Hydrogen Diffusion and Trapping in Low-Alloy Tempered Martensitic Steels

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - Structural characterization of ten low-alloy tempered martensitic steels of varied composition (C, Cr, Mo, Mn, and V contents) and tempering temperature...     

Interrupted and Isothermal Solidification Studies of Low and Medium Carbon Steels

Low and medium carbon steels experience multiple phase transformations during solidification and subsequent cooling. The sequence, extent, and nature of the different transformations have a significant bearing on the microstructural evolution that occurs in the steel. The change in microstructure with temperature is very important, since it may influence the hot ductility of the steel during casting and/or rolling and the subsequent response of the material to thermoprocessing. The aim of this investigation was to gain a better understanding of the development of the as-cast structure in low and medium carbon steels. Of particular interest is the origin of the large austenite grains frequently associated with poor hot ductility. Interrupted and isothermal solidification experiments were therefore conducted to study the nonequilibrium and near-equilibrium structures which form at different stages of the freezing process. The results of the investigation established delta-ferrite as the primary solidifying phase in low carbon steels. Austenite forms as the secondary phase by nucleation at the solidification (delta-ferrite) boundaries. While excessive austenite grain coarsening is suppressed by the coexistence of the second phases delta-ferrite or liquid, this suppression occurs over only a limited temperature range, just below the peritectic temperature. Subsequent cooling leads to very large austenite grains, ranging up to 5 mm in diameter, in steels of low carbon content. N.S. POTTORE, formerly with the Basic Metals Processing Research Institute, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pittsburgh     

A Model for the Growth of Hydrogen Attack Cavities in Carbon Steels

A detailed analysis of precision dilatometry data of McKimpson on plain carbon steel during the incubation stage of hydrogen attack has been carried out in the light of both the surface and grain boundary diffusion limited cavity growth models. The results are consistent with cavity growth by grain boundary vacancy diffusion provided the methane pressure in the cavity exceeds a threshold pressure. The threshold pressure observed by the analysis decreases with an increase in temperature from ~400 MPa at 658 K to ~200 MPa at 723 K. The magnitude of the threshold pressure is consistent with a constrained cavity growth model in which the strain due to atom plating is accommodated by local plastic deformation around the precipitates in the boundary. Quantitative agreement between model predictions and experimental data on expansion rates is good.     

Retained Austenite and Tempered Martensite Embrittlement in Medium Carbon Steels

Electron microscopy, diffraction and microanalysis, X-ray diffraction, and auger spectroscopy have been used to study quenched and quenched and tempered 0.3 pct carbon low alloy steels. Some in situ fracture studies were also carried out in a high voltage electron microscope. Tempered martensite embrittlement (TME) is shown to arise primarily as a microstructural constraint associated with decomposition of interlath retained austenite into M₃C films upon tempering in the range of 250 °C to 400 °C. In addition, intralath Widmanstätten Fe₃C forms from epsilon carbide. The fracture is transgranular with respect to prior austenite. The situation is analogous to that in upper bainite. This TME failure is different from temper embrittlement (TE) which occurs at higher tempering temperatures (approximately 500 °C), and is not a microstructural effect but rather due to impurity segregation (principally sulfur in the present work) to prior austenite grain boundaries leading to intergranular fracture along those boundaries. Both failures can occur in the same steels, depending on the tempering conditions.     

Effects of Basicity and B2O3 on the Crystallization and Heat Transfer Behaviors of Low Fluorine Mold Flux for Casting Medium Carbon Steels

An investigation was carried out to study the effects of basicity (CaO/Si₂O) and B₂O₃ on the crystallization and heat transfer behaviors of low fluorine mold flux for casting medium carbon steels. The double hot thermocouple technique (DHTT) was employed to study the crystallization behavior of mold flux with a different basicity and B₂O₃ content, under the simulated thermal gradient as in a real caster. The infrared emitter technique (IET) was also applied for the study of heat transfer behavior of the above mold fluxes. By combining the results of IET and DHTT, this article indicated that the increase of basicity would decrease the general heat transfer rate of mold flux, as it tends to promote crystallization of mold flux apparently, while B₂O₃ has the opposite function. The combined effects of basicity and B₂O₃ could be used to adjust the general crystallization and heat transfer properties of low fluorine mold flux for casting medium carbon steels, which would provide an instructive way for the design of Fluorine free mold flux for casting medium carbon steels.     

