An overview on nucleation theories and models

Several different models for coercivity are discussed. There are two main situations: i) nanocrystalline magnets, with grain size bellow the single domain particle size, and ii) magnets with grain size above single domain particle size. The described theories and models are general, and can be applied in either NdFeB magnets, SmFeCoCuZr or strontium ferrite magnets. The spring effect observed in isotropic nanocrystalline magnets can be explained with the Stoner-Wohlfarth model. Modifications of the StonerWohlfarth model are necessary to take into account the effect of interaction between grains. When the grain size is above the single domain size, energy considerations show that nucleation should occur at the surface of grains. Nucleation is interpreted as a two-step process, where domain wall displacement occurs for grain size above single domain size, after a nucleus is first formed. The effect of grain size on the coercive field is discussed.     

层流冷却过程低碳钢相变模型的适用性分析

选取了现有典型的C-Mn钢相变过程的物理冶金模型,包括5组孕育期模型、7组相变动力学方程模型、5组相变后铁素体晶粒尺寸模型.利用自行开发的组织性能预报系统软件模拟计算了在3组实际冷却工艺条件下各模型的奥氏体转变过程,并对各模型进行了评价.结果表明,对于所设定的成分和工艺条件,适用性较好的孕育期模型是Kwon所提出的模型...     

Modelling of austenite decomposition of hot‐rolled plain carbon steels under complex cooling conditions

The purpose of the present work is to develop a mathematical model allowing the simultaneous prediction of both transformation product portions and mean ferrite grain size from the same common principles as a result of austenite decomposition during continuous cooling of plain carbon steels. The transformation products considered specifically are polygonal ferrite and pearlite. The model is based on the classical equations of nucleation‐growth theory and also contains some empirical parameters. The chemical driving forces for nucleation and composition of elements at the phase interfaces are derived from thermodynamic analysis. Three modes of ferrite nucleation are taken into account that correspond to the nucleation on the austenite grain corners, edges and faces. The model considers the reduction of the nucleation sites due to the occupation of austenite grain boundary surface by ferrite grains. Pearlite transformation starts at the γ/α interface and suppresses further ferrite grain growth. The parameters related to ferrite reaction were determined on the basis of a series of austenite transformation kinetic curves and grain size measurements for a steel with the composition 0.084%C‐0.58%Mn‐0.02%Si obtained by dilatometric technique for cooling rates from 0.032 to 2.5 K/s. The parameters related to pearlite reaction were determined on the basis of the data for a steel with 0.66%C. After determination of the model parameters the model was applied to complex cooling conditions of the run‐out table of the hot strip mill at Voest‐Alpine Stahl Linz GmbH. Predicted ferrite grain size appeared to be 1.2 ?1.3 times smaller than the observed one. With regard to experimental data on grain growth in iron, it was suggested that the underestimation of grain size is due to additional ferrite grain growth occurring after the coiling of the steel sheet. Taking that into account provided satisfactory agreement with observed values.     

Analysis of the Grain Size Evolution for Ferrite Formation in Fe-C-Mn Steels Using a 3D Model Under a Mixed-Mode Interface Condition

A 3D model has been developed to predict the average ferrite grain size and grain size distribution for an austenite-to-ferrite phase transformation during continuous cooling of an Fe-C-Mn steel. Using a Voronoi construction to represent the austenite grains, the ferrite is assumed to nucleate at the grain corners and to grow as spheres. Classical nucleation theory is used to estimate the density of ferrite nuclei. By assuming a negligible partition of manganese, the moving ferrite–austenite interface is treated with a mixed-mode model in which the soft impingement of the carbon diffusion fields is considered. The ferrite volume fraction, the average ferrite grain size, and the ferrite grain size distribution are derived as a function of temperature. The results of the present model are compared with those of a published phase-field model simulating the ferritic microstructure evolution during linear cooling of an Fe-0.10C-0.49Mn (wt pct) steel. It turns out that the present model can adequately reproduce the phase-field modeling results as well as the experimental dilatometry data. The model presented here provides a versatile tool to analyze the evolution of the ferrite grain size distribution at low computational costs.     

