Effect of austenite grain size on isothermal bainite transformation in low carbon microalloyed steel

Abstract

The effect of austenite grain size on isothermal bainite transformation in a low carbon microalloyed steel was studied by means of optical microscopy, SEM and TEM. Two widely varying austenite grain sizes, a fine average grain size (～20 μm) and a coarse average grain size (～260 μm), were obtained by different maximum heating temperatures. The results showed that the morphology of isothermal microstructure changes from bainite without carbide precipitation to bainitic ferrite with a decrease in holding temperature. Coarse austenite grain can retard the kinetics of bainite transformation and increase the incubation time of bainite transformation by reducing the number of nucleation site, but it does not influence the nose temperature of the C curve of bainite start transformation, which is ～534°C.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of C–Si–Mn(–Nb) TRIP steels after simulated thermomechanical processing

Abstract

Continuous and discontinuous cooling tests were performed using a quench deformation dilatometer to develop a comprehensive understanding of the structural and kinetic aspects of the bainite transformation in low carbon TRIP (transformation induced plasticity) steels as a function of thermomechanical processing and composition. Deformation in the unrecrystallised austenite region refined the ferrite grain size and increased the ferrite and bainite transformation temperatures for cooling rates from 10 to 90 K s^-1. The influence of niobium on the transformation kinetics was also investigated. Niobium increases the ferrite start transformation temperature, refines the ferrite microstructure, and stimulates the formation of acicular ferrite. The effect of the bainite isothermal transformation temperature on the final microstructure of steels with and without a small addition of niobium was studied. Niobium promotes the formation of stable retained austenite, which influences the mechanical properties of TRIP steels. The optimum mechanical properties were obtained after isothermal holding at 400°C in the niobium steel containing the maximum volume fraction of retained austenite with acicular ferrite as the predominant second phase.     

Transition from bainite to acicular ferrite in reheated Fe–Cr–C weld deposits

Abstract

Factors controlling the transition from acicular ferrite to bainite in Fe–Cr–C weld metals have been investigated. It appears that the presence of allotriomorphs of ferrite at austenite grain boundaries has the effect of suppressing the formation of bainitic sheaves. This in turn allows the acicular ferrite plates to develop on intragranular nucleation sites. A theoretical analysis indicates that bainitic transformation is prevented from developing at the allotriomorphic ferrite/austenite boundaries by the carbon concentration field present in the austenite at the allotriomorphic ferrite/austenite interface. This field does not homogenise within the residual austenite during the time scale of the experiments.

MST/1217     

Transformation of austenite remaining after intercritical rolling to ferrite

Abstract

The impact of austenite deformation in the intercritical range on the rate of transformation in continuous cooling to ferrite, pearlite, bainite or martensite has been studied. The austenite associated with the rolled ferrite is much higher in carbon content, which does not influence the pearlite transformation but retards bainite and martensite. Furthermore, in comparison with rolling of stable austenite the increased strain hardening of the intercritically cooled austenite accelerates the formation of ferrite and pearlite (+ 10–30°C) and refines them but retards the bainite and martensite transformations (?20–40°C). At the intermediate cooling rate near 16 K s^?1, these several influences combined with near doubling of the ferrite production give rise to the suppression of bainite formation and to maximum increased delay of martensite start.     

Influence of sulphur and vanadium additions on toughness of bainitic steels

Abstract

The Charpy impact toughness of bainitic steels, in the longitudinal direction, was increased by appropriate additions of sulphur and vanadium. The Charpy impact value in the longitudinal direction was highest when the sulphur content was 0.1 wt-%. A suppression of austenite grain growth by manganese sulphides was recognised when the austenitising temperature was higher than 1373 K. Furthermore, it was found that bainite packets were refined by an increase in sulphur content, because manganese sulphides existing in the austenite grains promoted bainite transformation. The main effect of the vanadium addition was probably to enhance the above effect by precipitation of vanadium carbonitrides on the manganese sulphides. Accordingly, an increase in toughness with additions of sulphur and vanadium may be attributed to bainite packet refinement resulting from the suppression of austenite grain growth and the promotion of intragranular bainite transformation by manganese sulphides.     

Effect of austenite deformation on crystallographic texture during transformations in microalloyed bainitic steel

