Tuning austenite stability in a medium Mn steel and relationship to structure and mechanical properties

We study here the underlying factors that govern the stability of austenite in a medium Mn (Fe–0.18C–11Mn–3.8Al) (wt-%) steel. In this regard, a novel heat treatment involving intercritical quenching and tempering was designed to obtain high total elongation (TEL) and high ultimate tensile strength (UTS) in the cold-rolled steel. And the UTS and TEL approached 920–1150?MPa and 35–65%, respectively. The product of TEL and UTS (PSE) exceeded 40?GPa%, with a maximum value of 60?GPa%. A detailed analysis of microstructure before and after tensile deformation revealed that the TRIP effect occurred and the stability of austenite was predominantly governed by the grain sizes of austenite rather than the orientation of austenite grains. The theoretical analysis of work hardening data suggested that the superior elongation of medium Mn TRIP steel is related to the high stability of austenite and the cooperative deformation of ferrite.     

Effect of boron on microstructure and mechanical properties of eutectic aluminum‐silicon alloy modified with phosphorus

In order to understand the effect of boron on the microstructure and mechanical properties of eutectic aluminum‐silicon alloy modified with phosphorus, complex modification of eutectic aluminum‐silicon alloy by aluminum‐3phosphorus and aluminum‐3boron was conducted. The results show that the area fraction of primary α‐aluminum in eutectic aluminum‐silicon alloy modified with aluminum‐3phosphorus increased first and then decreased with increasing amounts of aluminum‐3boron. The area fraction and the size of primary silicon decreased rapidly first and then stabilized. The morphology of eutectic silicon transformed from needle‐like into fine short rods or granules after complex modification with aluminum‐3phosphorus and aluminum‐3boron. The ultimate tensile strength of the alloy modified with 0.4 wt.% aluminum‐3phosphorus and 0.2 wt.% aluminum‐3boron increased by 18 %, compared with that of the eutectic aluminum‐silicon alloy modified with aluminum‐3phosphorus, while the elongation decreased by 5 %. It was concluded that the comprehensive mechanical properties of eutectic aluminum‐silicon alloy were improved.     

Influence of heat treatment and aging on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg‐1.8Zn‐0.7Si‐0.4Ca alloy

In order to optimize the aging treatment of Mg‐1.8Zn‐0.7Si‐0.4Ca alloy, different times and temperatures of solid solution and age hardening were applied to the alloy specimens. Microstructures and mechanical properties of the specimens were investigated using the optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive x‐ray spectrometer, x‐ray diffraction, hardness, and shear punch tests. The lowest hardness and strength were achieved by solution treating of the alloy at 500 °C for 8 h, presenting the optimal condition for solution treatment of the alloy. The microstructural examinations revealed three different precipitates consisting of CaMgSi, Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃, and Mg₂Si in the solid solution specimens. It was found that the highest peak hardness and strength are obtained by aging the alloy at 150 °C for 16 h. This condition was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests performed on the solid solution and aged specimens.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of an Al‐Si alloy reinforced by Al64Cu24Fe12 quasi‐crystalline particles

In this work, aluminum‐silicon alloy reinforced with Al₆₄Cu₂₄Fe₁₂ quasi‐crystalline particles have been prepared by a traditional casting method with proper heat treatment process. The microstructures of the composites were examined using optical microscopy, scanning, X‐ray and energy dispersive spectrometer. The results indicate that there was no quasi‐crystalline phase remained and a new phase‐β (Al_65‐75Si_13‐26Fe_3‐10) phase formed, which may act as a new reinforcing phase. There are three primary phases in the final composite: eutectic silicon, β‐phase and the α‐aluminum phase. Also the changes of mechanical properties were studied by tensile test and Vickers hardness test. The test results demonstrate that the mechanical properties of the composite is remarkably improved by adding proper amount of quasi‐crystalline particles. After adding 7.70 vol.% quasi‐crystalline particles, the tensile strength and the hardness increased by 70 % and 62 % respectively. However, adding a big amount (10.09 vol.%) of particles to molten aluminum‐silicon alloy will cause the particles aggregation and adhesion, which resulted in the decrease of the mechanical properties.     

