Effect of Reheating Temperature and Cooling Treatment on the Microstructure,Texture, and Impact Transition Behavior of Heat-Treated Naval Grade HSLA Steel

In order to achieve the desired mechanical properties [YS > 390 MPa, total elongation >16 pct and Charpy impact toughness of 78 J at 213 K (?60 °C)] for naval application, samples from a low-carbon microalloyed steel have been subjected to different austenitization (1223 K to 1523 K) (950 °C to 1250 °C) and cooling treatments (furnace, air, or water cooling). The as-rolled steel and the sample air cooled from 1223 K (950 °C) could only achieve the required tensile properties, while the sample furnace cooled from 1223 K (950 °C) showed the best Charpy impact properties. Water quenching from 1223 K (950 °C) certainly contributed to the strength but affected the impact toughness. Overall, predominantly ferrite matrix with fine effective grain size and intense gamma-fiber texture was found to be beneficial for impact toughness as well as impact transition behavior. Small size and fraction of precipitates (like TiN, Nb, and V carbonitrides) eliminated the possibility of particle-controlled crack propagation and grain size-controlled crack propagation led to cleavage fracture. A simplified analytical approach has been used to explain the difference in impact transition behavior of the investigated samples.     

Effects of Microalloying on the Impact Toughness of Ultrahigh-Strength TRIP-Aided Martensitic Steels

The effects of the addition of Cr, Mo, and/or Ni on the Charpy impact toughness of a 0.2 pct C-1.5 pct Si-1.5 pct Mn-0.05 pct Nb transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)-aided steel with a lath-martensite structure matrix (i.e., a TRIP-aided martensitic steel or TM steel) were investigated with the aim of using the steel in automotive applications. In addition, the relationship between the toughness of the various alloyed steels and their metallurgical characteristics was determined. When Cr, Cr-Mo, or Cr-Mo-Ni was added to the base steel, the TM steel exhibited a high upper-shelf Charpy impact absorbed value that ranged from 100 to 120 J/cm² and a low ductile–brittle fracture appearance transition temperature that ranged from 123 K to 143 K (?150 °C to ?130 °C), while also exhibiting a tensile strength of about 1.5 GPa. This impact toughness of the alloyed steels was far superior to that of conventional martensitic steel and was caused by the presence of (i) a softened wide lath-martensite matrix, which contained only a small amount of carbide and hence had a lower carbon concentration, (ii) a large amount of finely dispersed martensite-retained austenite complex phase, and (iii) a metastable retained austenite phase of 2 to 4 vol pct in the complex phase, which led to plastic relaxation via strain-induced transformation and played an important role in the suppression of the initiation and propagation of voids and/or cleavage cracks.     

Effects of Tungsten Addition on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Microalloyed Forging Steels

In the current study, the effects of tungsten (W) addition on the microstructure, hardness, and room/low [223 K and 173 K (?50 °C and ?100 °C)] temperature tensile properties of microalloyed forging steels were systematically investigated. Four kinds of steel specimens were produced by varying the W additions (0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1 wt pct). The microstructure showed that the addition of W does not have any noticeable effect on the amount of precipitates. The precipitates in W-containing steels were all rich in W, and the W concentration in the precipitates increased with the increasing W content. The mean sizes of both austenite grains and precipitates decreased with the increasing W content. When the W content was equal to or less than 0.5 pct, the addition of W favored the formation of allotriomorphic ferrite, which subsequently promoted the development of acicular ferrite in the microalloyed forging steels. The results of mechanical tests indicated that W plays an important role in increasing the hardness and tensile strength. When the testing temperature was decreased, the tensile strength showed an increasing trend. Both the yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength obeyed an Arrhenius type of relation with respect to temperature. When the temperature was decreased from 223 K to 173 K (from ?50 °C to ?100 °C), a ductile-to-brittle transition (DBT) of the specimen with 1 pct W occurred. The addition of W favored a higher DBT temperature. From the microstructural and mechanical test results, it is demonstrated that the addition of 0.5 pct W results in the best combination of excellent room/low-temperature tensile strength and ductility.     

