A study on austenite decomposition during continuous cooling of a low carbon steel

In this work, a model based on the finite element method and assumption of second order phase transformation has been developed to predict temperature history and austenite decomposition kinetics during continuous cooling of a low carbon steel. In order to accurately assess the temperature field and transformation rate the effects of various factors such as work hardening role on the kinetics of transformation, interconnection between austenite phase change and thermo-physical properties of the steel, and initial austenite grain size have been considered in the model. To verify the results of the modelling, time-temperature histories during cooling of a low carbon steel has been determined and microstructural studies have been performed. The comparison between the predictions and the experimental results indicates reliability of the proposed model.     

Retained austenite stabilisation in low carbon high silicon steel during isothermal holding

We elucidate here the role of isothermal hold temperature of 300–500°C after intercritical annealing at 760°C on bainitic transformation and in governing the stabilisation of retained austenite in a 0.23C-1.35Si-1.82Mn steel. A critical analysis was attempted to explain the observations using displacive mechanism of bainite formation in the attempt to endeavour to understand the kinetics of bainitic transformation during isothermal holding. The model predicted that carbon enrichment in austenite was of particular significance in governing the stability of retained austenite. Thus, through the contribution of transformation induced plasticity effect of retained austenite, high tensile strength (964?MPa) and excellent ductility (uniform elongation of 24.5% and total elongation of 32%) was obtained on isothermal holding at 400°C.     

Bainite transformation during continuous cooling of low carbon microalloyed steel

Abstract

The evolution of the final microstructure for a low carbon Nb–Ti microalloyed plate steel was studied during a simulation of thermomechanical processing for hot rolling following by accelerated cooling. The effects of austenite deformation below the non-recrystallisation temperature T _NR, cooling rate, and interrupt temperature on the formation of conventional (intergranular) bainite (CB), acicular ferrite (intragranular) (AF), and martensite–austenite (MA) constituents were determined. With increases in austenite deformation and cooling rate, and decrease in the interrupt temperature, the final microstructure changed from a mixture of CB+MA through CB+AF+MA to a dual phase AF+MA.     

Kinetics of niobium carbide precipitation in a low carbon austenitic steel

An examination has been made of the kinetics of niobium carbide precipitation in a 18-10-1 austenitic stainless steel in the temperature range 650 to 750° C. Electrical resistance-time plots, thin film electron microscopy and hardness measurements have been employed to follow the ageing sequence. In these alloys the carbides precipitate on undissociated dislocations and in association with stacking faults; these processes are diffusion controlled and have an activation energy of ～318 kJ mol^?1. Prior to the reaction beginning a clear incubation period existed, e.g. ～30 h at 650° C and 20 min at 750° C. During the first 10% transformation the carbide nucleation rate increases and the associated faults nucleate and grow rapidly. The carbide nucleation rate appears to peak around this level and then falls away gradually to zero around 70% transformation. At this latter stage fault growth ceases, and transformation continues by a carbide growth process. The age-hardening peak occurs much beyond the end of the reaction by which time precipitate coarsening is in evidence. The precise effect mechanical deformation has upon stacking fault formation depends to a major extent on the niobium supersaturation in the quenched alloy.     

Intragranular formation of austenite during delta ferrite decomposition in a duplex stainless steel

A Fe–22.5%Cr–4.53%Ni–3.0%Mo duplex stainless steel was solution treated at 1,325 °C for 1 h, quenched in water and isothermally treated at 900 °C for 5,000 s. The crystallography of austenite was studied using EBSD technique. Intragranular austenite particles formed from delta ferrite are shown to nucleate on inclusions, and to be subdivided in twin-related sub-particles. Intragranular austenite appears to have planar-only orientation relationships with the ferrite matrix, close to Kurdjumov–Sachs and Nishyiama–Wassermann, but not related to a conjugate direction. Samples treated at 900 °C underwent sparse formation of sigma phase and pronounced growth of elongated austenite particles, very similar to acicular ferrite.     

Modelling of isothermal formation of pearlite and subsequent reaustenitisation in eutectoid steel during continuous heating

Abstract

Three different morphologies of pearlite have been formed isothermally at three different temperatures in a eutectoid steel. Moreover, the interlamellar spacing of the pearlite was calculated using the Zener and Hillert theoretical method. Experimental results suggest that the growth of pearlite is mainly controlled by volume diffusion of carbon in austenite, in the temperature range studied in this steel. In addition, a model that describes pearlite to austenite transformation during continuous heating in a eutectoid steel has been developed. The influence of structural parameters, such as interlamellar spacing and edge length of pearlite colonies, on the transformation kinetics has been experimentally studied and considered in the modeling. It has been found that the kinetics of pearlite to austenite transformation are slower the coarser the initial pearlite microstructure. Experimental validation of this model has been carried out and a good agreement (an accuracy level of higher than 90% in square correlation factor) between the experimental and calculated values has been found.     

奥氏体变形对铌微合金钢贝氏体相变的影响

用Gleeb le-1500热模拟机研究了铌微合金钢奥氏体变形后连续冷却条件下贝氏体相变规律.研究表明,随变形温度的升高,先共析铁素体量较少,贝氏体的板条束变宽.在连续冷却条件下,贝氏体的转变量随变形量的增加而减少,随应变速率的增加而减少,但应变速率对贝氏体转变量的影响随冷却速度的增加而减弱.随着变形后保温时间的延长,奥氏体稳定性增加,在较快冷却条件下转变产物中存在残余奥氏体.     

