Recrystallization controlled rolling and accelerated cooling for high strength and toughness in V-Ti-N steels

Optimum thermomechanically controlled process parameters have been established for the production of Ti-V-N microalloyed high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels. On the basis of laboratory simulation and full-scale processing, it has been shown that nitrogen is an essential alloying element addition and full appreciation of its effects leads to the ability to utilize high nitrogen steel in connection with hot rolling in a high-temperature regime to produce HSLA products with very favorable combinations of yield strength and toughness. The effects of reheating temperature, rolling reduction, cooling rate, and finish-cooling temperature (FCT) on the ferrite grain size and mechanical properties have been examined. It has been shown that the potential for precipitation strengthening is dependent on vanadium, nitrogen, and cooling parameters. Accelerated cooling (ACC) prevents precipitation of vanadium nitrides in austenite and enhances both grain refinement and precipitation strengthening. By adjusting nitrogen content and processing parameters, a yield strength of 500 MPa and impact transition temperature (ITT) below -60 ‡C can be obtained in the as-hot-rolled condition in Ti-V-N steels, using high finish-temperature hot rolling and accelerated cooling.     

低合金钢焊接粗晶区连续冷却铁素体相变规律

 利用焊接粗晶区连续冷却淬火方法,对比分析了钛处理钢和普通C Mn钢焊接粗晶区连续冷却不同阶段的相变组织,研究了铁素体相变规律。结果表明,C Mn钢焊接粗晶区主要为晶界铁素体+魏氏组织铁素体;钛处理钢焊接粗晶区主要为晶界铁素体+魏氏组织铁素体+晶内铁素体组织。在钛处理钢中,晶界铁素体、魏氏组织铁素体和晶内铁素体的相变开始温度相同,但各自长大的动力学条件不同。当晶内铁素体和魏氏组织铁素体竞争发生相变时,晶内铁素体在晶内弥散分布氧化物夹杂上的非均质形核抑制了魏氏组织铁素体向晶内的长大。     

Texture and microstructure development during intercritical rolling of low-carbon steels

Laboratory rolling trials have been performed to investigate the development of microstructure and crystallographic texture during and after intercritical rolling. The finishing temperature was varied over a wide range, and samples were taken just prior to the last pass, after quenching following the last pass, after air cooling and coiling, and after accelerated cooling and coiling. Cooling of the samples to the entry temperature for the last pass does not influence the texture of the sample, nor do higher cooling rates after austenitic finishing within the range of cooling rates in this study, although it may cause a refinement of the ferrite grains. Recrystallization after intercritical rolling leads to a decrease in texture intensity. In the case of recrystallization of low-carbon steels, the nucleation mechanism is strain-induced boundary migration (SIBM), which leads to unfavorable textures for deep drawing. In the case of recrystallization of interstitial-free (IF) steel after ferritic rolling, the nucleation mechanism shifts from the SIBM mechanism at high finishing temperatures to subgrain coalescence at (SGC) low finishing temperatures. The latter mechanism leads to more favorable textures for deep-drawing applications. Transformation-induced (TI) nucleation explains the occurrence of a sudden increase in ferrite grain size after high-temperature intercritical deformation of low-carbon (LC) steels.     

Recent Development and Applications of V Microalloying Technology in China

This paper reviews recent developments of V microalloying technology and its applications in HSLA steels.Enhanced-nitrogen in V-containing steel promotes precipitation of fine V(C,N) particles,and improves markedly precipitation strengthening effectiveness of vanadium,therefore,there is a significant saving of V addition in the same strength requirement.Vanadium can be used effectively for ferrite grain refinement by the nucleation of intragranular ferrite promoted by VN precipitates in Austenite.The combination of intragranular ferrite (IGF) on VN particles and the recrystallization controlled rolling (RCR) technology realize the grain refinement in V-containing steel.V-N process is a cost-effective way for high strength rebars,forging steels and thin slab direct rolling strips.     

