中厚板表层超细晶对止裂性能的影响

Effect of Surface Layer with Ultrafine Grains on Crack Arrestability of Heavy Plate

研究了返温轧制(TRRP)中厚钢板表层的组织特征及其对止裂性能的影响。力学性能测试结果表明,与传统的控轧控冷(TMCP)钢相比,TRRP钢表层的韧、塑性较好,韧脆转变温度低至-100℃,而在1/4厚度处,两者性能差异不大。显微组织分析表明,TRRP钢表层组织为等轴状铁素体晶粒+弥散分布的马氏体-奥氏体(MA)组元,晶粒等效直径约2 mm。通过数值模拟分析了TRRP工艺中间坯温度场的变化,发现中间坯冷却时,表层被冷却到相变温度以下,形成以贝氏体为主的组织,返温后轧制,表层组织发生动态再结晶形成超细晶。示波冲击测试表明,TRRP钢表层试样启裂后,载荷-位移曲线斜率绝对值(|k|)由0.66降低到0.27,与止裂相关的冲击吸收功达到44.3 J,断口表层组织有明显的塑性变形,吸收了裂纹扩展的能量,有效地抑制了裂纹扩展。晶粒取向分析表明,TRRP钢表层超细晶粒取向呈随机分布,晶界角度平均值和大角度晶界(>15°)比例分别达到32.8°和69.8%,能够有效阻碍裂纹扩展。使用纳米压痕分析了实验钢的硬度,TRRP钢表层的纳米压痕硬度统计分布集中在2.0 GPa以下,组织特征为少量的硬质相弥散分布在较软的铁素体基体上,相界面处萌生的裂纹在基体中不易扩展。

Temperature reverting rolling process （TRRP） is a newly developed technology for producing heavy steel plate with ultrafine grained surface layer. With hybrid structures along thickness direction, TRRP steel plate has excellent fracture toughness with crack arrestability which arouses interest recently. However, the crack arrest mechanism of the surface layer is still unclear to date. In this work, two types of steel plate produced by TRRP and traditional thermo mechanical control process （TMCP） were studied in order to get a comprehensive understanding of the crack arrest mechanism. The mechanical property tests demonstrate that the toughness of surface layer of TRRP steel is significantly higher than that of TMCP steel, while the mechanical properties at 1/4 thickness position of the two types are quite close. It＇s worth noting that ductile-brittle transition temperature of the TRRP steel surface layer is as low as- 100 ℃. Microstructure analysis of the TRRP surface layer shows a coexistence of equiaxed ferrite grains with grain sizes of about 2μm and dispersed M-A constituent. Numerical simulation of the temperature field of TRRP intermediate slab reveals the microstructure forming process. First, the surface layer is cooled lower than phase transformation temperature, which results in the generation of bainite ferrite. Subsequently, dynamic recrystallization of ferdte takes place in rolling process and leads to the formation of ultrafine grains. Instrumental impact test at -60 ℃ shows that the crack propagation of TRRP steel is effectively inhibited after a steady developing stage. The morphological analysis of the cross section of fracture shows significant plastic deformation in the surface layer, which means crack propagation energy is absorbed. As a result, the crack propagation is efficiently arrested. The statistical study of the grain ori- entations in the surface layer of TRRP steel indicates a randomly distribution of the ultrafine grains, which can hinder the crack propagation effectively. The nano indentation test shows that the hardness distributions of TRRP steel are mainly below 2.0 GPa. This means the microstructure is characterized by a small amount of hard phase dispersing in soft matrix, thus the crack initiated at the interface of phases can hardly propagate.