Dissimilar spot welding of dual phase steel/ferritic stainless steel: phase transformations

Phase transformations in dissimilar resistance spot welds of dual phase steel and ferritic stainless steel are analysed. In contrast to a full martensitic microstructure predicted by the Schaeffler and Balmforth diagrams, a ferrite–martensite microstructure was observed in the fusion zone. The formation of ferrite phase in the fusion zone can be attributed to the rapid cooling rate of resistance spot welding, which suppresses the post-solidification ferrite–austenite transformation. The grain growth and martensite formation were main metallurgical features of the heat affected zone of ferritic stainless steel side. Microstructure gradient of heat affected zone in dual phase steel side was dictated by martensitic transformation. The effect of weld thermal cycle on the mechanical performance of the joint is discussed.     

Characterisation of ferritic stainless steel by Barkhausen techniques

Magneto-acoustic emission (MAE) and magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN) sensing techniques were developed and employed to characterise plastically deformed and heat-treated AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel samples. These results have been compared to the mechanical hardness, coercivity and residual stress of the samples. MAE and MBN were shown to decrease with increasing permanent material deformation. It was found that the inverse of MAE (absolute energy) and MBN (RMS) are linearly proportional to hardness. With increased deformation, the resultant change in dislocation density was found to effect material coercivity. It has been shown that the inverse of MAE absolute energy and MBN have an exponential relationship to the change in material coercivity. The results are explained in terms of the different mechanisms that effect dislocation-domain wall interactions. A new measurement parameter has been developed for microstructural characterisation called MAE absolute energy and has proved to be a useful quantitative method in MAE waveform measurement.     

Logistic regression analysis for experimental determination of forming limit diagrams

The forming limit diagram (FLD) is probably the most common representation of sheet metal formability and can be defined as the locus of the principal planar strains where failure is most likely to occur. Experimental determination of the FLD consists in performing a set of formability tests on a sheet metal blank, where a regular grid has been previously etched. After each test, the deformation of the grid is measured and the relative strains computed. Strains observed closely at the fracture location are related to as ‘failed’ points, while strains observed on the sound areas of the specimens are labelled as ‘safe’ points. Starting from a set of experimental tests, the FLD should be empirically determined through a statistical analysis of collected data. In fact, statistical approaches (such as linear regression) are required to properly account for the internal randomness of failure occurrence. Linear regression, as well as most of the other empirical approaches in the scientific literature, takes into account only information related to the safe points.This paper proposes a different approach, the logistic regression, for the empirical determination of FLDs. Logistic regression allows to directly derive the probability of an event (e.g. the failure) as a function of different predictor variables (both the principal planar strains). Therefore, by using logistic regression, the process designer can directly associate the failure probability to the scrapping costs, in order to economically evaluate a new sheet metal forming operation.Logistic regression allows the determination of the FLD by including information concerning both safe and failed points.     

铁素体不锈钢表面皱折及其评价方法

皱折缺陷是中铬铁素体不锈钢发生较大塑性变形后容易出现的表面缺陷。这种缺陷往往破坏了不锈钢制品的外观,因此需要对制品进行研磨和抛光以消除皱折的影响。然而,额外的加工工序大幅增加了企业的生产成本,同时不可避免地造成了环境污染。那么,正确认识和评价铁素体不锈钢的表面皱折缺陷就显得非常重要。本文主要讨论界定铁素体不锈钢表面皱折缺陷,并简要介绍表面皱折缺陷的形成原因,进而厘清表面皱折缺陷的评价参数,最后针对已有测试方法存在的问题提出可供参考的解决办法。     

铁素体不锈钢板坯连铸机技术要点

结合铁素体不锈钢连铸过程高温凝固特性,拟新建的双流铁素体不锈钢板坯连铸机采用直弧型连续弯曲连续矫直的特殊技术,选用全程无氧化浇铸、大容量中间包、结晶器自动液面控制减少钢水中夹杂物;采用摩擦力监测、结晶器漏钢预报保证浇铸的连续性;合理设计动态一冷和二冷配水等提高铸坯表面质量,并设计采用电磁制动、低过热度浇铸、二冷电磁搅拌、二冷动态轻压下技术提高铸坯内部质量。     