超高强度热冲压用钢中H的扩散与氢致滞后开裂行为

采用阴极充H、恒载荷拉伸和电化学H渗透等试验方法,研究了超高强度钢22MnB5Nb的H扩散行为及氢致滞后开裂性能,并与常用热冲压钢22MnB5进行了对比。结果表明,H在22MnB5Nb钢中的扩散系数为3.02×10-7 cm2/s,显著低于22MnB5钢;与22MnB5钢相比,22MnB5Nb钢具有较好的耐氢致滞后开裂性能;这是由于22MnB5Nb钢晶粒较细小,增加了晶界的有效面积,使H陷阱分布更均匀,进而抑制H向裂纹尖端扩展,避免了局部H的富集。     

EAF 留碳操作生产中、高碳钢的工艺实践

在70tEAF-LF-CCM 流程生产50CrVA、60Si2Mn、77Mn 等中、高碳钢时,EAF 炼钢过程采用 20%～30%热装铁水,控制供氧强度,二元渣碱度1.8~2.8可有效进行留碳操作。生产统计表明,EAF 留碳 操作终点C 为0.25%～0.53%,P为0.006%~0.015%,钢水温度1593～1625℃。 EAF 留碳操作虽使冶炼 周期延长5～10 min,但LF 喂丝量降低1/2以上,显著降低冶炼成本和提高钢水质量。     

Effects of AIMnCa and AIMnFe Alloys on Deoxidization of Low Carbon and Low Silicon Aluminum Killed Steels

To confirm the effects of AlMnCa and AlMnFe alloys on the deoxidization and modification of Al2O3 inclusions, experiments of 4-heat low carbon and low silicon aluminum killed steels deoxidized by AlMnCa and AlMnFe alloys were done in a MoSi2 furnace at 1 873 K. It is found that the 1^# AlMnCa alloy has the best ability of deoxidization and modification of Al2O3 inclusions than 2^# AlMnCa and AlMnFe alloys. Steel A deoxidized by 1^# AlMnCa alloy has the lowest total oxygen content in the terminal steel, which is 37× 10^-6. Most of the inclusions in the steel deoxidized by 1^# AlMnCa alloy are spherical CaO-eontaining compound inclusions, and 89.1% of them are smatter than 10 μm. The diameter of the inclusion bigger than 50 μm is not found in the final steels deoxidized by AlMnCa alloys. Whereas, for the steels deoxidized by AlMnFe alloys, most inclusions in the terminal steel are Al2O3 or Al2O3-MnO inclusions, and a few of them are spherical, and only 76.8% of them are smaller than 10 μm. Some in- clusions bigger than 50μm are found in the steel D deoxidized by AlMnFe alloy.     

Effects of AlMnCa and AlMnFe Alloys on Deoxidization of Low Carbon and Low Silicon Aluminum Killed Steels

 To confirm the effects of AlMnCa and AlMnFe alloys on the deoxidization and modification of Al2O3 inclusions, experiments of 4 heat low carbon and low silicon aluminum killed steels deoxidized by AlMnCa and AlMnFe alloys were done in a MoSi2 furnace at 1 873 K. It is found that the 1# AlMnCa alloy has the best ability of deoxidization and modification of Al2O3 inclusions than 2# AlMnCa and AlMnFe alloys. Steel A deoxidized by 1# AlMnCa alloy has the lowest total oxygen content in the terminal steel, which is 37×10-6. Most of the inclusions in the steel deoxidized by 1# AlMnCa alloy are spherical CaO containing compound inclusions, and 891% of them are smaller than 10 μm. The diameter of the inclusion bigger than 50 μm is not found in the final steels deoxidized by AlMnCa alloys. Whereas, for the steels deoxidized by AlMnFe alloys, most inclusions in the terminal steel are Al2O3 or Al2O3 MnO inclusions, and a few of them are spherical, and only 768% of them are smaller than 10 μm. Some inclusions bigger than 50 μm are found in the steel D deoxidized by AlMnFe alloy.     

低碳微合金钢中的晶内铁素体及组织控制

回顾和评述了晶内铁素体的发现、发展及其与组织控制的关系.介绍了晶内铁素体的形核机制和影响晶内铁素体形成的因素,讨论了晶内铁素体的三维形态和长大动力学,并从以上几方面分析了晶内铁素体对低碳微合金钢组织细化的重要作用和影响.     

Effects of Deformation Behavior and Processing Temperature on the Fatigue Performance of Deep-Rolled Medium Carbon Bar Steels

The effects of processing temperature on the deep-rolling response of three medium carbon bar steels, a quenched and tempered 4140 alloy, a 0.34C, 1.21Mn, 0.66Si nontraditional bainitic alloy, and a 0.36C, 1.37Mn V-microalloyed ferrite plus pearlite steel, was assessed through bending fatigue. The significantly different deformation behaviors of the three alloys were characterized through standard and nonstandard quasi-static and cyclic uniaxial tension and compression tests at room temperature (RT) and in situ at temperatures up to 634?K. Deep rolling, performed at RT and at elevated temperature (HT) in the dynamic strain-aging (DSA) regime, increased measured endurance limits by 51-62?pct (RT) and 96-117?pct (HT) as compared with the baseline condition. The enhanced fatigue performance by RT deep rolling primarily reflected the effects of the introduction of favorable residual stresses. The improved fatigue performance from HT deep rolling was attributed to the enhanced resistance to strain reversal of the material deformed during deep rolling, due to a change in deformation mechanism from dislocation-interstitial interactions in the DSA regime during processing, which inhibited mechanically induced relaxation of residual stress during cyclic loading.     