Ni含量对控轧控冷船舶用Nb-Ti微合金化NiCr钢组织和性能的影响

研究了0.31%Ni和0.88%Ni二种控轧控冷Nb-Ti微合金化NiCr钢的组织和性能。结果表明,船舶用钢控轧控冷获得粒状贝氏体、上贝氏体、针状铁素体、多边形铁素体及少量珠光体等组成的复合组织。控轧控冷造成铁素体晶粒尺寸细化,细小M-A岛增多。二种钢均获得较高的抗拉强度、屈服强度、伸长率和硬度,0.88Ni-0.32Cr钢性能优于0.31Ni-0.33Cr钢。船舶用钢-80℃试样纵向冲击功都在200J以上,0.88Ni-0.32Cr钢甚至超过了300J。该钢中最佳的Ni含量为0.88%Ni。由于控轧控冷造成了铁素体细晶强化、M-A岛复合强化、析出强化和位错强化,合金元素镍有效的提高了船舶钢的低温冲击韧性。     

钒微合金化钢的技术进展与应用

摘要：介绍了钒微合金化技术的最新进展以及钒钢的开发与应用情况。氮是含钒钢中有效的合金元素,含钒钢中增氮,优化了钒在钢中的析出,显著提高沉淀强化效果。采用钒氮微合金化设计,配合适当的轧制工艺,促进V(C,N)在奥氏体中析出,起到了晶内铁素体形核核心作用,实现了含钒钢的晶粒细化。最新的研究成果表明钒微合金化可以提高双相钢、贝氏体钢、相变诱导塑性钢、孪晶诱导塑性钢、热成型马氏体钢等汽车用先进高强度钢的强度并改善使用性能,显示出良好的应用前景。钒氮微合金化技术在中国高强度钢筋、高强度型钢、非调质钢、薄板坯连铸连轧高强度带钢等产品中获得广泛应用,大大促进了中国钒微合金化钢的发展。     

超细晶粒钢及其力学性能特征

探索了在新一代钢中获得超细晶粒的方法。通过低温轧制和应变诱导铁素体相变，可以在碳素结构钢中获得晶粒尺寸小于5μm的超细晶粒，屈服强度大于400MPa。采用应变诱导铁素体相变可以在微合金钢中得到晶粒尺寸为1μm的超细晶粒。低碳微合金钢的屈服强度达到了600MPa，超低碳微合金钢的屈服强度超过了800MPa。采用微合金化和循环热处理可以在合金结构钢中获得2μm的奥氏体晶粒，1500MPa级抗拉强度下改善了耐延迟断裂性能。     

钒钢的技术进展

 介绍了V在钢中的应用及V微合金化技术最新进展。通过含V钢中增N,利用廉价的N元素,优化了V的析出,显著提高沉淀强化效果,达到节约V用量及降低成本的目的。V-N钢中V（C,N）在奥氏体中析出,起到晶内铁素体核心作用,明显细化铁素体晶粒。V在贝氏体中的析出起到明显强化作用,提高了贝氏体的强度。V-N微合金化技术在高强度钢筋、高强度型钢、非调质钢、薄板坯连铸连轧高强度带钢等产品中获得广泛应用。     

Effect of Niobium on Transformations From Austenite to Ferrite in Low Carbon Steels

Niobium has an important effect on the transformation behaviour,grain size refinement and precipitation strengthening during hot rolling and subsequent cooling in low carbon steels,with even a low content of niobium having a strong effect on the transformation rate from austenite to ferrite.However,the effects of niobium on transformation behaviour have not been fully characterised and understood to date.This paper examines in detail austenite grain growth as a function of austenitisation time in high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels with three different niobium contents,together with the effect of niobium on the isothermal transformation kinetics from austenite to ferrite as a function of temperature.It is shown that austenite has the slowest grain growth rate in the steel with the highest niobium content.When austenite grain sizes are consistent,the steel with the highest niobium content was found to have the slowest transformation rate from austenite to ferrite.     

铬对超高强冷轧双相钢相变和组织性能的影响

实验室成功试制C-Si-Mn-Cr-Nb系和C-Si-Mn-Nb系超高强双相钢,利用热膨胀仪研究了铬对超高强双相钢相变规律的影响,利用光学显微镜、SEM以及拉伸试验对双相钢的微观组织和力学性能进行检测。实验结果表明:铬使实验用钢的CCT曲线整体右移,抑制铁素体和珠光体的生成,对铁素体开始转变温度影响不大,升高铁素体的终止转变温度,降低贝氏体转变温度,提高奥氏体的淬透性,在相同的冷速条件下,铬的加入更容易得到铁素体+马氏体的双相组织;合金元素铬显著改善双相钢的显微组织,细化晶粒,双相钢的屈服强度从510 MPa升高到535 MPa,抗拉强度从1 080 MPa升高到1 145 MPa,抗拉强度的增幅高于屈服强度,在抗拉强度提高的同时,伸长率升高。     