Enhancement of work‐hardening behavior of dual phase steel by heat treatment

The work‐hardening response and mechanical properties of dual phase steels originated from different initial microstructures under low and high martensite volume fractions were investigated using a typical carbon‐manganese steel. The modified Crussard‐Jaoul analysis was used for studying the work‐hardening stages and the deformation behavior of ferrite and martensite. It was revealed that the initial martensitic microstructure before intercritical annealing is much better than the full annealed banded ferritic‐pearlitic and spheroidized microstructures in terms of work‐hardening capacity and strength‐ductility trade off. By increasing the amount of martensite, via intercritical annealing at higher temperatures, the ductility decreased but the tensile toughness of dual phase steels increased toward reaching the domain of extra‐advanced high‐strength steels due to the enhancement of work‐hardening rate.     

Comparative experimental study on the modification of microstructural and mechanical properties of friction stir welded and gas metal arc welded EN AW‐6061 O aluminum alloys by post‐weld heat treatment

In this paper, the effects of post‐weld heat treatment on modification of microstructures and mechanical properties of friction stir welded and gas metal arc welded AA6061‐O plates were compared with each other. Gas metal arc welding and friction stir welding were used as the applicable welding processes for AA6061‐O alloys. The applied post‐weld heat treatment consisted of solution heat treatment, followed by water quenching and finally artificial aging. The samples were classified as post‐weld heat treated and as‐welded joints. The microstructural evolution, tensile properties, hardness features and fracture surfaces of both as‐welded and post‐weld heat treated samples were reported. The results clearly showed that friction stir welding process demonstrated better and more consistent mechanical properties by comparison with the gas metal arc welding process. The weld region of as‐welded samples exhibited a higher hardness value of 80 HV0.1 compared to the base material. In addition, the feasibility of post‐weld heat treatment in order to enhance the mechanical properties and to obtain more homogeneous microstructure of 6061‐O aluminum alloys was evaluated.     

Effect of thermal ageing on microstructure,mechanical properties,and fracture behaviour of 50 % cold rolled duplex stainless steel (alloy 2507)

The paper deals with cold rolling and ageing on microstructure and mechanical properties of 2507 duplex stainless steel. Microstructure depicts acicular/Widmanstätten austenite and δ-ferrite with dissimilar volume fraction (∼0.55 for ferrite and ∼0.45 for austenite). Cold rolling and ageing at 950 °C, 1000 °C and 1050 °C result in equiaxed austenite for samples solution treated at 1040 °C and elongated at 1300 °C. By lowering ageing temperature from 1050 °C to 950 °C, structure becomes finer from ∼20 μm to <10 μm grain size. The sigma (σ) phase appears after ageing at 950 °C. Micro-hardness reveals maximum hardness for the hot rolled, solutionized (1040 °C) water quenched, and cold rolled (50 %) sample (380 HV_δF 100 and 430 HV_γ 100), whereas the tensile results reveal the hot rolled, solution treated (1300 °C, 1040 °C), cold rolled and aged at 950 °C samples show higher strength (yield strength=625 MPa, 567 MPa and ultimate tensile strength=892 MPa, 826 MPa) and lower ductility (23 %, 32 %) due to the σ-phase. The solution treated (1040 °C), cold rolled, aged at 1050 °C sample exhibits attractive strength and ductility combination (∼30 GPa %). Fractography supports the tensile results.     

The effect of the solution treatment onto the microstructure and mechanical properties of MAG pulsed welded joints from X2CrNiMoN22‐5‐3 Duplex stainless steels

The metallurgical behaviour by Duplex stainless steels welding is affected by reducing the austenite proportion in weld and in the area adjacent to the fusion line of the molten metal bath and also by the precipitation of nitrides Cr₂N, carbides M₂₃C₆ and intermetallic phases, σ, χ, Laves. The modalities for obtaining a quantitative ratio of the two phases (Austenite/Ferrite) close to that of the base metal (～50 % Austenite and 50 % Ferrite) aims to adjust the chemical composition of the weld by selecting a filler material with a higher nickel content (the element which beside nitrogen promotes the austenite formation), the heat cycle control of the welding process and the application of a post‐welding solution treatment. The present paper explores the effect of such heat treatment on balance restoring between austenite and ferrite and the reduction of the alloying elements segregation phenomena. By optical and scanning electron microscopy examinations and also X‐ray diffraction analyses the microstructural changes induced by the applied treatment are highlighted and by impact toughness and static tensile tests is demonstrated the positive effect of the heat treatment onto the ensuring of the welded joints quality.     

