformation with various Zener–Hollomon (Z) values were investigated in nuclear grade 316H stainless steel, and the factors influencing DRX transformation, especially adiabatic heating, were evaluated in depth. During hot deformation, with the increase of the Z value, the degree of flow softening (DFS) showed a tendency to decrease first and then increase gradually. The analysis of the microstructure revealed that at low Z value (not exceeding 3.9 × 10¹⁹ s^–1) deformation conditions, DRX was massively activated and the recrystallization mechanism had a transition from continuous DRX (CDRX) to discontinuous DRX (DDRX) with the increasing Z values, leading to the transition of homogeneous grains to heterogeneous grains. Furthermore, with the reactivation of DRX at high Z value deformation conditions, the discontinuous DRX becomes the primary recrystallization mode. Adiabatic heating plays an important role in facilitating the reactivation of DRX and flow softening during hot deformation with low temperature or high strain rate (high Z values, above 6.1 × 10²¹ s^–1).

     

Role of Twinning on Dynamic Recrystallization and Microstructure During Moderate to High Strain Rate Hot Deformation of a Ti-Modified Austenitic Stainless Steel

This article discusses the role of twinning on dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and microstructural evolution during moderate to high strain rate (0.1 to 100 s⁻¹) hot deformation (1173 to 1373 K (900 to 1100 °C) range) in a Ti-modified austenitic stainless steel (alloy D9). The extent of DRX increased with increasing strain rate and temperature in the range of hot working parameters employed in the present study. The acceleration of DRX with strain rate is attributed to increased rate of dislocation accumulation during high strain rate deformation as well as adiabatic temperature rise. The DRX grains were found to be twinned and a linear relationship was observed between the area fraction of DRX grains and the fraction of Σ3 boundaries. Analysis of misorientations revealed that the majority of these Σ3 boundaries are newly formed coherent twin boundaries during DRX. Interaction of pre-existing Σ3 boundaries that may regenerate new Σ3 boundaries did not seem to occur frequently during DRX. The majority of the twin boundaries are found within the DRX grains, signifying that these annealing twins are mainly formed by “growth accidents” during the expansion of the DRX grains. It is suggested that annealing twins play an important role during nucleation and subsequent expansion of the DRX process in alloy D9.     

Deformation Behaviour and Microstructural Evolution During Hot Compression of AISI 904L

The hot deformation behaviour and microstructural evolution of AISI 904L super‐austenitic steel has been investigated by means of hot compression tests. The tests were carried out on a Gleeble 1500D thermo‐mechanical simulator in the temperature range from 850 °C to 1150 °C and at strain rates range from 0.001 s^?1 to 5 s^?1. The microstructure evolution was examined by means of light optical microscopy (LOM). The results show that after an initial deformation hardening, softening mechanisms occur. The peak stress level decreases with increasing deformation temperature and decreasing strain rate, which can be represented by a Zener–Hollomon parameter in the hyperbolic‐sine equation with the activation energy for deformation of 463 kJ/mol. The steady state was achieved at maximum strain of 0.9 only at the lower strain rates (under 1 s^?1) and the higher temperatures (above 1100 °C). Microstructural analyses showed a gradual increase in the dynamically recrystallized area with an increase of the temperature and a decrease of the strain rate. The grain size did change, as expected, correlating to the deformation conditions.     

Deformation Characteristics and Recrystallization Response of a 9310 Steel Alloy

The flow behavior and recrystallization response of a 9310 steel alloy deformed in the ferrite temperature range were studied in this work. Samples were compressed under various conditions of strain (0.6, 0.8 and multi-axial), strain rate (10^?4 seconds^?1 to 10^?1 seconds^?1) and temperature [811 K to 1033 K (538 °C to 760 °C)] using a Gleeble thermo-mechanical simulator. Deformation was characterized by both qualitative and quantitative means, using standard microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis and flow stress modeling. The results indicate that deformation is primarily accommodated through dynamic recovery in sub-grain formation. EBSD analysis shows a continuous increase in sub-grain boundary misorientation with increasing strain, ultimately producing recrystallized grains from the sub-grains at high strains. This suggests that a sub-grain rotation recrystallization mechanism predominates in this temperature range. Analyses of the results reveal a decreasing mean dynamically recrystallized grain size with increasing Zener-Hollomon parameter, and an increasing recrystallized fraction with increasing strain.     

Dynamic Recrystallization of Ferrite with Particle-Stimulated Nucleation in a Low-Carbon Steel

Microstructure evolution of a low-carbon steel with the initial microstructure of ferrite matrix plus cementite particles during hot compression deformation was investigated at the strain rates of 0.001 s^?1, 0.01 s^?1, and 1 s^?1 at 973 K (700 °C) by means of field-emission scanning electron microscope, electron backscattered diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that dynamic recrystallization (DRX) of ferrite took place at all of three strain rates, which can be classified as discontinuous DRX at 0.001 s^?1, 0.01 s^?1, and as continuous DRX at 1 s^?1. The formation of the nuclei of DRX of ferrite was mainly ascribed to the occurrence of particle-stimulated nucleation (PSN), accompanied with the lattice rotation and the formation of new high-angle boundaries. The occurrence of PSN was dependent on the development of a subgrain in the regions with high density of dislocations around cementite particles, without the need for the formation of the deformation zone.     