Influence of filler wire composition on weld microstructures of a 444 ferritic stainless steel grade

Seven compositions of metal cored filler wires for gas metal arc welding (GMAW), containing the same weight percent of chromium (Cr) and molybdenum (Mo) as 444 steel, but with different titanium (Ti) and niobium (Nb) contents were investigated. Experimental results pointed out that the filler wire Ti content required to be twice time more than the amount expected in the deposited metal. This was due to the low Ti transfer ratio during arc welding. Moreover, Ti increased the wetting angle and promoted penetration. It was supposed that Ti affected the weld pool surface tension what led to inward Marangoni convection.Columnar to equiaxed grain transition (CET) was also promoted thanks to the precipitation in the weld pool of Ti rich refractory compounds which act as heterogeneous nucleation sites for equiaxed grains. A minimum 0.3% Ti was required in the filler wire to form a completely equiaxed grain structure in the fusion zone. Niobium in the filler wire did not seem to have any effect on penetration, wetting and grain structure of the fusion zone.     

A theoretical and experimental study on forming limit diagram for a seamed tube hydroforming

The purpose of this work is to establish the forming limit diagram (FLD) for a seamed tube hydroforming. A new theoretical model is developed to predict the FLD for a seamed tube hydroforming. Based on this theoretical model, the FLD for a seamed tube made of QSTE340 sheet metal is calculated by using the Hosford yield criterion. Some forming limit experiments are performed. A classical free hydroforming tool set is used for obtaining the left hand side forming limit strains, and a novel hydroforming tool set is designed for the right hand side of FLD. The novel device required the simultaneous application of lateral compression force and internal pressure to control the material flow under tension–tension strain states. Furthermore, the suitable loading paths for the left hand side of FLD by theoretical formulas and for the right hand side of FLD by finite element (FE) simulations are calculated. Finally, a comparison between the theoretical results and experimental data is performed. The theoretical predicting results show good agreement with the experimental results.     

Effect of W and Ce additions on the electrochemical corrosion behaviour of 444-type ferritic stainless steel

In order to achieve excellent heat resistance and corrosion resistance, high melting-point and rare earth elements were added to ferritic stainless steel. The effect of W and Ce addition in ferritic stainless steel on the corrosion resistance in 0.1?M NaOH solution was studied. Potentiodynamic polarisation curves indicated that W- and Ce-containing samples had lower corrosion rate and lower passive current density. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements revealed that W–Ce-containing samples had higher polarisation resistance values and thicker passive films. Capacitance analysis indicated that the semiconducting behaviour and the properties of passive film remain unchanged. The addition of W and Ce led to a decrease in donor and acceptor density, which improved the passive film stability.     

稀土Ce对铸造Cr30Mo2超级铁素体不锈钢组织与力学性能影响

研究了不同Ce含量对铸造Cr30Mo2超级铁素体不锈钢组织与力学性能影响。结果表明,Cr30Mo2超级铁素体不锈钢中夹杂类型主要为富Cr氧化物和Al-Si复合氧化物,且形状不规则,加入Ce后转变为Ce2O3和心部富Al、Si,外层富Al、Ce的圆球状复合夹杂,尺寸较小,形状圆润,夹杂含量显著降低;Ce2O3可以作为异质形核核心,增加铸件形核率,减小晶粒尺寸,但Ce含量过高,晶粒尺寸反常增大;Ce可显著改善Cr30Mo2超级铁素体不锈钢的室温塑性,添加0.07%Ce能将Cr30Mo2超级铁素体不锈钢铸件的断后延伸率由1.5%提高至20%左右。     

The sticking behavior of an ultra purified ferritic stainless steel during hot strip rolling