低合金高强钢微观组织转变机制

摘要：通过高温激光共聚焦显微镜原位观察低合金高强钢（Q345R）在热循环过程中微观组织演变规律,并结合扫描电镜和纳米压痕,研究不同类型铁素体形核、长大机制及硬度。结果表明,铁素体可在晶界、亚晶界及夹杂物上形核,多边形铁素体及链状晶界铁素体主要在晶界上形核,而侧板条铁素体可在晶界及亚晶界上形核,而针状铁素体则主要在夹杂物及已形成的铁素体上形核,且奥氏体晶界及晶内亚结构尺寸控制了铁素体尺寸;讨论了夹杂物特征参数对针状铁素体形核的影响规律,Al、Mg、Ca、S等元素的含量达到一定比值且尺寸在5μm以下的复合夹杂物更容易成为针状铁素体的诱导核心;硬度实验结果表明,不同类型铁素体组织硬度存在差别,针状铁素体硬度最大可达到4GPa。     

低合金高强钢针状铁素体组织特征和形成机理

针状铁素体是一种具有大角度晶界、高位错密度的板条状中温转变组织,该组织能有效细化晶粒并具有良好的强韧性匹配.因此,通常在低合金高强度钢焊缝和粗晶区中,利用细小的夹杂物来诱导针状铁素体形成,形成有效晶粒尺寸细小的针状铁素体联锁组织或者针状铁素体和贝氏体的复合组织,使其具有良好的韧性.然而,相关研究对针状铁素体组织的形成机理和控制原理的解释并不十分清楚,对于针状铁素体的定义和理解也存在差异.总结了针状铁素体的本质、相变、形核、形态、晶体学取向关系、长大行为、细化机理和力学性能等方面的特征,归纳了奥氏体晶粒尺寸、转变温度、冷却速度、夹杂物类型和尺寸等对针状铁素体形成的影响,提出了针状铁素体组织形态和转变机理方面几个仍需深入研究的问题和方向.     

Effect of Aluminum and Titanium Treatment on Non-Metallic Inclusions and Microstructures of CGHAZ in HSLA Steel

The Effect of A1 and Ti treatment on non-metallic inclusions and microstructures of coarse-grain HAZ in HSLA stee1 was investigated in this paper based on experiments and thermodynamic calculations.The results showed that the inclusions in A1 treated steel were mainly aluminum oxides and titanium nitrides which could not promote the formation of acicular ferrite microstructures.Microstructure of coarse-grain HAZ in A1 treated steels consists of heavy grain boundary ferrite and ferrite side plate.The inclusions in Ti treated steel were A1,Ti,Mg,Ca composite oxides with size in the range of 0.5-3μm and titanium nitrides with size less than 0.3μm.Ti composite oxide could promote the formation of acicular ferrite and microstructures of coarse-grain HAZ in Ti treated steel consists of grain boundary ferrite,small amounts of ferrite side plate and large amounts of intragranular acicular ferrite.The size of grain boundaries ferrite was increased and the amount of ferrite side plate was decreased with the increase of soaking time at the peak temperature.The amount of grain boundary ferrite and the size of acicular ferrite were also increased with the increase of cooling rate during ferrite phase formation.     

直轧过程中奥氏体和铁素体晶粒尺寸变化规律

在Gleeble-1500热模拟试验机上通过对普通碳素钢Q345进行不同温度制度和变形制度的试验，研究了不同工艺条件对奥氏体和铁素体晶粒大小的影响，并对直接轧制Q345钢的组织进行了研究。结果表明，模拟直接轧制板坯在终轧后其奥氏体晶粒尺寸由边部到中部是逐渐增大的，而其冷却后得到的室温铁素体组织也呈现同样的趋势，并且在直轧中部还出现了针状铁素体。     

Effects of Widmanstätten ferrite on the mechanical properties of a 0.2 pct C-0.7 pct Mn steel

Laboratory melted and rolled C-Mn steel plates were austenitized at either 925 °C or 1150 °C to produce nominal austenite grain sizes of 60 and 200 μm, resspectively. The plates were then cooled at rates in the range of about 2 °C/min to 400 °C/min to produce mixed polygonal ferrite/Widmanst?tten ferrite/pearlite microstructures. The percentage of Widmanst?tten structure (a Widmanst?tten ferrite/pearlite aggregate) increases with increasing prior austenite grain size and cooling rate. Both yield strength and impact toughness increase with decreasing austenite grain size and increasing cooling rate. This simultaneous improvement in strength and toughness is attributed to overall refinement of both the polygonal ferrite and Widmanst?tten structure. Both yield and tensile strength increase with an increase in the volume fraction of Widmanst?tten ferrite and a reduction in ferrite grain size. In contrast, the toughness level achieved in these polygonal ferrite/Widmanst?tten ferrite/pearlite microstructures depends largely on the ferrite grain size; the finer the grain size, the better the toughness.     