Effect of austenite grain size on isothermal bainite transformation in low carbon microalloyed steel

Abstract

The effect of austenite grain size on isothermal bainite transformation in a low carbon microalloyed steel was studied by means of optical microscopy, SEM and TEM. Two widely varying austenite grain sizes, a fine average grain size (～20 μm) and a coarse average grain size (～260 μm), were obtained by different maximum heating temperatures. The results showed that the morphology of isothermal microstructure changes from bainite without carbide precipitation to bainitic ferrite with a decrease in holding temperature. Coarse austenite grain can retard the kinetics of bainite transformation and increase the incubation time of bainite transformation by reducing the number of nucleation site, but it does not influence the nose temperature of the C curve of bainite start transformation, which is ～534°C.     

Gaussian process modelling of austenite formation in steel

Abstract

The present paper introduces the Gaussian process model for the empirical modelling of the formation of austenite during the continuous heating of steels. A previous paper has examined the application of neural networks to this problem, but the Gaussian process model is a more general probabilistic model which avoids some of the arbitrariness of neural networks, and is somewhat more amenable to interpretation. It is demonstrated that the model leads to an improvement in the significance of the trends of the Ac₁ and Ac₃ temperatures as a function of the chemical composition and heating rate. In some cases, these predicted trends are more plausible than those obtained with the neural network analysis. Additionally, it is shown that many of the trace alloying elements present in steels are irrelevant in determining the austenite formation temperatures.     

Effect of austenite microstructure and cooling rate on transformation characteristics in a low carbon Nb-V microalloyed steel

Deformation dilatometry has been used to simulate controlled hot rolling followed by cooling of a Nb-V low carbon steel, looking for conditions corresponding to wide austenite grain size distributions prior to transformation. Recrystallization and non-recrystallization deformation schedules were applied, followed by controlled cooling at rates from 0.1 °C/s to about 200 °C/s, and the corresponding continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams were constructed. The resultant microstructures ranged from polygonal ferrite (PF) and pearlite (P) at slow cooling rates to bainitic ferrite (BF) accompanied by martensite (M) for fast cooling rates. Plastic deformation of the parent austenite accelerated both ferrite and bainite transformations, displacing the CCT curve to higher temperatures and shorter times. However, it was found that the accelerating effect of strain on bainite transformation weakened as the cooling rate diminished and the polygonal ferrite formation was enhanced. Moreover, it was found that plastic deformation had different effects on the refinement of the microstructure, depending on the cooling rate. An analysis of the microstructural heterogeneities that can impair toughness behavior has been done.     

Effect of prior austenite on reversed austenite stability and mechanical properties of low carbon medium manganese steel heavy plate

The effect of prior austenite on reversed austenite stability and mechanical properties of Fe‐0.06C‐0.2Si‐5.5Mn‐0.4Cr (wt.%) annealed steels was elucidated. With the decrease of austenitizing temperature from 1250 °C to 980 °C, the prior austenite changed from complete recrystallization to partial recrystallization, and the average austenite size was reduced. The volume fraction of reversed austenite was increased from 26.32 % to 30.25 % because of high density of grain boundaries and dislocations. The martensite transformation temperature of annealed steels was increased from ～115 °C to ～150 °C, and both of thermal and mechanical stability of reversed were reduced. There was no significant different in tensile properties, however, the impact toughness was enhanced from 100 J to 180 J at ?60 °C. The excellent impact toughness in annealed steel (austenitized at 980 °C) was obtained because of higher density of high misorientation grain boundaries, more volume fraction of reversed austenite and reduced segregation at grain boundaries.     

Homogenisation of austenite during non-equilibrium heating in hypereutectoid steels

The homogenisation (Stage III) of austenite during non-equilibrium heating of hypereutectoid steels has been characterised for the first time through dilatometric strain measurements and electron microscopic techniques. It has been found that the homogenisation temperature (A_ch) is significantly higher than the cementite dissolution temperature (A_cm). Though there is a complete conversion of low-temperature constituents to austenite above the A_cm, a significant segregation of carbon in the austenite is observed below the A_ch. Performing heat treatment with an incomplete austenitisation between the A_cm and the A_ch temperature can affect the subsequent on-cooling phase transformations. It is proposed that the A_ch temperature should be used as the full austenitisation temperature in hypereutectoid steels.     

Effect of heating rate on reaustenitisation of low carbon niobium microalloyed steel

Abstract

Austenite formation during a continuous heating in a low carbon niobium microalloyed steel with a pearlite and ferrite initial microstructure has been studied. Characteristic transformation temperatures, Ac ₁, Ac _θ and Ac ₃ and the evolution of austenite formation have been determined by combining dilatometry and metallography in a range of heating rates from 0˙05 to 10 K s^–1. It has been observed that nucleation and growth of austenite depends highly on the applied heating rate. At low heating rates (0˙05 K s^–1) nucleation of austenite takes place both at pearlite nodules and at ferrite grain boundaries, while for higher heating rates (≥0˙5 K s^–1), nucleation at grain boundaries is barely present compared to the nucleation at pearlite nodules. The heating rate also affects the austenite growth path and morphology and, thus, the distribution of martensite in the dual phase microstructure obtained at room temperature.     

On measurement of carbon content in retained austenite in a nanostructured bainitic steel

In this study, the carbon content of retained austenite in a nanostructured bainitic steel was measured by atom probe tomography and compared with data derived from the austenite lattice parameter determined by X-ray diffraction. The results provide new evidence about the heterogeneous distribution of carbon in austenite, a fundamental issue controlling ductility in this type of microstructure.