Abstract

The evolution of the texture of ferrite as a function of the coiling temperature has been studied in a hot rolled Nb alloyed CMnMoCrB complex phase steel by means of electron backscatter diffraction. Coiling that steel at 720 ° C led to ferrite and pearlite, and coiling at 550 ° C produced a bainite-martensite microstructure. The presence of residual austenite in the steels coiled at 680 and 550 ° C allowed for texture measurements in γ. Analyses of texture gave fundamental information on the decomposition of γ in both the recrystallised state and the deformed state. It was found that austenite, initially deformed below the non-recrystallisation temperature T_nr, recrystallised statically d partially during the γ α and the γ ^d α _b transformations. In the specimen coiled at 680 ° C, primary ferrite and bainite could be distinguished based on the confidence indexof the diffraction pattern. A clear variant selection was observed for the γ ^d α _b transformation, as arotation of ? ₁ = 30 ° occurred inthe austenite between the ferrite and the bainite formations. The bainite was found to result mainly from the decomposition of the brass {110} 〈 112 〉 and Goss {110} 〈 001 〉 orientations of deformed austenite. The residual austenite was found to be recrystallised γ γ austenite with the cube{001} 〈 100 〉 orientation. Coiling simulations were performed in a dilatometer starting from different austenite grains sizes and deformation states. In the most deformed specimens, the deformation state of the austenite and the combined effects between the different alloying elements presentin the steel were responsible for a solute drag like effect.     

Incomplete transformation of upper bainite in Nb bearing low carbon steels

Abstract

Kinetics and microstructure of bainite transformation in Fe–(0·15 or 0·05)C–0·2Si–1·5Mn (mass%) alloys with Nb addition of 0·03 mass%. Bainite transformation occurs at temperatures below 873 K. At 853 K, transformation rapidly proceeds by formation of bainitic ferrite without carbide precipitation, but transformation stasis appears for a certain period in the Nb added alloys leaving untransformed austenite film between neighbouring bainitic ferrites. On the other band, the Nb free alloys do not show such a stasis until the transformation is completed. By further holding, the transformation in the Nb added alloy restarts by forming the mixture of dislocation free ferrite with cementite precipitation in the austenite films. In contrast, bainite transformation accompanying cementite precipitation occurs in both Nb free and Nb added alloys at 773 K, resulting in no difference in transformation kinetics. It is proposed that the incomplete transformation is caused by suppression of ferrite nucleation at interphase boundaries between pre-existing bainitic ferrite and austenite due to Nb segregation.     

Morphology and constitution of the phases in as-welded microstructure of austempered ductile iron

Abstract

It was found by optical and electron microscopic examination of the microstructure of as-weld austempered ductile iron that the weld matrix is composed of austenite and bainite, the volume fractions of which were determined. In addition, the carbon content of austenite was measured and therefore the average carbon content of the matrix was calculated. In the matrix of the weld metal two types of bainite, bainite ferrite and lower bainite, were found. According to the morphology and distribution of the bainite plates, the nucleation and growth modes of bainite was inferred.     

Carbon partitioning during bainite transformation in low alloy steels

Abstract

Carbon partitioning in untransformed austenite during bainite transformation has been studied using high speed dilatometry. It was found that in specimens partially transformed to bainite, during subsequent quenching to ambient temperature two martensite start temperatures M _s can be registered. Because M _s depends directly on a carbon content in austenite, the obtained results may indicate that the carbon concentration trapped in films of austenite between parallel subunits of bainitic ferrite is much larger than in the blocks of austenite. It would indicate the necessity of a substantial modification of bainite and martensite regions on the time–temperature–transformation (continuous cooling) diagrams.     

Microstructural evolution during thermomechanical processing of microalloyed medium carbon steels

Abstract

A laboratory study was carried out to determine the characteristics of austenite grain growth and recrystallisation, strain induced precipitation, and continuous cooling transformation kinetics for two microalloyed medium carbon steels (1541 + Ti,V and 1541 + Nb). Austenite grain refinement is achieved by a combination of undissolved carbonitride precipitates at the reheat temperature, deformation recrystallisation at temperatures above T _NR and strain induced carbonitride precipitation. Deformation below T _NR promotes transformation to grain boundary ferrite (GBF), intragranular ferrite (IGF), and pearlite (P) at the expense of bainite (B) in both steels. This is attributed to increased density of nucleation sites for ferrite and pearlite at austenite grain boundaries, twin boundaries, and deformation bands. The results suggest that thermomechanical forging schedules could be designed to produce refined F + P microstructure, and hence, to realise improved strength, toughness, and machinability in the forging.     

On the simulation of austenite to bainite phase transformation

In this work we present a macroscopic material model for simulation of austenite to bainite transformation accompanied by transformation plasticity (TP), which is an important phenomenon in metal forming processes. In order to account for the incubation time the model considers nucleation of the bainite phase. When this quantity attains a barrier term, growth of bainite volume fraction is started. The model formulation allows for individual evolutions of upper and lower bainite. Furthermore the experiments of austenite to bainite phase transformation and the transformation plasticity as a result of bainite phase transformation and elastic stresses are described.     

Mechanism of misorientation development within coalesced martensite

Abstract

Coarse crystals of martensite can form by the coalescence of thin individual platelets of martensite under appropriate circumstances. Although these coarse grains are essentially single crystals, there exist significant orientation gradients across their dimensions. It is demonstrated that these gradients arise because of the plasticity induced in austenite due to the transformation strain associated with martensite growth. The resulting localised change in austenite orientation is then inherited by the new martensite growth, which consumes the deformed austenite.     