Effect of Cooling Rate and Chemical Composition on Microstructure and Properties of Naturally Cooled Vanadium-Microalloyed Steels

Samples from two V-microalloyed steels (0.05 wt pct V) having different C and N levels, namely high-C low-N steel, HCLN (0.22 wt pct C, 0.007 wt pct N) and low-C high-N steel, LCHN (0.06 wt pct C, 0.013 wt pct N) were naturally cooled from 1373 K (1100 °C) to room temperature over a range of cooling rates (0.07 to 3.33 K/s). Samples from a plain C-Mn steel (0.06 wt pct C, 0.007 wt pct N) were also subjected to the same heat treatment for comparison. The effect of cooling rate and steel composition on microstructures, precipitates, and tensile properties has been investigated. Due to the presence of large fraction of harder constituents, like pearlite and bainite, HCLN steel showed higher strength and lower ductility than LCHN steel. LCHN steel, on the other hand, showed good combination of strength and ductility due to its predominantly ferrite matrix with precipitation strengthening. The V-precipitate size was more refined and the precipitate density was higher in HCLN steel than that in LCHN steel. This observation confirms the importance of C content in V-microalloyed steel in terms of precipitation strengthening. An intermediate cooling rate (~1.4 K/s) has been found to be the optimum choice in order to maximize the precipitation strengthening in V-containing steels.     

铌微合金化HSLA钢铁素体中Nb(C,N)析出强化的研究进展

介绍了含微量铌的高强度低合金(HSLA)钢铁素体中Nb(C,N)析出的数学模型,以及计算经900～1200℃奥氏体化处理后的铁素体中NbC形核半径、形核率和形核长大率。一些研究者的试验结果表明,Nb的碳氮化物在铁素体上的析出需要较高的位错密度,与奥氏体中形成的NbC相比较,铁素体中形成的NbC相对较少,在680℃卷取钢板的抗拉强度较未经卷取直接空冷至室温的钢板抗拉强度有明显提高。     

High Temperature Strengthening in 12Cr-W-Mo Steels by Controlling the Formation of Delta Ferrite

Novel 12Cr-W-Mo-Co heat resistance steels (HRSs) with excellent mechanical properties have been developed for ultra-supercritical (USC) applications above 923 K (650 °C). The thermal analysis of the present steels indicates that the remelting temperature of secondary phases is increased by Co alloying, resulting in the improvement of microstructural stability. Delta ferrite in these HRSs is completely suppressed as the content of Co is increased up to 5 pct. The room temperature tensile strength (TS), yield strength (YS), and the elongation (EL) of the HRS with 5 pct Co reach 887.9, 652.6 MPa, and 21.07 pct, respectively. At 948 K (675 °C), the TS and YS of the HRS with 5 pct Co attain 360 and 290 MPa, respectively, which are higher than those of T/P122 steel by 27.4 and 22.1 pct, respectively. TEM study of the microstructure confirmed that the strengthening effects for these 12Cr-W-Mo-Co HRSs are attributed to the suppression of delta ferrite, the formation of fine martensitic laths with substructure, dislocation networks and walls, and the precipitation of second nanoscale phases.     

Influence of Temperature and Grain Size on Austenite Stability in Medium Manganese Steels

With an aim to elucidate the influence of temperature and grain size on austenite stability, a commercial cold-rolled 7Mn steel was annealed at 893 K (620 °C) for times varying between 3 minutes and 96 hours to develop different grain sizes. The austenite fraction after 3 minutes was 34.7 vol pct, and at longer times was around 40 pct. An elongated microstructure was retained after shorter annealing times while other conditions exhibited equiaxed ferrite and austenite grains. All conditions exhibit similar temperature dependence of mechanical properties. With increasing test temperature, the yield and tensile strength decrease gradually, while the uniform and total elongation increase, followed by an abrupt drop in strength and ductility at 393 K (120 °C). The Olson–Cohen model was applied to fit the transformed austenite fractions for strained tensile samples, measured by means of XRD. The fit results indicate that the parameters α and β decrease with increasing test temperature, consistent with increased austenite stability. The 7Mn steels exhibit a distinct temperature dependence of the work hardening rate. Optimized austenite stability provides continuous work hardening in the temperature range of 298 K to 353 K (25 °C to 80 °C). The yield and tensile strengths have a strong dependence on grain size, although grain size variations have less effect on uniform and total elongation.     

