Simulation of the Soaking and Gas Jet Cooling in a Continuous Annealing Line using Dilatometry

The present study concerns the simulation of a continuous annealing line (CAL), using dilatometry. Simulations of CAL have been performed on four commercial steel grades with different chemical compositions in order to investigate how the alloying elements C, Mn, Si and B affect the microstructure and hardness of dual phase (DP) and martensitic steels. Three annealing cycles corresponding to those used in a CAL have been applied. When annealing intercritically, as is the case in DP‐steel production, the materials do not reach equilibrium during soaking. Mn and C increase the austenite content and consequently the hardness of the materials. Higher levels of Si (0.4 wt %) are required to retard the formation of new ferrite during cooling in the gas jet section, prior to quenching. B increases hardenability effectively when annealing in the austenite region but is not as efficient during intercritical annealing, which implies that boron restrains ferrite nucleation rather than impeding ferrite growth. Results from DICTRA calculations show that it is possible to simulate the phase transformations during soaking, gasjet cooling and quenching.     

高级别X80/X100管线钢的包辛格效应

利用单轴压缩-拉伸试验研究了炉卷轧机生产X80/X100管线钢不同变形情况下的包辛格效应.结果表明:随着预压缩变形量的增大,包辛格效应绝对值增大,X100管线钢的包辛格效应在1.5%的预压缩变形量下达到饱和;包辛格效应绝对值随着板卷强度的提高而上升;在试验范围内,X80、X100管线钢分别表现出了瞬时软化和永久软化.分析X80/X100管线钢的化学成分与显微组织特点,认为管线钢组织中的软、硬相(如M/A岛)的强度差、硬相的体积分数以及初始组织中的位错密度是不同包辛格现象的关键因素.     

Low‐alloyed TRIP‐Steels with Optimized Strength,Forming and Welding Properties

To obtain the superior strength‐ductility‐balance of TRIP‐grades, a special chemical composition in combination with well adapted processing parameters are a prerequisite. Despite of their excellent formability performance in terms of drawability as characterized by high n‐ and elongation values, compared to mild steels TRIP‐grades are challenging in the press and the body shops. The high strength level in combination with the high work hardening of TRIP‐grades result in higher levels of spring back compared to mild steels and higher press forces are required. Furthermore, a higher sensitivity to failure for sharp bending radii and a deterioration of the formability of punched edges is reported for TRIP‐grades. While spring back can only be minimized by advanced forming processes supported by new simulation techniques with improved ability to predict spring back, the sensitivity to failure under special forming conditions can be influenced by optimizing microstructural features. Contrary to the forming behaviour, which is influenced significantly by the microstructure, the weldability is mainly governed by the chemical composition and the surface condition of the material. The high carbon content of TRIP‐grades compared to mild steels results in a higher hardening potential after welding. Additionally, a fracture behaviour untypical for mild steels after destructive testing of spot welds is sometimes observed for TRIP‐grades, which is assessed critically by some OEMs. In this work, after a discussion of the processing conditions, possibilities are demonstrated to improve the forming behaviour by an optimization of the microstructure and the spot weldability by adapting the chemical composition of low‐alloyed TRIP grades. First very promising results for TRIP‐grades with a minimum tensile strength level of 700 MPa are discussed.     

Automatic near-threshold fatigue crack growth rate measurements at liquid helium temperature

The development of a fully automated test apparatus for near-threshold fatigue crack growth rate measurements in a liquid helium environment is described, and some initial results for AISI 300 series stainless steels are presented. The experimental apparatus consists of a servohydraulic test machine and a cryostat, complete with a minicomputer, a programmable arbituary waveform generator, a programmable digital oscilloscope and a fully automatic liquid helium refill system. The technique uses 6.4 mm thick compact specimens subjected to systematically decreasing loads, with 24 h operation at 40 Hz, the crack growth being continuously monitored by specimen compliance measurements. The results presented in this study include da/dN vs ΔK curves and threshold fatigue stress intensity factors, ΔK_th, at 4 K for AISI 304L, 304LN and 316 stainless steels. The near-threshold fatigue behaviours of these materials are similar, and the fatigue crack growth rate trends at intermediate ΔK levels nearly agree with published results.     

Effect of Ni addition and cryogenic hardening on the mechanical and tribological properties of self-lubricating steels produced by MIM

ABSTRACT

This paper addresses the relation between mechanical properties and tribological behaviour of self-lubricating steels produced by in-situ dissociation of SiC. Literature shows that an increase in the mechanical strength of these materials lowers their friction coefficient and wear rates. These works have studied steels with mechanical strength up to 800?MPa, but it is unclear if this trend continues with further increments of mechanical strengths. To tackle this question, self-lubricating steels with Ni and Mo were sintered, half of the samples with 8 wt-% Ni were treated cryogenically hardened. Results show that this trend does not escalate with mechanical strength, furthermore, when ductility is low, graphite reservoirs are not easily accessed, and lubrication is incomplete. Also, plastic deformation allows to better distribute the load of the counter body at the surface, which reduces the wear rates of the specimens and the counter bodies.     

INFLUENCE OF INTERMEDIATE LOADING RATES AND TEMPERATURE ON THE FRACTURE TOUGHNESS OF ORDINARY CARBON–MANGANESE STRUCTURAL STEELS

Three-point bend and compact tension specimens, taken from beam sections of modern and older ordinary C–Mn structural steels, were tested at intermediate loading rates at room temperature and −30 °C. The experimental work, except the loading rates used, was performed according to ASTM E-813. In order to investigate transferability of data, full-scale beam sections were also tested at intermediate loading rates. The fracture toughness of C–Mn structural steels depends strongly on the loading rate, and decreases rapidly with increasing loading rate at and just above the maximum prescribed in ASTM E-813. Fracture toughness data for structures exposed to intermediate loading rates indicate the requirement for testing at appropriate loading rates. The behaviour of full-scale structural elements subjected to intermediate loading rates can, provided certain conditions are fulfilled, be predicted from data obtained from small laboratory specimens.