北极海洋平台用Q355E热轧H型钢连续冷却转变规律

在实验室利用Gleeble-3500热模拟试验机对3种Nb、V微合金化Q355E热轧H型钢进行了连续冷却转变规律测试,研究了冷却速度对试验钢组织与硬度的影响。结果表明:在冷速为0.5℃/s时,组织中开始出现贝氏体;冷速大于7℃/s时,珠光体转变即终止。在中等冷速下,Nb的加入促进了贝氏体的形成,抑制了铁素体与珠光体的形核;并且Nb的加入使铁素体转变区右移。Cr的加入降低了较高冷速下铁素体与珠光体相变点,并促进了高冷速下马氏体的形成。由于受V析出的影响,含V试验钢在冷速为1℃/s时其硬度曲线有一个"波谷"。3种试验钢的冷速在0.5~3℃/s之间时,试验钢可获得强韧性较好的细小准多边形铁素体、少量珠光体与贝氏体的复合组织。     

The Effect of Cooling Rate,and Cool Deformation Through Strain-Induced Transformation,on Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Microalloyed Steels

In this article, a detailed study was conducted to evaluate the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of microalloyed steels processed by thermomechanical schedules incorporating cool deformation. Cool deformation was incorporated into a full scale simulation of hot rolling, and the effect of prior austenite conditioning on the cool deformability of microalloyed steels was investigated. As well, the effect of varying cooling rate, from the end of the finishing stage to the cool deformation temperature, 673 K (400 °C), on mechanical properties and microstructural evolution was studied. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, in particular for Nb containing steels, was also conducted for the precipitation evaluation. Results show that cool deformation greatly improves the strength of microalloyed steels. Of the several mechanisms identified, such as work hardening, precipitation, grain refinement, and strain-induced transformation (SIT) of retained austenite, SIT was proposed, for the first time in microalloyed steels, to be a significant factor for strengthening due to the deformation in ferrite. Results also show that the effect of precipitation in ferrite for the Nb bearing steels is greatly overshadowed by SIT at room temperature.     

低合金高强钢针状铁素体组织特征和形成机理

针状铁素体是一种具有大角度晶界、高位错密度的板条状中温转变组织,该组织能有效细化晶粒并具有良好的强韧性匹配.因此,通常在低合金高强度钢焊缝和粗晶区中,利用细小的夹杂物来诱导针状铁素体形成,形成有效晶粒尺寸细小的针状铁素体联锁组织或者针状铁素体和贝氏体的复合组织,使其具有良好的韧性.然而,相关研究对针状铁素体组织的形成机理和控制原理的解释并不十分清楚,对于针状铁素体的定义和理解也存在差异.总结了针状铁素体的本质、相变、形核、形态、晶体学取向关系、长大行为、细化机理和力学性能等方面的特征,归纳了奥氏体晶粒尺寸、转变温度、冷却速度、夹杂物类型和尺寸等对针状铁素体形成的影响,提出了针状铁素体组织形态和转变机理方面几个仍需深入研究的问题和方向.     

轧后冷却工艺对V-N-Cr微合金化Q550E高强钢组织性能的影响

对低碳V-N-Cr微合金化钢进行了控轧控冷实验,终冷后采用了随炉冷、保温毡缓冷、空冷3种冷却制度,并对3种不同冷却制度钢板进行了显微组织、综合力学性能和断口形貌的分析。研究表明,空冷钢板显微组织为细小多边形铁素体及针状铁素体复相组织,铁素体晶粒尺寸5～8μm,针状铁素体由交织的板条组成,宽度1～3μm。在随炉冷及保温毡缓冷时,由于冷却速率缓慢,多边形铁素体及针状铁素体发生了回火,并析出细小弥散的碳化物。3种冷却条件下,屈服强度均≥585 MPa,抗拉强度≥694 MPa,延伸率≥27%,而且1/2试样-60℃冲击功≥36 J,综合力学性能优于Q550F级国标要求。细晶强化、析出强化、组织强化为本钢种的主要强化方式,冲击断口均由韧窝组成,呈现韧性断裂模式,控轧控冷引起的晶粒细化及针状铁素体的形成有效阻碍解理裂纹的扩展,从而增强低温韧性。     