Microstructures and High-Temperature Mechanical Properties of a Martensitic Heat-Resistant Stainless Steel 403Nb Processed by Thermo-Mechanical Treatment

Thermo-mechanical treatments (TMT) at different rolling deformation temperatures were utilized to process a martensitic heat-resistant stainless steel 403Nb containing 12 wt pct Cr and small additions of Nb and V. Microstructures and mechanical properties at room and elevated temperatures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and hardness, tensile, and creep tests. The results showed that high-temperature mechanical behavior after TMT can be greatly improved and microstructures with refined martensitic lath and finely dispersed nanosized MX carbides could be produced. The particle sizes of M₂₃C₆ and MX carbides in 403Nb steel after conventional normalizing and tempering (NT) treatments are about 50 to 160 and 10 to 20 nm, respectively, while those after TMT at 1123 K (850 °C) and subsequent tempering at 923 K (650 °C) for 2 hours reach about 25 to 85 and 5 to 10 nm, respectively. Under the condition of 260 MPa and 873 K (600 °C), the tensile creep rupture life of 403Nb steel after TMT at 1123 K (850 °C) is 455 hours, more than 3 times that after conventional NT processes. The mechanisms for improving mechanical properties at elevated temperature were analyzed in association with the existence of finely dispersed nanosized MX particles within martensitic lath. It is the nanosized MX particles having the higher stability at elevated temperature that assist both dislocation hardening and sub-grain hardening for longer duration by pinning the movement of dislocations and sub-grain boundary migration.     

Characterization of the Carbon and Retained Austenite Distributions in Martensitic Medium Carbon, High Silicon Steel

The retained austenite content and carbon distribution in martensite were determined as a function of cooling rate and temper temperature in steel that contained 1.31 at. pct C, 3.2 at. pct Si, and 3.2 at. pct noniron metallic elements. Mössbauer spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), transmission synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atom probe tomography were used for the microstructural analyses. The retained austenite content was an inverse, linear function of cooling rate between 25 and 560 K/s. The elevated Si content of 3.2 at. pct did not shift the start of austenite decomposition to higher tempering temperatures relative to SAE 4130 steel. The minimum tempering temperature for complete austenite decomposition was significantly higher (>650 °C) than for SAE 4130 steel (～300 °C). The tempering temperatures for the precipitation of transition carbides and cementite were significantly higher (>400 °C) than for carbon steels (100 °C to 200 °C and 200 °C to 350 °C), respectively. Approximately 90 pct of the carbon atoms were trapped in Cottrell atmospheres in the vicinity of the dislocation cores in dislocation tangles in the martensite matrix after cooling at 560 K/s and aging at 22 °C. The 3.2 at. pct Si content increased the upper temperature limit for stable carbon clusters to above 215 °C. Significant autotempering occurred during cooling at 25 K/s. The proportion of total carbon that segregated to the interlath austenite films decreased from 34 to 8 pct as the cooling rate increased from 25 to 560 K/s. Developing a model for the transfer of carbon from martensite to austenite during quenching should provide a means for calculating the retained austenite. The maximum carbon content in the austenite films was 6 to 7 at. pct, both in specimens cooled at 560 K/s and at 25 K/s. Approximately 6 to 7 at. pct carbon was sufficient to arrest the transformation of austenite to martensite. The chemical potential of carbon is the same in martensite that contains 0.5 to 1.0 at. pct carbon and in austenite that contains 6 to 7 at. pct carbon. There was no segregation of any substitutional elements.     