Effects of thermomechanical processing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a Ti-V-N steel

Based on studies of austenite deformation behavior and continuous-cooling-transformation behavior of a Ti-V microalloyed steel by cam plastometer and quench-deformation dilatometer, respectively, plate rolling schedules were designed to produce (i) recrystallized austenite, (ii) unrecrystallized austenite, (iii) deformed ferrite + unrecrystallized austenite. The effects of austenite condition and cooling rate on the final microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. To rationalize the variation in final ferrite grain size with different thermomechanical processing schedules, it is necessary to consider the kinetics of ferrite grain growth in addition to the density of ferrite nucleation sites. The benefit of dilatometer studies in determining the optimum deformation schedule and cooling rate for a given steel is domonstrated. A wide range of tensile and impact properties results from the different microstructures studied. Yield strength is increased by increasing the amount of deformed ferrite, bainite, or martensite, and by decreasing the ferrite grain size. Impact toughness is most strongly influenced by ferrite grain size and occurrence of rolling plane delaminations. B. Dogan, Formerly with CANMET, Ottawa, Canada,     

高温变形对含钼钢显微组织的影响

 为了寻求变形温度、变形量对含钼钢显微组织、先共析铁素体量及其晶粒度的影响规律,利用Gleeble 1500热模拟实验机、光学显微镜、XL 30扫描电镜和IA32图像分析仪,分析了不同变形量、不同变形温度下含钼钢的组织。结果表明：在一定条件下,随着变形量的增加,显微组织由铁素体+贝氏体转变为铁素体+贝氏体+珠光体;同时先共析铁素体含量及其晶粒度级别均呈现出提高的趋势。     

Nb微合金钢连续冷却过程中铁素体晶粒尺寸的预测

基于相变动力学和热力学原理,讨论了合金元素Nb对铁素体相变的影响,建立了连续冷却过程中Nb微合金钢铁素体晶粒尺寸预测模型,模拟了应变量、轧制温度、冷却速度和固溶Nb含量对铁素体晶粒尺寸的影响,并将模型计算结果和试验结果进行比较,两者吻合良好,表明该模型能够用来预测Nb微合金钢连续冷却过程中铁素体晶粒尺寸。     

Artificial Neural Network Modeling of Microstructure During C-Mn and HSLA Plate Rolling

An artificial neural network (ANN) model for predicting transformed mierostrueture in conventional roll-ing process and thermomechanieal controlled process (TMCP) is proposed. The model uses austenite grain size and retained strain, which can be calculated by using microstrueture evolution models, together with a measured cooling rate and chemical compositions as inputs and the ferrite grain size and ferrite fraction as outputs. The predicted re-sults show that the model can predict the transformed microstructure which is in good agreement with the measured one, and it is better than the empirical equations. Also, the effect of the alloying elements on transformed products has been analyzed by using the model. The tendency is the same as that in the reported articles. The model can be used further for the optimization of processing parameters, mierostructure and properties in TMCP.     

Artificial Neural Network Modeling of Microstructure During CMn and HSLA Plate Rolling

An artificial neural network (ANN) model for predicting transformed microstructure in conventional rolling process and thermomechanical controlled process (TMCP) is proposed. The model uses austenite grain size and retained strain, which can be calculated by using microstructure evolution models, together with a measured cooling rate and chemical compositions as inputs and the ferrite grain size and ferrite fraction as outputs. The predicted results show that the model can predict the transformed microstructure which is in good agreement with the measured one, and it is better than the empirical equations. Also, the effect of the alloying elements on transformed products has been analyzed by using the model. The tendency is the same as that in the reported articles. The model can be used further for the optimization of processing parameters, microstructure and properties in TMCP.     

Simulation of austenite decomposition in continuous cooling conditions: a cellular automata-finite element modelling

Transformation of austenite to ferrite under continuous cooling condition was investigated. The heat conduction problem was managed by finite element method while two-dimensional cellular automata modeling was simultaneously performed to predict the progress of austenite decomposition using a two-step algorithm to reduce surface-to-volume ratio. Continuous cooling experiments on low carbon steel were made and the ferrite structure was determined and compared with the simulation data. The predicted and the experimental results demonstrated an acceptable consistency and the activation energy for ferrite growth was determined as 171 kJ/mole. The rate of ferrite transformation increased under examined continuous cooling conditions owing to higher nucleation rate. Moreover, the initial austenite grain size has shown a significant impact on the rate of transformation e.g. in air-cooled samples as the austenite grain size decreased from 24 to 34 µm, the mean ferrite grain size decreased about 8 µm.     