冷却速度对0.45C钢铸坯夹杂物和组织的影响

借助控制冷却速度的高温激光共聚焦显微镜,结合光学显微镜和扫描电镜、能谱分析仪研究1150℃至500℃时,冷却速度100~10℃/min对0.45C钢铸坯中夹杂物的属性、诱发晶内铁素体形核行为的影响。结果表明,随冷却速度减小,高熔点夹杂物基本没有变化,低熔点夹杂物的数量和尺寸有增加的趋势,尤其是钒的碳氮化物数量增加明显;随冷却速度降低,析出的晶内铁素体的数量增加,平均粒径增大,铁素体比例先增加后减小。当30℃/min连续冷却时,钢中夹杂物尺寸小于10μm比例高达93%,铁素体平均粒径为9.2μm,铁素体面积比例达30.2%。     

Effect of temperature sequence during hot strip rolling on structure and properties of mild steels

Reduced temperatures can be applied for rolling of mild steels in wide hot strip mills. This has been investigated by laboratory and production trials with unalloyed and microalloyed deep drawing grades. A reduced slab reheating temperature leads to a grain refinement prior to rolling and to incomplete dissolution of precipitates. Decreased rolling temperature results in partial deformation in the ferrite region. The flow curves of mild steels show a relative minimum below γ/α transformation temperature, thus only low deformation forces are necessary. Ferrite rolling can develop coarse or partly recrystallized microstructures, depending on amount of strain and on coiling temperature. The yield strength, as a measure of cold formability, can be lowered compared to conventional rolling in the austenite region.     

Effect of thermomechanical processing on structure and properties of low carbon steels

The microstructure of one plain carbon and two microalloyed steels has been refined by two different thermomechanical processing schedules in a laboratory rolling mill. The factors controlling the structural refinement have been investigated. The results indicate that a combination of single/two stage rolling prior to reaustenitization treatment and finish rolling in the (α + γ) region followed by controlled cooling improves the mechanical properties by refining the ferrite grain size.     

Effect of Thermo‐Mechanical Process on Phase Transformation Behaviors of V–Ti–N Microalloyed Steel

Thermo‐mechanical simulation tests were performed on V–Ti–N microalloyed steel under three hot working conditions by using Gleeble‐3800 thermo‐mechanical simulator to study the effects of hot deformation and post‐deformation holding process on the continuous cooling transformation behaviors of overcooled austenite. The continuous cooling transformation diagrams (CCT diagrams) were determined by thermal dilation method and metallographic method. The effects of the hot deformation, post‐deformation holding, and cooling rate on the microstructure evolution were analyzed. The results show that deformation promotes ferrite and pearlite transformation. In addition, deformation leads to an increase in bainite start temperature, which becomes more markedly with the increase in cooling rate. The post‐deformation holding process is much favorable to promote carbonitride precipitation of the microalloying elements, which contributes to ferrite nucleation and smaller austenite grains. As a result, an increase in ferrite quantity and a decrease in ferrite grain size can be observed. And further more, the post‐deformation holding process reduces the effect of hot deformation on the bainite start temperature.     

Influence of Vanadium on Grain Growth of Deformation Induced Ferrite in Low Carbon Steel during Continuous Cooling Process

The effects of vanadium on the deformation induced ferrite transformation (DIFT) in low carbon steel during heavy deformation at the temperature slightly higher than Ar₃ and on the coarsening of DIFT microstructure during the continuous cooling processes after deformation were investigated using a thermo‐simulator. The results show that vanadium has little effect on the volume fraction of DIFT microstructure under heavy deformation, whereas the deformation induced ferrite (DIF) grains are refined with increasing vanadium content. The steel containing a small amount of vanadium exhibits similar velocity of grain growth compared to vanadium free steel, while the vanadium remarkably inhibits grain growth in a steel containing a high amount of vanadium during the continuous cooling process. The diffusion activation energy of grain boundaries for all the tested steels is calculated and the influencing mechanism of vanadium on the grain growth during the continuous cooling process is discussed.     

Nb对C Si Mn Cr双相钢相变规律、组织和性能的影响

  根据C Si Mn Cr和C Si Mn Cr Nb实验钢的相变规律,在实验室进行了控轧控冷实验研究,分析了微合金元素Nb对高强度热轧双相钢相变规律、组织和性能的影响。实验结果表明,Nb可显著推迟铁素体和珠光体转变,并显著降低铁素体开始转变温度,但对铁素体终止转变温度和贝氏体转变温度区间基本没有影响。经Nb微合金化后,实验钢的屈服强度和抗拉强度增幅均在100 MPa以上,屈服强度的增幅高于抗拉强度,且在强度大幅度升高的同时,伸长率下降并不明显,表明Nb的细晶强化作用对提高中温卷取热轧双相钢强度级别的效果明显。