Precipitation of Nb in Ferrite After Austenite Conditioning. Part II: Strengthening Contribution in High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) Steels

Often, Nb contributes to the strength of a microalloyed steel beyond the expected level because of the grain size strengthening resulting from thermomechanical processing. Two different mechanisms are behind this phenomenon, and both of them have to do with the amount of Nb remaining in solution after hot rolling. The first of them is the increase of the hardenability of the steel as a result of Nb, and the second one is the fine precipitation of NbC in ferrite. Three Nb microalloyed steels were thermomechanically processed in the laboratory and coiled at different temperatures to investigate the effect of Nb content on the tensile properties. The extra strength was linearly related to the Nb remaining in solution after the hot working. The maximum contribution from Nb was reached for a coiling temperature of 873?K (600?°C).     

Evolution of Microstructure and Texture During Warm Rolling of a Duplex Steel

The effect of warm rolling on the evolution of microstructure and texture in a duplex stainless steel (DSS) was investigated. For this purpose, a DSS steel was warm rolled up to 90 pct reduction in thickness at 498 K, 698 K, and 898 K (225 °C, 425 °C, and 625 °C). The microstructure with an alternate arrangement of deformed ferrite and austenite bands was observed after warm rolling; however, the microstructure after 90 pct warm rolling at 498 K and 898 K (225 °C and 625 °C) was more lamellar and uniform as compared to the rather fragmented and inhomogeneous structure observed after 90 pct warm rolling at 698 K (425 °C). The texture of ferrite in warm-rolled DSS was characterized by the presence of the RD (〈011〉//RD) and ND (〈111〉//ND) fibers. However, the texture of ferrite in DSS warm rolled at 698 K (425 °C) was distinctly different having much higher fraction of the RD-fiber components than that of the ND-fiber components. The texture and microstructural differences in ferrite in DSS warm rolled at different temperatures could be explained by the interaction of carbon atoms with dislocations. In contrast, the austenite in DSS warm rolled at different temperatures consistently showed pure metal- or copper-type deformation texture which was attributed to the increase in stacking fault energy at the warm-rolling temperatures. It was concluded that the evolution of microstructure and texture of the two constituent phases in DSS was greatly affected by the temperature of warm rolling, but not significantly by the presence of the other phase.     

Effects of Dual-Phase Region Quenching Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 24CrNiMo Low-Alloy Steel Prepared by Selective Laser Melting

Herein, 24CrNiMo low-alloy steel is successfully prepared using selective laser melting (SLM) technology. Effects of dual-phase region quenching treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of SLM 24CrNiMo low-alloy steel are analyzed. The results show that after three kinds of dual-phase region quenching treatment, different martensite–ferrite dual-phase microstructure of the as-quenched alloy steel is obtained. In the range of austenitizing temperature from 760 to 820 °C, the content and size of the ferrite decrease; on the contrary, the content and size of the martensite increase. Furthermore, with the austenitizing temperature increasing, the morphology of the ferrite gradually changes from acicular ferrite + polygonal ferrite to acicular ferrite, while the lath characteristics of the martensite become more and more obvious. For electron backscatter diffraction results, with increasing the quenching temperature, the crystallographic morphology gradually changes from columnar grains to equiaxed grains; meanwhile, the extreme value of texture strength and the average size of grains are both decreased. When the austenitizing temperature is 820 °C, the microhardness and tensile strength of the as-quenched alloy steel are much higher than that of the as-deposited alloy steel.     

Effect of interpass time on austenite grain refinement by means of dynamic recrystallization of austenite

A 0.06 pct C-0.3 pct Mn and a 0.07 pct C-0.6 pct Mn-0.028 pct Nb steel were deformed in torsion at a constant strain rate of 2/s. Two schedules were used. In schedule A, seven roughing passes executed between 1260°C and 1130°C were followed by a single large finishing pass with a strain of 3.5 at constant temperatures between 1010°C and 840°C. The time between roughing and finishing was 200 seconds. In schedule B, the seven roughing passes were followed by 10 finishing passes, again applied isothermally, with strains of 0.3 and interpass times of 0.6, 2, and 10 seconds. The results indicate that for the Nb steel, low rolling temperatures (870°C) and strains above 2 are required for complete dynamic recrystallization, which results in austenite grain sizes under 6μm. Cooled at a rate of 10°C/s, the dynamically recrystallized austenite grain structures transform into ferrite with grain sizes under 4 μ. Extrapolations from the present data suggest that at industrial strain rates and cooling rates, ferrite grain sizes under 2 μm should be achieved. Y.W. BOWDEN, formerly CSIRA Research Associate, Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, McGill University     