During hot rolling of ferritic stainless steels (FSSs), sticking can cause severe surface defects both on work rolls and strips especially for ultra purified FSSs with the total amount of carbon and nitrogen being less than 150 ppm. In the present paper, high temperature oxidization behavior of the ultra purified FSSs was characterized. A new experimental method was invented to simulate the sticking behavior of ultra purified 21%Cr FSS, by which specially designed specimens were hot compressed with different processing parameters to simulate hot strip rolling process. The specimens were surface conditioned prior to the simulation test, either by mechanically polishing or by pre-oxidization to form oxide scales with certain thickness. Observation on the cross-section of sticky regions indicated that cracks had been formed by cyclic heating and cooling during hot deformation had been acting as nucleation sites for sticking particles. The results indicated that oxide scale could avoid the direct contact between roll surfaces and rolled materials to help reducing the sticking occurrence. The temperature region for easy sticking occurrence in the ultra purified 21%Cr FSS has been measured to be from 900 to 1100 °C, which is enlarged as compared to other plain FSSs. The tendency for sticking occurrence decreased with increasing strain rate and decreasing the hammer or work roll surface roughness.     

Forming limit diagram of auto-body steel sheets for high-speed sheet metal forming

This paper is concerned with the uniaxial tensile properties and formability of steel sheets in relation to the strain rate effect. The elongation at fracture for CQ increases at a high strain rate while the elongation at fracture for DP590 decreases slightly in relation to the corresponding value for a quasi-static strain rate. The uniform elongation and the strain hardening coefficient decrease gradually when the strain rate increases. The r-value of CQ and DP590 was measured with a high-speed camera in relation to the strain rate. The r-value is slightly sensitive to the strain rate. Static forming limit curves (FLCs) and high-speed FLCs were constructed with the aid of punch-stretch tests with arc-shaped and square-shaped specimens. In addition, a high-speed crash testing machine with a specially designed high-speed forming jig was used for the high-speed punch-stretch tests. Compared with the static FLC, the high-speed FLC of CQ is higher in a simple tension region and lower in a biaxial stretch forming region. The high-speed FLC for DP590 decreases in relation to the static FLC throughout the entire region. The elongation at fracture appears to be closely related to the simple tension region of the FLC. The shear fracture is observed from SEM images of specimens tested in the biaxial stretch forming region under the high-speed forming condition. The dimples indicating the shear fracture have elongated horseshoe shape. The high-speed FLC is lower than the static FLC in the biaxial stretch forming region because the shear fracture induces the decrease of ductility. The results confirm that the strain rate has a noticeably influence on the formability of steel sheets. Thus, the forming limit diagram of high-speed tests should be considered in the design of high-speed sheet metal forming processes.     

Effects of hot rolled shear bands on formability and surface ridging of an ultra purified 21%Cr ferritic stainless steel

An ultra purified 21%Cr ferritic stainless steel (FSS) was hot rolled at a low finisher entry temperature (FET) of 750 °C to generate shear bands through large shear flow localizations in grain interiors. The effects of shear bands on the formability and surface ridging have been studied as compared to a conventional hot rolled band at the FET of 970 °C with few shear bands. The results showed that as compared to the final sheet produced with the FET of 970 °C, the average r-value for the final sheet with the FET of 750 °C was increased by 25%, and the surface roughness of the final sheet strained by 15% along the rolling direction was decreased by 40%. It has been observed that the existence of shear bands could enhance the nucleation for recrystallization during hot rolling and annealing for microstructure refinement, and modify the texture by intensifying the {1 1 1} textures in the final sheet. The influence of shear bands on sheet formability and resistance against surface ridging was discussed.     

Influence of forming atmosphere on the deposition characteristics of 2Cr13 stainless steel during laser solid forming

A series of single track clads and bulk samples were prepared by laser solid forming under atmospheres of air, argon and nitrogen. The forming atmosphere has little effect on the variation of the width and height of a single track clad with scanning velocity, laser power and feeding rate. Under air, the width and height of single track clads are the largest. Under argon, they are slightly larger than those under nitrogen when the laser energy density is high. For bulk samples prepared under air and nitrogen, both sidewalls of the cross-section tilt inward in the lower part; with an increase in the deposition height, the sidewalls tend to be oriented vertically. Under argon, the sidewalls maintain their severe inward tilts from the bottom to top of the bulk sample. Under air, the bulk sample is covered by oxide dross. Fine and dense metal beads are attached to the lower sidewalls under argon, but these beads are coarse and sparse under nitrogen. The effects of the forming atmosphere on the effective energy, effective mass and deformation of the molten pool during laser solid forming were analyzed. The influence of the atmosphere is attributed to the exothermic oxidation reaction under air, the more extensive plasma plume effect under argon and the larger deformation of the molten pool under air and nitrogen.     

