Microstructure evolution during reheating of a Nb-bearing steelⅠ. Metallographic examination

Cooled in water after the isothermal relaxation of deformed austenite for different timea, a Nb-bearing microalloyed steel always exhibits synthetic microstructures of bainitic ferrite, granular bainite and acicular ferrite. When these samples were reheated to and held at 650 or 700℃, the non-equilibrious microstructures tend to evolve into equilibrious ones. The sample relaxed for 60 s displays the highest thermostability, while the microstructure evolution is the quickest in the sample relaxed for 1000 s even though it is the softest before reheating. Softening is not a single process occurring during reheating, in which the hardness fluctuates with time.There are two peaks in the hardness-time curve of each sample having undergone relaxation, while a single peak occurs in the curve of the sample having not been relaxed. Pre-strain accelerates the evolution process. These results indicate that the thermostability of microstructures is determined by their history of formation to a considerable degree.     

Microstructure evolution during reheating of a Nb-bearing steel II. Dislocation-precipitate interaction

Cooled in water after the isothermal relaxation of deformed austenite for different times, a Nb-bearing microalloyed steel always exhibits the synthetic microstructure in which bainitic ferrite dominates. Strain-induced precipitates do not occur in an unrelaxed sample while they distribute outside dislocations in the sample relaxed for long time. Most of the strain induced precipitates distribute along dislocations in the sample relaxed for proper time. After bainitic transformation, the dislocations formed in the deformed austenite remain to be pinned by the precipitates so that the thermostability of the bainitic ferrite is improved. Coarsening of the precipitates accompanied by their distribution density change has caused the first hardness peak of bainite during reheating. The second hardness peak is attributed to the precipitates, which nucleate in bainite. Dislocations inside the laths getting rid of the pinning of precipitates and their polygonization play the precursor to the evolution of microstructures during reheating.     

Microstructure evolution during reheating of a Nb-bearing steelⅡ. Dislocation-precipitate interaction

Cooled in water after the isothermal relaxation of deformed austenite for different times, a Nb-bearing microalloyed steel always exhibits the synthetic microstructure in which bainitic ferrite dominates. Strain-induced precipitates do not occur in an unrelaxed sample while they distribute outside dislocations in the sample relaxed for long time. Most of the strain induced precipitates distribute along dislocations in the sample relaxed for proper time. After bainitic transformation, the dislocations formed in the deformed austenite remain to be pinned by the precipitates so that the thermostability of the bainitic ferrite is improved. Coarsening of the precipitates accompanied by their distribution density change has caused the first hardness peak of bainite during reheating. The second hardness peak is attributed to the precipitates, which nucleate in bainite. Dislocations inside the laths getting rid of the pinning of precipitates and their polygonization play the precursor to the evolution of microstructures during reheating.     

Microstructure evolution during reheating of a Nb-bearing steel Ⅱ. Dislocation-precipitate interaction

Cooled in water after the isothermal relaxation of deformed austenite for different times, a Nb-bearing microalloyed steel always exhibits the synthetic microstructure in which bainitic ferrite dominates. Strain-induced precipitates do not occur in an unre-laxed sample while they distribute outside dislocations in the sample relaxed for long time. Most of the strain induced precipitates distribute along dislocations in the sample relaxed for proper time. After bainitic transformation, the dislocations formed in the deformed austenite remain to be pinned by the precipitates so that the thermostability of the bainitic ferrite is improved. Coarsening of the precipitates accompanied by their distribution density change has caused the first hardness peak of bainite during reheating. The second hardness peak is attributed to the precipitates, which nucleate in bainite. Dislocations inside the laths getting rid of the pinning of precipitates and their polygonization play the precursor to the evolution of microstructures during reheating.     

Effect of zirconium addition on the austenite grain coarsening behavior and mechanical properties of 900 MPa low carbon bainite steel

The ultra-free bainitic microstructure of a 900 MPa low carbon bainitic Cu-Ni-Mo-B steel was obtained by a newly developed relaxation precipitation control (RPC) phase transformation processing.In a pan-cake like prior-anstenite grain,the microstructure consisted of lath bainite,a little of abnormal granular bainite,and acicular ferrite.The effect of zirconium carbonitrides on the austenite grain coarsening behavior was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).The results show that,the lath is narrower with increasing cooling rate.The ratio of all kinds of bainitic microstructure is proper with the intermediate cooling rate;and Zr-containing precipitates distribute uniformly,which restrains austenite grain growing in heat-affected welding zone.     

