The Coupled FEM Analysis of the Transient Temperature Field During Inertia Friction Welding of GH4169 Alloy

The inertia friction welding process is a non-linear process because of the interaction between the temperature field and the material properties as well as the friction force. A thermo-mechanical coupled finite element model is established to simulate the temperature field of this process. The transient temperature distribution during the inertia friction welding process of two similar workpieces of GH4169 alloy is calculated. The region of the circular cross-section of the workpiece is divided into a number of four-nodded isoparametric elements. In this model, the temperature dependent thermal properties, time dependent heat inputs, contact condition of welding interface, and deformation of the flash were considered. At the same time, the convection and radiation heat losses at the surface of the workpieces were also considered. A temperature data acquisition system was developed. The temperature at some position near the welding interface was measured using this system. The calculated temperature agrees well with the experimental data. The deformation of the flash and the factor affecting the temperature distribution at the welding interface are also discussed.     

MICROSTRUCTURAL STUDY OF Fe-Cr-Al/Al COMPOSITE COATINGS DURING OXIDATION AND SULFIDATION AT 900 ℃

The microstructure of a composite coating system, which was composed of an inner layer of Fe-Cr-Al and an outer layer of aluminum, was studied after it was respectively oxidized and sulfurdized at elevated temperatures. Apart from the Al2O3 scale formed on the surface, the microstructure of the composite coatings exposed at 900℃ in air for 4h was a three-layer structure. The first layer consisted of a solid solution of Cr and Fe in α aluminum and an intermetallic compound FeAl3, while the second layer was a single phase of the aluminide and the third layer still remained the same appearance as the original Fe-Cr-Al coating.The microstructural observation of the specimen tested at 850-900 ℃ at low oxygen pressure and high sulfur pressure for 576h revealed that the surface coatings of the specimen had transformed into a duplex structure containing an outer layer and a thicker aluminide layer beneath. X-ray diffraction results showed that the out layer was composed of Al2S3 and Al2O3 and that AlCrFe2 was the main phase composition of the aluminide layer, with a few of Al2S3 and Al2O3 accompanied.     

NON-EQUILIBRIUM STATIONARY STATE IN CHEMICAL REACTION OF SiO_2/Fe AT INTERFACE OF SLAG/METAL AND ITS STABILITY DURING ARC WELDING

For characteristics of open and far from thermodynamic equilibrium in welding chemical reaction, a new kind of quantitative method, which is used to analyze direction and extent for chemi- cal reaction of SiO_2/Fe during quasi-steady state period, is introduced with the concept of non-equilibrium stationary state. The main idea is based on thermodynamic driving forces, which result in non-zero thermodynamic fluxes and lead to chemical reaction far away from thermodynamic equilibrium. There exists certain dynamic equilibrium relationship between rates of diffusion fluxes in liquid phase of reactants or products and the rate equation of chemical reaction when welding is in quasi-steady state. As result of this, a group of non-linear equations containing concentrations of all substances at interface of slag/liquid-metal may be established. Moreover the stability of this non-equilibrium stationary state is discussed using dissipative structure theory and it is concluded theoretically that this non-equilibrium stationary state for welding chemical reaction is of stability.     

Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Hardening of Hypereutectoid Pearlitic Steel During Cold Rolling

The microstructure evolution of different cold rolling reductions (from 0 to 81.6%) was studied by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and TEM (transmission electron microscope). The study showed that the orientation multiplicity of pearlitic lamellas resulted in inhomogeneous deformation of different pearlitic lamellas, and with the increase of reduction, the microstructure underwent a course of "homogeneity → inhomogeneity → homogeneity". The result of XRD (X-ray diffraction) analysis indicated that cementite did not decompose and dissolve into ferrite; the results of the mechanical property test suggested that the relationship between Rp0.2 (yield strength) and ε (true strain) was in good agreement with Hollomon relationship. With the equation Rp0.2 = 1465ε0.18, the yield strength of the steel in different reductions could be well predicted.     

Simulation of 3-D Deformation and Material Flow During Roll Forging Process Using System of Oval-Round Groove

Basing on the analysis of the traits of the roll forging process, a system-model of computer simulation has been established. Three-dimensional rigid-plastic FEM has been used for the simulation of the deformation process in the oval and round pass rolling, including the entering, rolling, and separating stages. The analysis was conducted using the Deform-3D ver.5.0 code. The important information concerned with the deformation area characteristic, material flow, and velocity field has been presented. Otherwise,the location of the neutral plane in the deformation area was shown clearly.     