In situ synchrotron X-ray study of bainite transformation kinetics in a low-carbon Si-containing steel

The bainite transformation in a low-carbon Si-containing steel has been studied in situ by synchrotron X-rays. While the austenite is homogeneous prior to transformation, the carbon distribution becomes nonuniform as bainite plates form. This is because of the different degrees of physical isolation of films and blocks of residual austenite. The method for converting dilatational strain into bainite volume fraction, using lattice strain as a reference, during isothermal transformation was found to overestimate it. The bainitic and martensitic ferrite did not exhibit a tetragonal unit cell due to the low-carbon content of the steel and the high transformation temperature.     

Critical ausforming temperature to promote isothermal bainitic transformation in prior-deformed austenite

The effects of deformation temperature on phase transformation and microstructure in nanostructured bainite steel were studied. The results indicate that the deformed austenite with a strain of 0.3 at 300°C presents accelerated kinetics of bainitic transformation. However, the amount of bainite in ausformed austenite then reduces with the increase in deformation temperature. A critical deformation temperature, determining whether the bainitic transformation can be promoted, was found in deformed austenite. In addition, the thickness of bainite plate in deformed austenite reduces with the decrease in ausforming temperature. The adjacent bainite ferrite plates grow up interactively, and the intersection angle is about 60–73°. A lower ausforming temperature contributes to a more serious cross-growth phenomenon of bainite plates.     

Effect of hot deformation on phase transformation kinetics of 86CrMoV7 steel

The time–temperature–transformation (TTT) and continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams of 86CrMoV7 steel with and without hot deformation were constructed by means of dilatometry, metallography and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the pearlite and bainite transformations of 86CrMoV7 steel can be promoted and the microstructure can be refined by hot deformation. The undissolved carbides associated with hot deformation increase the inhomogeneity of carbon distribution in deformed austenite. The inhomogeneities of the austenite increase the number of nucleation sites for pearlite and bainite, and promote pearlite and bainite formation, which result in refinement of both the pearlite and bainite microstructures. In contrast, the undissolved carbides do not play a direct role on the pearlite and bainite transformation of 86CrMoV7 steel in the absence of hot deformation.     

Temperature cycling and the rate of the bainite transformation

Abstract

The possibility that the thermal cycling of supercooled austenite, within the bainite transformation range, accelerates the kinetics of decomposition, is investigated both by analysing previous work and by conducting a series of new experiments. The cyclic variations in temperature do not seem to anomalously affect the rate of transformation.     

Effect of austenite grain size and bainite morphology on overall kinetics of bainite transformation in steels

Abstract

An attempt is made to rationalise some contradictory observations on the effect of austenite grain size on the overall kinetics of the bainite transformation in steels. Experiments have been carried out on two steels which show opposite effects of austenite grain size on the reaction rate. General equations describing the reaction rate are derived by taking into account the morphology of the bainite in each steel. The equations derived can explain the contradictory effects of the austenite grain size on the overall reaction rate. The results are also found to be in good agreement with the published data.     

Transformation texture of allotriomorphic ferrite in steel

Abstract

Many aspects of the crystallographic texture which develops when austenite transforms into martensite or bainite are well established because the process by which the parent lattice is transformed into that of the product is mathematically defined. This is not the case when the ferrite forms by a reconstructive mechanism. The allotriomorphic ferrite nucleates heterogeneously at austenite grain boundaries, and although a reproducible, low energy orientation relationship is expected to exist between the ferrite and one of the austenite grains with which it is in contact, there are reports that the ferrite can simultaneously adopt this orientation with more than one austenite grain. The authors examine this possibility using crystallographic theory in order to assess the probability of such events as a function of the strength of the texture within the austenite before its transformation.     

Austenite films in bainitic microstructures

Abstract

Bainitic microstructures in which fine platelets of ferrite are intimately mixed with films of austenite are known to exhibit good combinations of strength and toughness. It isfound that the thickness of these austenite films can be estimated by assuming that the carbon diffusion field around an existing plate of ferrite prevents the close approach of another parallel plate. This is because the regions of austenite with the highest carbon concentration are unable to transform to bainite.

MST/3052     

Effect of beryllium and calcium on aging behaviour of Al–0·75Mg–0·5Si alloy

Abstract

The effect of microadditions of Be and Ca on the aging behaviour of Al–0·75Mg–0·5Si alloy is investigated. It is shown that the addition of 0·1%Be significantly increases the hardening rate and the maximum hardness level attainable when the alloy is aged at various temperatures from room temperature to 300°C, while the addition of 0·2%Ca decreases both the hardening rate and the maximum hardness level attainable. Optical and scanning electron microscopical observations show a significantly higher precipitate density for the Be containing alloy and a slightly lower precipitate density for the Ca containing alloy when compared with the base Al–Mg–Si alloy. The results are consistent with an earlier kinetic study that indicated a Be enhanced nucleation rate for precipitation in the same alloy.

MST/936