Formation of Delta Ferrite in 9 Wt Pct Cr Steel Investigated by <Emphasis Type="Italic">In-Situ</Emphasis> X-Ray Diffraction Using Synchrotron Radiation

In-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements using high energy synchrotron radiation were performed to monitor in real time the formation of delta ferrite in a martensitic 9 wt pct chromium steel under simulated weld thermal cycles. Volume fractions of martensite, austenite, and delta ferrite were measured as a function of temperature at a 10 K/s heating rate to 1573 K (1300 °C) and subsequent cooling. At the peak temperature, the delta ferrite concentration rose to 19 pct, of which 17 pct transformed back to austenite on subsequent cooling.     

Precipitation of Nb in Ferrite After Austenite Conditioning. Part I: Microstructural Characterization

While the role of Nb during the processing of austenite is quite clear, what happens in subsequent stages to the concentration of this element left in solution is subject to some debate. In particular, some uncertainty still subsists concerning the eventual homogeneous precipitation in Nb supersaturated polygonal ferrite. The present work was aimed at clarifying the precipitation sequence of Nb during coiling, through a systematic work and a careful selection of the processing conditions in order to produce different scenarios concerning the initial state of Nb. A Nb-microalloyed steel was thermomechanically processed in the laboratory followed by simulated coiling at different temperatures in the 873?K to 1023?K (600?°C to 750?°C) range. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed interphase precipitation of NbC at high coiling temperatures, while at 873?K (600?°C), homogeneous general precipitation took place in ferrite and followed a Baker?CNutting orientation relationship.     

Effect of Boron on the Strength and Toughness of Direct-Quenched Low-Carbon Niobium Bearing Ultra-High-Strength Martensitic Steel

The effect of boron on the microstructures and mechanical properties of laboratory-control-rolled and direct-quenched 6-mm-thick steels containing 0.08 wt pct C and 0.02 wt pct Nb were studied. The boron contents were 24 ppm and a residual amount of 4 ppm. Two different finish rolling temperatures (FRTs) of 1093 K and 1193 K (820 °C and 920 °C) were used in the hot rolling trials to obtain different levels of pancaked austenite prior to DQ. Continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams were constructed to reveal the effect of boron on the transformation behavior of these steels. Microstructural characterization was carried out using various microscopy techniques, such as light optical microscopy (LOM) and scanning electron microscopy-electron backscatter diffraction (SEM-EBSD). The resultant microstructures after hot rolling were mixtures of autotempered martensite and lower bainite (LB), having yield strengths in the range 918 to 1067 MPa with total elongations to fracture higher than 10 pct. The lower FRT of 1093 K (820 °C) produced better combinations of strength and toughness as a consequence of a higher degree of pancaking in the austenite. Removal of boron lowered the 34 J/cm² Charpy-V impact toughness transition temperature from 206 K to 158 K (?67 °C to ?115 °C) when the finishing rolling temperature of 1093 K (820 °C) was used without any loss in the strength values compared to the boron-bearing steel. This was due to the finer and more uniform grain structure in the boron-free steel. Contrary to expectations, the difference was not caused by the formation of borocarbide precipitates, as verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations, but through the grain coarsening effect of boron.     

Effect of Boron on the Hot Ductility Behavior of a Low Carbon Advanced Ultra-High Strength Steel (A-UHSS)