铈对低铬铁素体不锈钢静态再结晶行为的影响

为研究铈对低铬铁素体不锈钢的静态再结晶行为的影响,冶炼含铈和不含铈的00Cr12不锈钢,在Gleeble-3800型热模拟试验机上采用双道次压缩法,测量不同温度下、不同道次间隔时间试验钢的应力应变曲线,计算再结晶体积分数,评价材料静态再结晶行为;对试验钢在不同温度下退火,侵蚀后进行组织观察。结果表明:铈的添加可抑制试验钢静态再结晶的进行,提高试验钢的再结晶温度,细化晶粒,铈含量0.028wt%时可将00Cr12不锈钢的静态再结晶激活能由103kJ/mol提高到114kJ/mol。铈在晶界的偏聚,对晶界起到拖拽作用,降低了晶界迁移速度,从而抑制了静态再结晶行为。     

Nb和Ti对超纯铁素体不锈钢凝固组织及表面起皱的影响

通过真空感应炉浇注实验和热力学软件分析研究了Nb、Ti稳定化元素和C、N间隙元素含量对超纯铁素体不锈钢凝固组织及晶粒簇的影响。结果表明,添加稳定化元素后实验钢的结晶区间变宽,通过控制稳定化元素和间隙原子含量使实验钢在凝固过程中析出较多TiN粒子,可以有效的提高凝固组织的等轴晶率。在充分退火条件下,与Ti单一稳定化实验钢相比,Nb、Ti复合稳定化实验钢中的晶粒簇较弱并具有较小的晶粒尺寸,有利于带钢的抗起皱性能。     

退火温度对Cr17铁素体不锈钢成形性能的影响

对Cr17铁素体不锈钢冷轧钢板进行了不同温度的退火试验,利用显微组织观察、电子背散射衍射(EBSD)技术及力学性能试验探讨了退火温度对冷轧钢板的显微组织、微观织构与成形性能的关系。结果表明,随着退火温度的提高,α纤维织构变弱,取向密度逐渐降低,而γ纤维的织构强点为{111}<112>不变,取向密度逐渐增强,r值增加。当冷轧钢板在1040 ℃退火时,r值最大。     

Effect of void nucleation and growth on forming limit diagrams of textured aluminum alloy sheets

A numerical code has been developed to calculate Forming Limit Diagrams (FLDs) of textured aluminum alloy sheets. This code is based on the Marciniak-Kuczynski (M-K) model, but allows for void nucleation and growth so that limit strains and fracture strains can be predicted. The strain induced void nucleation model was employed together with the Cocks and Ashby’s void growth model. The influences of initial texture, texture evolution, and void nucleation and growth during deformation on the FLDs of an Al-Mg alloy were all investigated. Satisfactory agreement was obtained between the predictions and measured data, It was also shown that the introduction of void damage into the old M-K model can lead to more reasonable and accurate predictions.     

再结晶退火温度对含Cu铁素体抗菌不锈钢耐蚀性的影响

通过金相分析、FeCl₃点腐蚀试验、点蚀坑形貌观测、极化曲线测试等方法,研究了再结晶退火温度对含Cu铁素体抗菌不锈钢耐蚀性的影响。结果表明:在860～980 ℃范围内保温5 min,含Cu铁素体抗菌不锈钢再结晶程度逐渐提升,耐蚀性先增强后减弱,最佳再结晶退火温度为900 ℃。含Cu铁素体抗菌不锈钢在酸性FeCl₃溶液中点蚀坑呈开放式,随再结晶退火温度的升高,点蚀坑面积及深度减小,在980 ℃退火时其数量明显增多。