Enhancement of the mechanical properties of EN52CrMoV4 spring steel by deep cryogenic treatment

The effect of the deep cryogenic treatment on the micro-structure and mechanical properties (tensile strength, toughness, residual stress and fatigue strength) of the medium carbon spring steel, which is subjected to different heat treatment steps, is investigated. Deep cryogenic treatment causes spring steel to keep compressive residual stress more efficiently due to an increase in the density of the crystalline defects, retardation in the stress relief after the phase transformations and nano-cluster carbide formations. If deep cryogenic treatment is applied before the tempering then the homogeneously distributed fine carbides form after the tempering and the grains remain relatively fine. The microstructure with homogeneously distributed fine carbides and fine grains cause spring steels to have simultaneously enhanced tensile strength, ductility and fatigue strength. If deep cryogenic treatment is applied after the conventional heat treatment (quenching+tempering), however, the coarse carbides form in the micro-structure and the improvement in the mechanical properties of the spring steel is limited.     

变形制度对低碳锰钢组织性能的影响

为了获得细晶铁素体/贝氏体的复相组织,通过控轧控冷工艺研究了低碳锰钢在奥氏体区变形时变形量、终轧温度和卷取温度对组织演变和力学性能的影响规律.研究表明,增加变形量(对应道次间隔时间缩短)可以细化铁素体晶粒,但当终轧温度降低到800℃时,变形量的增加以及开冷温度的降低不利于贝氏体组织的获得.通过调整变形量、终轧温度、可开冷温度并适当降低卷取温度,可使实验钢获得晶粒尺寸约为5μm的铁素体和10%~20%的贝氏体组织,低碳锰钢强塑性能良好.     

Comparison of the mechanical and microstructural properties of heat‐treated boron steel in different cooling media

This paper focuses on the effects of heat treatment parameters on the microstructural and mechanical properties of quenchable 30MnB5 steel. Heat treatment parameters, such as different cooling media and different heating times at the same temperature, were investigated and compared. Tensile and hardness tests were performed at room temperature, and then the microstructures of the specimens were studied using optical microscopy and the results were compared. The results showed that boron steel heat treated using a water quenching process exhibited the best mechanical properties because of the formation of a martensitic microstructure.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–6Sn and Mg–6Zn alloys prepared by different processing techniques: a comparative study

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–6Sn and Mg–6Zn are investigated and compared in cast/heat treated, rolled and extruded conditions. Compared to the heat treated alloys, the grain size of both alloys decreases while the volume fraction of precipitates increases by rolling and extrusion in Mg–6Sn alloy at 350 ºC due to dynamic recrystallization and dynamic precipitation of intermetallic phases. Zinc has a stronger grain refining effect than tin in the heat treated alloys while the opposite effect is found in the rolled and extruded alloys. For the heat treated alloys the Mg–6Sn the strength reached 158.7 MPa with elongation 5.2% while Mg–6Zn exhibited a higher strength of 183.7 MPa and 8.4% elongation. In rolled condition the strength of Mg–6Sn reached 224 MPa with 1.6% elongation while Mg–6Zn exhibited a lower strength of 124 MPa and a lower ductility of 0.5% elongation due to susceptibility to hot shortness. Extrusion of Mg–6Sn alloy resulted in the maximum attained strength of 281 MPa and an elongation of 6.1% while Mg–6Zn cracked during extrusion due to hot shortness. The results obtained are discussed with respect to microstructure evolution in both alloys.     