Refinement of packet size in low carbon bainitic steel by special thermo-mechanical control process

The packet size of bainitic steel can be refined by a special relaxation-precipitation-control phase transformation (RPC) technology, When processed by RPC process, the low carbon bainitic steel composes of two kinds of main intermediate transformation phases. One is ultra-fine lath-like bainitic ferrite and the lath is less than 1 tam in width and about 6 tam in length; the alignment of laths forms a refined packet, and the size of packets is about 5-7 ~am in length and about 3-4 tam in width, The other is acicular structure. The morphology and distribution of these acicular structures are influenced by relaxation process, the thin and short acicular structures cut the prior austenite grain and refine the bainitic packet size, For the optimum relaxation time, the packet size can be refined to the finest. The mechanical properties are influenced by relaxation time and the 800 MPa grade low carbon bainitic steel with excellent toughness can be obtained by RPC process,     

Dynamic observation of bainite transformation in a Fe-C-Mn-Si superbainite steel

The dynamic observations of bainitic transformation in a Fe-C-Mn-Si superbainite steel were conducted on a high temperature laser scanning confocal microscope. It is indicated that the mutual intersection of bainite sheaves often occurs during growth of bainite ferrite, resulting in an interlocked bainite microstructure. Moreover, bainite transformation is promoted by higher austenization temperature and the longer and finer bainite platelets are obtained. Further, The average growth rate of bainite after austenization at 1 100 ° is calculated as 5.8 µm·s^?1. In situ observation investigation makes it possible to identify bainite transformation in real time during isothermal holding.     

700MPa级超低碳高强度贝氏体厚钢板的晶粒细化机制研究

根据超低碳微合金化的成分设计意图,采用控制轧制和控制冷却工艺得到细化的贝氏体组织,利用光学显微镜、FE-SEM和TEM对各类微观组织和析出物进行了研究和分析。结果表明,700MPa级超低碳贝氏体厚钢板为细小均匀的粒状贝氏体和少量针状铁素体与多边形铁素体的复合组织,其屈服强度不小于580MPa,抗拉强度不小于700MPa,低温冲击韧性为-20℃,Akv不小于150J。钢板具有强度高、韧性好和焊接性能良好的特点,其强度和韧性的良好匹配主要是由于在粒状贝氏体相变前形成了少量的针状铁素体分割奥氏体晶粒,从而细化了最终的复合组织。     

Thermo-stability of ultra-fine non-equilibrium microstructures

The evolution of the microstructures and hardness of a bainitic plate steel during tempering at 650℃ has been investigated.The steel was manufactured by RPC (relaxation-precipitation controlling phase transformation) technique. A part of the plate was reheated to 930℃ and held for 1 h before quenched into water (RQ). No obvious change was detected by means of optical microscopy in the RPC steel tempering for 0.5 h, while dislocation cells were formed inside the bainite laths, accompanied by an obvious drop of hardness. The bainite laths started to coalesce in some regions, but the sample hardness kept nearly constant during tempering from 1 to 7 h. With further tempering, polygonal ferrite was formed in local regions while the hardness decreased dramatically. The RQ samples softened faster during tempering and finally transformed into the polygonal ferrite completely. These results indicate that the thermo-stability of fine non-equilibrium microstructures is tightly related to their history.     

控轧控冷和回火工艺对超低碳贝氏体钢组织和性能的影响

研究超低碳贝氏体钢的控轧控冷和回火工艺对其组织及力学性能的影响。结果表明,在试验工艺下试样组织均为粒状贝氏体,且在820℃终轧、440℃回火时获得了高强度低屈强比的超低碳贝氏体钢;控轧控冷工艺可以细化贝氏体铁素体和M-A岛、降低铁素体含碳量、控制组织中软硬相的比例,从而提高材料强度、降低其屈强比。回火温度升高使贝氏体铁素体粗化、含碳量和位错密度降低、M-A岛分解成细小的板条贝氏体,并析出富铜原子团,这是材料获得高强度、低屈强比的主导因素。