This research work studied the effect of boron additions (14, 33, 82, 126, and 214 ppm) on the hot ductility behavior of a low carbon advanced ultra-high strength steel. For this purpose, specimens were subjected to a hot tensile test at different temperatures [923 K, 973 K, 1023 K, 1073 K, 1173 K, and 1273 K (650 °C, 700 °C, 750 °C, 800 °C, 900 °C, and 1000 °C)] under a constant true strain rate of 10^?3 s^?1. The reduction of area (RA) of the tested samples until fracture was taken as a measure of the hot ductility. In general, results revealed a marked improvement in hot ductility from 82 ppm B when the stoichiometric composition for BN (0.8:1) was exceeded. By comparing the ductility curve of the steel with the highest boron content (B5, 214 ppm B) and the curve for the steel without boron (B0), the increase of hot ductility in terms of RA is over 100 pct. In contrast, the typical recovery of hot ductility at temperatures below the Ar₃, where large amounts of normal transformation ferrite usually form in the structure, was not observed in these steels. On the other hand, the fracture surfaces indicated that the fracture mode tends to be more ductile as the boron content increases. It was shown that precipitates and/or inclusions coupled with voids play a meaningful role on the crack nucleation mechanism, which in turn causes hot ductility loss. In general, results are discussed in terms of boron segregation and precipitation on austenitic grain boundaries during cooling from the austenitic range and subsequent plastic deformation.     

Third Generation 0.3C-4.0Mn Advanced High Strength Steels Through a Dual Stabilization Heat Treatment: Austenite Stabilization Through Paraequilibrium Carbon Partitioning

In excess of 30 vol. pct austenite can be retained in 0.3C-4.0Mn steels subjected to a dual stabilization heat treatment (DSHT) schedule—a five stage precisely controlled cooling schedule that is a variant of the quench and partition process. The temperature of the second quench (stage III) in the DSHT process plays an essential role in the retained austenite contents produced at carbon-partitioning temperatures of 723 K or 748 K (450° C or 475 °C) (stage IV). A thermodynamic model successfully predicted the retained austenite contents in heat-treated steels, particularly for a completely austenitized material. The microstructure and mechanical behavior of two heat-treated steels with similar levels of retained austenite (~30 vol. pct) were studied. Optimum properties—tensile strengths up to 1650 MPa and ~20 pct total elongation—were observed in a steel containing 0.3C-4.0Mn-2.1Si, 1.5 Al, and 0.5 Cr.     

Effects of Heating and Cooling Rates on Phase Transformations in 10 Wt Pct Ni Steel and Their Application to Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

10 wt pct Ni steel is a high-strength steel that possesses good ballistic resistance from the deformation induced transformation of austenite to martensite, known as the transformation-induced-plasticity effect. The effects of rapid heating and cooling rates associated with welding thermal cycles on the phase transformations and microstructures, specifically in the heat-affected zone, were determined using dilatometry, microhardness, and microstructural characterization. Heating rate experiments demonstrate that the Ac₃ temperature is dependent on heating rate, varying from 1094 K (821 °C) at a heating rate of 1 °C/s to 1324 K (1051 °C) at a heating rate of 1830 °C/s. A continuous cooling transformation diagram produced for 10 wt pct Ni steel reveals that martensite will form over a wide range of cooling rates, which reflects a very high hardenability of this alloy. These results were applied to a single pass, autogenous, gas tungsten arc weld. The diffusion of nickel from regions of austenite to martensite during the welding thermal cycle manifests itself in a muddled, rod-like lath martensitic microstructure. The results of these studies show that the nickel enrichment of the austenite in 10 wt pct Ni steel plays a critical role in phase transformations during welding.     

An Ultra-low Carbon, Thermomechanically Controlled Processed Microalloyed Steel: Microstructure and Mechanical Properties

In the current study, a novel ultra-low carbon, high-molybdenum-bearing microalloyed steel has been thermomechanically processed. Transformation of this steel during continuous cooling has been assessed. Variation in the microstructure and mechanical properties at different finish rolling temperatures has been studied. The average grain size, misorientation of grain boundary, and distribution of ferrite grains have been analyzed by using electron backscatter diffraction. The lower yield strength (251 to 377?MPa) with moderate tensile strength (406 to 506?MPa) along with high ductility (30 to 47?pct) has been achieved in the selected range of finish rolling temperatures. Superior impact toughness value in the range of 153 to 162?J is obtained in the subsize specimen even at subzero temperatures (233?K [?40?°C]), which is attributed to fine average ferrite grain size. The acicular ferrite dominated microstructure obtained at the 1023?K (750?°C) finish rolling temperature is the most attractive microstructure for pipeline applications due to its excellent combination of strength and toughness.