Effect of carnauba wax as a part of feedstock on the mechanical behavior of a part made of 4605 low alloy steel powder using metal injection molding

Metal injection molding is a growing technology for producing complex metallic components. Preparation of feedstock for metal injection molding is a very crucial step during this process. This is because the deficiencies in quality of the feedstock once made, cannot be corrected by subsequent processing steps. One of the challenges in producing the feedstock is its formulation. In this study, the effect of the percentage of carnauba wax along with other binder constituents of paraffin wax, polypropylene and stearic acid is investigated on the density, strength, hardness and rheological behavior of a part, made of 4605 low alloy steel powder using metal injection molding process. For this reason, six binder systems including paraffin wax, polypropylene and stearic acid having different percentages of carnauba wax have been produced. After preparation of the samples, tensile testing, Vickers hardness test, density and rheological behavior of the samples have been measured and compared. The results show that carnauba wax as a part of feedstock, has a positive effect on the strength and density while negative effect on the hardness of the final sintered part. Also with the increase in the percentage of the carnauba wax inside the polymer binder, the viscosity of the feedstock was reduced significantly.     

Effect of austenite stability on toughness,ductility, and work-hardening of medium-Mn steel

ABSTRACT

We elucidate here the stability of reversed austenite (RA) and its effect on mechanical properties in 0.05C–5.0Mn steel. With increased annealing temperature from 903 to 943?K, the volume fraction of RA was increased from ～19 to ～42%, while its stability decreased linearly because of reduced C and Mn enrichment. The tensile strength increased from 845 to 970?MPa, impact toughness at 233?K decreased from 135 to 98?J. The large volume fraction of RA with poor stability can significantly improve the work-hardening ability, but little contribution to impact toughness. The discontinuous transformation-induced plasticity effect is resulted from RA with different degree of stability because of difference in grain size and morphology.

This paper is part of a Thematic Issue on Medium Manganese Steels.     

Effect of welding wire and groove angle on mechanical properties of high strength steel welded joints

Mechanical properties of high strength steel welded joints strictly depend on the welding process, the filler material composition and the welding geometry. This study investigates the effects of using cored and solid welding wires and implementing various groove angles on the mechanical performance of weld joints which were fabricated employing the gas metal arc welding process. It was found that weld joints of low alloy, high strength steels using low alloy steel cored welding wires exhibited higher tensile strength than that of low alloy steel solid wire and chromium‐nickel steel bare welding wire when the method of gas metal arc welding is employed. The effect of groove angle on the strength and toughness of V‐groove and double V‐groove butt‐joints was investigated. V‐groove joints, with higher tensile strength than double V‐groove joints in the whole range of groove angles, were superior in toughness for small groove angles, but impact toughness values of both joints were comparable for large angles. The effect of heat input and cooling rate on the weld microstructure and weld strength was also investigated by performing thermal analysis employing the commercial software ANSYS. It was concluded that cooling rate and solidification growth rate determined the microstructure of the weld zone which had great consequences in regard to mechanical properties.     

Effect of ageing temperature on reverse austenite content in AISI 630 stainless steel

The alloy AISI 630 (ASTM A564‐89 17‐4 PH) is a precipitation hardening stainless steel with good mechanical and corrosion properties. Mechanical properties strongly depend on the microstructure. Namely, the formation of the reversed austenite and coarsening of copper rich precipitates cause a substantial drop of hardness. Thus, the evolution of the microstructure during ageing was thoroughly investigated in order to explain the processes that have effect on formation of the reversed autenite. The reaustenitization was analyzed with a dilatometer, while the coarsening of copper rich precipitates was observed by transmission electron microscope. The amount of austenite was measured with x‐ray diffraction and the impact of austenite on the fracture appearance transition temperature was observed. It was found that the amount of the so called reverse austenite does not only depend on the amount of transformed austenite but also on its chemistry, as it dictates its ability to transform into martensite during cooling.     