Effect of Na2O and B2O3 on the Crystallization Behavior of Low Fluorine Mold Fluxes for Casting Medium Carbon Steels

An investigation has been conducted to study the effect of Na₂O and B₂O₃ on the crystallization behavior of low fluorine (F) mold powders for casting medium carbon (MC) steels in this article. The results of this study indicated that B₂O₃ tends to lower the crystallization temperature and increase crystallization incubation time of the low F powders; however, Na₂O plays an opposite role compared with that of B₂O₃. The crystalline phase of Ca₁₁Si₄B₂O₂₂ was formed in Sample D2 [F = 3 pct, Na₂O = 10 pct, B₂O₃ = 8 pct (in wt pct)], which exhibited the most similar crystallization behavior to that of cuspidine, such that Sample D2 showed closest crystallization kinetics to that of a conventional high-F mold slag for casting MC steels. The precipitated crystalline phases for all the samples have been analyzed and discussed in the article.     

纳米析出铁素体和贝氏体低碳钢应力应变特性研究

系统研究了存在纳米尺寸碳化钒析出的铁素体和贝氏体相低碳钢的应力-应变行为。通过奥氏体/铁素体转变并结合相间析出制取组织为铁素体相的试样,通过奥氏体/贝氏体转变,随后进行时效制取贝氏体相试样。两种试样的应力-应变曲线具有几个共同特征:高屈服应力、相对低的加工硬化特性以及足够高的伸长率。根据组织参数计算了溶质原子、晶界、位错和析出物对强度的贡献,并将计算结果与试验测定的应力结果进行对比。溶质原子和晶界强化贡献可以简单地相加,而位错和析出物对强度的贡献大小应表示为两者平方和的平方根。纳米尺寸碳化物在拉伸变形早期阶段可能充当位错增生源的作用,而在变形后期则加速位错湮灭。这种增加型动态回复可能造成铁素体相和贝氏体相这两种钢都具有相当高的伸长率。     

不同卷取温度低碳钢性能及硫化物析出的研究

运用拉伸、金相、析出物定量分析、SEM、TEM和EDS等测试方法,对不同卷取温度低碳钢组织性能及硫化物析出进行研究.结果表明:随着卷取温度的升高,钢的强度和晶粒度等级下降.MnS析出主要分2个阶段:第1阶段主要为奥氏体区MnS和Al2O3的复合析出,析出尺寸普遍介于1～5μm之间,形状为条片状;第2阶段为MnS在卷取过...     

Influence of Isothermal Treatment on MnS and Hot Ductility in Low Carbon,Low Mn Steels

Hot ductility tests were used to determine the hot-cracking susceptibility of two low-carbon, low Mn/S ratio steels and compared with a higher-carbon plain C-Mn steel and a low C, high Mn/S ratio steel. Specimens were solution treated at 1623 K (1350 °C) or in situ melted before cooling at 100 K/min to various testing temperatures and strained at 7.5 × 10^?4 s^?1, using a Gleeble 3500 Thermomechanical Simulator. The low C, low Mn/S steels showed embrittlement from 1073 K to 1323 K (800 °C to 1050 °C) because of precipitation of MnS at the austenite grain boundaries combined with large grain size. Isothermal holding for 10 minutes at 1273 K (1000 °C) coarsened the MnS leading to significant improvement in hot ductility. The higher-carbon plain C-Mn steel only displayed a narrow trough less than the Ae₃ temperature because of intergranular failure occurring along thin films of ferrite at prior austenite boundaries. The low C, high Mn/S steel had improved ductility for solution treatment conditions over that of in situ melt conditions because of the grain-refining influence of Ti. The higher Mn/S ratio steel yielded significantly better ductility than the low Mn/S ratio steels. The low hot ductility of the two low Mn/S grades was in disagreement with commercial findings where no cracking susceptibility has been reported. This discrepancy was due to the oversimplification of the thermal history of the hot ductility testing in comparison with commercial production leading to a marked difference in precipitation behavior, whereas laboratory conditions promoted fine sulfide precipitation along the austenite grain boundaries and hence, low ductility.     

Combined Effects of Nb and B MicroAlloying in Molybdenum Based Ultra Low Carbon Bainitic (ULCB) Steels

ULCB steels have a great potential for structural as well as automotive applications due to the lean alloying concept and the favorable combination of strength and ductility.These steels are being considered as the material of choice for many advanced applications where yield strength above 500 MPa is required to reduce component weight.Traditionally Mo has been a key alloying element in producing such steels.In order to push the property envelope of ULCB steels it is interesting to combine Mo alloying with the microalloying elements Nb and B.Cross effects between these elements bear synergies that cannot be achieved by single alloying.The paper demonstrates how these synergies can be beneficially used in combination with appropriate processing.