Prediction of Carbon Concentration and Ferrite Volume Fraction of Hot-Rolled Steel Strip During Laminar Cooling

A phase transformation model was presented for predicting the phase fraction transformed and the carbon concentration in austenite for austenite to ferrite transformation during laminar cooling on run-out table in hot rolling strip mill. In this model, the parameter k in Avrami equation was developed for carbon steels. The wide range of chemical composition, the primary austenite grain size, and the retained strain were taken into account. It can be used to predict the ferrite volume fraction and the carbon concentration in austenite of hot-rolled steel strip during laminar cooling on run-out table. The coiling temperature controlling model was also presented to calculate the temperature of steel strip. The transformation kinetics of austenite to ferrite and the evolution of carbon concentration in austenite at different temperatures during cooling were investigated in the hot rolled Q235B strip for thickness of 9.35, 6.4, and 3.2mm. The ferrite volume fraction along the length of the strip was also calculated. The calculated ferrite volume fraction was compared with the log data from hot strip mill and the calculated results were in agreement with the experimental ones. The present study is a part of the prediction of the mechanical properties of hot-rolled steel strip, and it has already been used on-line and off-line in the hot strip mill.     

Precipitation Behavior of M2N in a High-Nitrogen Austenitic Stainless Steel During Isothermal Aging

The precipitation behavior of M2N and the microstructural evolution in a Cr-Mn austenitic stainless steel with a high nitrogen content of 0.43mass% during isothermal aging has been investigated using optical microscopy （ OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The aging treatments have led to the decomposition of nitrogen supersaturated austenitic matrix through discontinuous cellular precipitation. The precipitated cells comprise alternate lamellae of M2N precipitate and austenitic matrix. This kind of precipitate morphology is similar to that of pearlite. However, owing to the non-eutectoidic mechanism of the reaction, the growth characteristic of the cellular precipitates is different from that of pearlite in Fe-C binary alloys. M2N precipitate in the cell possesses a hexagonal crystal structure with the parameters a = 0.4752nm and c = 0.4429nm, and the orientation relationship between the M2V precipitates and austenite determined from the SADP is [01^-10]M2N//[101]γ, [2^-1^-10]M2N//[010]γ.     

FE Simulation of Center Crack Occurrence in Tube Rounds During Two-Roll Rotary

With the aid of FE (finite element) code MSC.Superform 2005, 2-D coupled thermo-mechanical simulation of center-crack occurrence in round billet during 2-roll rotary rolling process was presented using Oyane ductile fracture criteria. A simple modeling is put forward based on the spiral motion of the workpiece as an essential characteristic in movement. The influence of the feed angle and the entry cone angle of the main roll on the process was taken into account in the modeling. The soundness for simplifying the 3-D rotary rolling into a 2-D problem was discussed. By adopting the parameters of Diescher piercer in 140mm mandrel mill of Bao Steel, the distribution and development of strain / stress were analyzed, and the eigen value of ductile fracture as well. The critical percentage of diameter reduction was obtained from the simulation. The result showed a good agreement with the experimental value, and therefore was of widely guiding significance to the practical process for rationally formulating the deformation parameters of steel tube piercing.     

Thermal Stability of Non-Equilibrius Microstructure in Microalloyed Steel During Reheating

Cooled in water after isothermal relaxation of deformed austenite for different times, an Nb-bearing microalloyed steel always exhibits synthetic microstructures, in which bainitic ferrite dominates. Dislocation configurations and distributions of strain induced precipitates inside bainitic ferrite of samples relaxed for different times were distinct. When compared with the austenite model steel, which maintained fcc structure even at room temperature, the strain induced precipitates were not found in the sample without relaxation whereas these were distributed outside dislocations in sample relaxed for 1000s. Most of the strain induced precipitates distribute along dislocations and pin dislocations in sample relaxed for appropriate time. After bainitic transformation, the dislocations formed in deformed austenite remain to be pinned by the precipitates. When these samples were reheated to and held at 650 or 700℃, the non-equilibrious microstructures tended to evolve into equilibrious ones. The sample relaxed for 60s displayed the highest thermo-stability, whereas microstructure evolution was the quickest in the sample relaxed for 1000s even though it was the softest prior to reheating. Dislocations inside laths got rid of pinning of precipitates, and their polygonization became the precursor to the evolution of microstructures during reheated and held, followed by gradual disappearance of lath boundaries caused by dislocation climbing. Finally, recrystallization occurred and polygonal ferrite appeared. By hardness measurement, it was found that softening is not a single process occurring during reheated, in which hardness fluctuates with time. There were two peaks in the hardness-time curve of each sample having undergone relaxation, while single peak occured in the curve of the sample not being relaxed. These results indicated that the thermo-stability of microstructures was determined by their history of formation to a considerable degree.