Effect of pre‐processing annealing and ram speed on mechanical properties for low carbon steel processed by constrained groove pressing

Constrained groove pressing (CGP) has emerged for producing ultra‐fine‐grained materials with distinguished properties. Low carbon steel sheets were subjected to severe plastic deformation by constrained groove pressing process. The effect of pre‐processing annealing temperature, ram speed and number of passes on microstructure, mechanical properties and wear behaviour of the sheets were investigated. The 3 mm thick sheets were deformed by a constrained groove pressing die at ram speeds: 5 mm/min, 10 mm min^?1 and 20 mm min^?1. Furthermore, the as received sheets were annealed at 600 °C and 900 °C, then deformed at ram speed 20 mm min^?1. The annealing temperature 900 °C led to slightly coarser grains, lower strength and larger ductility compared to those obtained after annealing at 600 °C. With lowering the ram speed to 5 mm min^?1, the number of passes could be increased to 10 passes while increasing ram speed from 5 mm min^?1 to 20 mm min^?1 improved the mechanical properties; after 3 constrained groove pressing passes, the ultimate tensile strength increased from 420 MPa to 490 MPa, the hardness from 174 HV 1 to 190 HV 1 and the elongation from 7.6 % to 9.5 %. Finer grains were also obtained by increasing ram speed. Wear resistance was greatly enhanced by constrained groove pressing and by the increase in ram speed.     

On selective laser melting of ultra high carbon steel: Effect of scan speed and post heat treatment

Selective laser melting is a laser‐based additive manufacturing process applying layer manufacturing technology and is used to produce dense parts from metallic powders. The application of selective laser melting on carbon steels is still limited due to difficulties arising from carbon content. This experimental investigation aims at gaining an understanding of the application of the process on ultra high carbon steel, which is a special alloy with remarkable structural properties suitable for different industrial applications. The feedstock ultra high carbon steel (2.1% C) powder, 20 μm to 106 μm was prepared by water atomizing technique. This powder was used for the selective laser melting to build specimens 10×10×40 mm in dimensions. To decrease the thermal stresses during layer by layer building, laser scanning was done through 5×5 mm random island patterns while layer thickness was 30 μm. Laser beam diameter, maximum power output, layer thickness and scan speed range were 0.2 mm, 100 W, 30 μm and 50–200 mm/s respectively. The process was done inside high purity nitrogen environment, with less than 0.5% oxygen content. The results illustrate the influence of scan speed from 50 to 200 mm/s on product geometry and dimensions, surface roughness, internal porosity and cracks, microstructure and surface hardness. The effect of post heat treatment by heating and holding for one hour (annealing) at different temperatures of 700°C, 750°C, 950°C is studied. The results indicate that selective laser melting is able to produce near to 95% density of ultra high carbon steel parts with acceptable geometry and surface quality. Porosity cracks, and microstructure formed during the process could be controlled through proper selection of process parameters and post heat treatment. Industrial ultra high carbon steel products can be rapidly fabricated by selective laser melting.     

贝氏体区等温时间对TRIP钢残奥及力学性能影响

为研究贝氏体区等温时间对热轧TRIP钢残余奥氏体和力学性能的影响,采用金相显微镜、X射线衍射、拉伸实验等方法对3种不同贝氏体区等温时间下制备的热轧TRIP钢进行分析.结果表明:随着贝氏体等温时间的延长,残余奥氏体量减少而残余奥氏体碳含量增加,残余奥氏体晶粒尺寸及残余奥氏体形貌变化不大;热轧TRIP钢的力学性能随着贝氏体...     

Investigation of rheological and mechanical properties of wood flour reinforced polypropylene

This study aims to investigate the rheological and mechanical properties of polypropylene when reinforced by wood flour. In the study, wood flour (WF) was added as filling material to polypropylene (PP), and its effects were investigated. The grain size of the wood flour was 300 μm. Wood flour was mixed into polypropylene material at different rates of weight. Viscosity changes of the polypropylene at various temperatures and pressure values of the concentration rates were documented. As a result, viscosity increases as the amount of wood flour filling is increased; yet as temperature, pressure and shear rate are increased, viscosity decreases. The study also focuses on the changes in its mechanical properties of polypropylene reinforced with wood flour. The tensile strength of reinforced polypropylene at varying percentages (wt. 5 %, wt. 10 % and wt. 15 %) was observed to decrease by 11 %, 16 % and 21 %, respectively, compared to that of non‐reinforced polypropylene. Additionally, impact tests showed that the highest energy absorption was in 10 % wood flour reinforced polypropylene.