快冷条件下钒对中低氮钢晶粒尺寸的影响

通过实验室轧制试验,研究了中低氮含钒钢在轧后快速冷却条件下的铁素体晶粒尺寸和屈服强度的变化规律.结果表明,加入钒能够细化铁素体晶粒,原因是在快速冷却条件下中低氮含钒钢中的钒全部固溶在基体中,固溶的钒降低铁素体的实际相变温度,从而细化了铁素体晶粒.     

Q&P钢在冷却过程中铁素体的相变规律

 为了研究冷却过程中Q&P钢(quenching and partition steel)铁素体的相变规律,在热膨胀仪上以846 ℃均热200 s为冷却的初始条件,检测了成分(质量分数)为0.2%C、1.25%Si、2.0%Mn的Q&P钢在不同冷却速率下铁素体的相变热膨胀数据,应用杠杆定律将数据处理为相变规律与温度的关系,通过光学显微镜检测热处理后金相中的铁素体相体积分数和铁素体晶粒尺寸,得出了饱和位置形核条件下铁素体的形核率,基于混合控制模型得出了铁素体相变的相界迁移速率。结合相变开始温度,利用混合控制模型计算了相变结束温度和铁素体晶粒尺寸在相变过程中的演变规律,铁素体晶粒尺寸计算值与实测值吻合程度较高,相变结束温度的计算值与实测值的误差在±15 ℃以内,所获得的铁素体相变规律可以用于控制Q&P钢在冷却过程中的铁素体相变体积分数。     

低碳钢先共析铁素体和形变诱导铁素体的相变机制、组织和性能

通过Gleeble 1500热模拟机对Q235钢加热至950℃ 5 min;1℃/s冷至855℃ 30 s,以应变速率15 s^-1,进行80%压缩,淬火,获得形变诱导铁素体组织,并用950℃ 5 min,炉冷获得先共析铁素体组织。试验结果表明,形变诱导铁素体晶粒尺寸≤5μm,平均HV229.55,抗拉强度809 MPa;先共析铁素体晶粒尺寸10～20μm,晶粒不均匀,平均HV210.28,抗拉强度736 MPa。文中分析了形变诱导铁素体和先共析铁素体相变热力学和动力学机制。     

Effects of austenite grain size and cooling rate on Widmanstätten ferrite formation in low-alloy steels

Deformation dilatometry is used to simulate the hot rolling of 0.20 pct C-1.10 pct Mn steels over a product thickness range of 6 to 170 mm. In addition to a base steel, steels with additions of 0.02 pct Ti, 0.06 pct V, or 0.02 pct Nb are included in the study. The transformation behavior of each steel is explored for three different austenite grain sizes, nominally 30, 55, and 100 μm. In general, the volume fraction of Widmanst?tten ferrite increases in all four steels with increasing austenite grain size and cooling rate, with austenite grain size having the more significant effect. The Nb steel has the lowest transformation temperature range and the greatest propensity for Widmanst?tten ferrite formation, while the amount of Widmanst?tten ferrite is minimized in the Ti steel (as a result of intragranular nucleation of polygonal ferrite on coarse TiN particles). The data emphasize the importance of a refined austenite grain size in minimizing the formation of a coarse Widmanst?tten structure. With a sufficiently fine prior austenite grain size (e.g., ≤30 μm), significant amounts of Widmanst?tten structure can be avoided, even in a Nb-alloyed steel.     

Low Cost High Performance Steel Plate With Superior HAZ Toughness for Large Heat Input Welding

In this paper, a laboratory study has been made to develop low cost high performance steel plates with superior HAZ toughness for large heat input welding. Simulated results show that the absorbed impact energy of heat-affected zone (HAZ) at -20℃reaches above 200J when large heat inputs of 100 to 400kJ/cm were applied, suggestive of superior HAZ toughness for large heat input welding of developed steel plate. The microstructures in HAZ are transformed from mainly fine ferrite and bainite at 100kJ/cm, through an intermediate stage of ferrite, bainite and pearlite at 200 and 300kJ/cm, to nearly fine ferrite and pearlite at 400kJ/cm. The prior austenite grain size and ferrite grain size in HAZ are controlled to ～50 and ～20μm, respectively. The high HAZ toughness is due to the inhibition of prior austenite grain size at high temperatures and the formation of beneficial microstructures to HAZ toughness during continuous cooling.