High Temperature Deformation Behavior of 4340 Steel: Activation Energy Calculation and Modeling of Flow Response

The 4340 steel is extensively utilized in several industries including automotive and aerospace for manufacturing a large number of structural components. Due to the importance of thermo-mechanical processing in the production of steels, the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) characteristics of 4340 steel were investigated. Namely, hot compression tests on 4340 steel have been performed in a temperature range of 900–1200 °C and a strain rate range of 0. 01–1 s^?1 and the strain of up to 0. 9. The resulting flow stress curves show the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization. The flow stress values decrease with the increase of deformation temperature and the decrease of strain rate. The microstructure of 4340 steel after deformation has been studied and it is suggested that the evolution of DRX grain structures can be accompanied by considerable migration of grain boundaries. The constitutive equations were developed to model the hot deformation behavior. Finally based on the classical stress-dislocation relations and the kinematics of the dynamic recrystallization; the flow stress constitutive equations for the dynamic recovery period and dynamic recrystallization period were derived for 4340 steel, respectively. The validity of the model was demonstrated by demonstrating the experimental data with the numerical results with reasonable agreement.     

Hot workability analysis and processing parameters optimisation for 20CrMnTiH steel by combining processing map with microstructure

The processing map of 20CrMnTiH steel is developed by using the dynamic material model according to the hot compression experiments, performed on a Gleeble-3500 thermal simulator at the temperature range of 850–1150°C and the strain rate of 0.01–1?s^?1. Hot workability characteristics of 20CrMnTiH steel are analysed based on the developed processing map. The safe deformation regions with higher power dissipation efficiency η exhibit the dynamic recrystallisation (DRX) mechanism and show fine and homogeneous microstructure. The unstable regions with negative instability coefficient ξ occur at both lower temperature with all strain rates and at high temperature with high strain rate at the strain of 0.2. The area of instability gradually decreases with the increasing strain and only appears at lower temperature and higher strain rate when the strain is above 0.2. The unstable regions indicate the flow localisation by microstructure analysis. Combining with the developed processing map with DRX behaviour, the optimal values of hot processing parameters for 20CrMnTiH steel are obtained to achieve good hot workability and small grains sizes at the process parameters ranged at 1036–1070°C/0.1–1?s^?1 and 918–985°C/0.01–0.014?s^?1.     

Microstructure Evolution During Hot Deformation of a Micro-Alloyed Steel

In the present investigation, hot deformation by uniaxial compression of a microalloyed steel has been carried out, using a deformation dilatometer, after homogenization at 1200 °C for 20 min up to strains of 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 at different temperatures of 900, 1000 and 1100 °C, at a constant strain rate of 2 s^?1 followed by water quenching. In all the deformation conditions, initiation of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) is observed, however, stress peaks are not observed in the specimens deformed at 900 and 1000 °C. The specimens deformed at 900 °C showed a combination of acicular ferrite (AF) and bainite (B) microstructure. There is an increase in the acicular ferrite fraction with increase in strain at all these deformation temperatures. At high deformation temperature of 1100 °C, coarsening of DRXed grains is observed. This is attributed to the common limitations involved in fast quenching of the DRXed microstructure, which leads to increase in grain size by metadynamic recrystallization (MDRX). The strain free prior austenite grains promote the formation of large fraction of both bainite and martensite in the transformed microstructures during cooling. The length and width of bainitic ferrite laths also increases with increase in deformation temperature from 900 to 1100 °C and decrease in deformation strain.     

Hot deformation characteristics of INCONEL alloy MA 754 and development of a processing map

The characteristics of hot deformation of INCONEL alloy MA 754 have been studied using processing maps obtained on the basis of flow stress data generated in compression in the temperature range 700 °C to 1150 °C and strain rate range 0.001 to 100 s^-1. The map exhibited three domains. (1) A domain of dynamic recovery occurs in the temperature range 800 °C to 1075 °C and strain rate range 0.02 to 2 s^-1, with a peak efficiency of 18 pct occurring at 950 °C and 0.1 s^-1. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) micrographs revealed stable subgrain structure in this domain with the subgrain size increasing exponentially with an increase in temperature. (2) A domain exhibiting grain boundary cracking occurs at temperatures lower than 800 °C and strain rates lower than 0.01 s^-1. (3) A domain exhibiting intense grain boundary cavitation occurs at temperatures higher than 1075 °C. The material did not exhibit a dynamic recrystallization (DRX) domain, unlike other superalloys. At strain rates higher than about 1 s^-1 the material exhibits flow instabilities manifesting as kinking of the elongated grains and adiabatic shear bands. The material may be safely worked in the domain of dynamic recovery but can only be statically recrystallized.