Flow characteristics and hot workability of a typical low-alloy high-strength steel during multi-pass deformation

Heavy components of low-alloy high-strength(LAHS) steels are generally formed by multi-pass forging. It is necessary to explore the flow characteristics and hot workability of LAHS steels during the multi-pass forging process, which is beneficial to the formulation of actual processing parameters. In the study, the multi-pass hot compression experiments of a typical LAHS steel are carried out at a wide range of deformation temperatures and strain rates. It is found that the work hardening rate of the experimental material depends on deformation parameters and deformation passes, which is ascribed to the impacts of static and dynamic softening behaviors. A new model is established to describe the flow characteristics at various deformation passes. Compared to the classical Arrhenius model and modified Zerilli and Armstrong model, the newly proposed model shows higher prediction accuracy with a confidence level of 0.98565. Furthermore, the connection between power dissipation efficiency(PDE) and deformation parameters is revealed by analyzing the microstructures. The PDE cannot be utilized to reflect the efficiency of energy dissipation for microstructure evolution during the entire deformation process, but only to assess the efficiency of energy dissipation for microstructure evolution in a specific deformation parameter state.As a result, an integrated processing map is proposed to better study the hot workability of the LAHS steel, which considers the effects of instability factor(IF), PDE, and distribution and size of grains. The optimized processing parameters for the multi-pass deformation process are the deformation parameters of 1223–1318 K and 0.01–0.08 s^(-1). Complete dynamic recrystallization occurs within the optimized processing parameters with an average grain size of 18.36–42.3 μm. This study will guide the optimization of the forging process of heavy components.

Recent progress in visualization and digitization of coherent transformation structures and application in high-strength steel

High-strength steels are mainly composed of medium-or low-temperature microstructures,such as bainite or martensite,with coherent transformation characteristics.This type of microstructure has a high density of dislocations and fine crystallographic structural units,which ease the coordinated matching of high strength,toughness,and plasticity.Meanwhile,given its excellent welding perform-ance,high-strength steel has been widely used in major engineering constructions,such as pipelines,ships,and bridges.However,visual-ization and digitization of the effective units of these coherent transformation structures using traditional methods(optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy)is difficult due to their complex morphology.Moreover,the establishment of quantitative relationships with macroscopic mechanical properties and key process parameters presents additional difficulty.This article reviews the latest progress in microstructural visualization and digitization of high-strength steel,with a focus on the application of crystallographic methods in the development of high-strength steel plates and welding.We obtained the crystallographic data(Euler angle)of the transformed microstruc-tures through electron back-scattering diffraction and combined them with the calculation of inverse transformation from bainite or martensite to austenite to determine the reconstruction of high-temperature parent austenite and orientation relationship(OR)during con-tinuous cooling transformation.Furthermore,visualization of crystallographic packets,blocks,and variants based on actual OR and digit-ization of various grain boundaries can be effectively completed to establish quantitative relationships with alloy composition and key process parameters,thereby providing reverse design guidance for the development of high-strength steel.

Effect of traveling-wave magnetic field on dendrite growth of high-strength steel slab: Industrial trials and numerical simulation

The dendrite growth behavior of high-strength steel during slab continuous casting with a traveling-wave magnetic field was studied in this paper. The morphology of the solidification structure and composition distribution were analyzed. Results showed that the columnar crystals could deflect and break when the traveling-wave magnetic field had low current intensity. With the increase in current intensity, the secondary dendrite arm spacing and solute permeability decreased, and the columnar crystal transformed into an equiaxed crystal. The electromagnetic force caused by the traveling-wave magnetic field changed the temperature gradient and velocity magnitude and promoted the breaking and fusing of dendrites. Dendrite compactness and composition uniformity were arranged in descending order as follows:columnar-toequiaxed transition (high current intensity), columnar crystal zone (low current intensity), columnar-to-equiaxed transition (low current intensity), and equiaxed crystal zone (high current intensity). Verified numerical simulation results combined with the boundary layer theory of solidification front and dendrite breaking–fusing model revealed the dendrite deflection mechanism and growth process. When thermal stress is not considered, and no narrow segment can be found in the dendrite, the velocity magnitude on the solidification front of liquid steel can reach up to 0.041 m/s before the dendrites break.

Comparative research on the formability of several ultra-high-strength steels

Three kinds of ultra-high-strength steels are subjected to uniaxial tensile,forming limit,and hole expansion tests to characterize their material forming properties.Results show that the elongation of S1500 reaches 12.9%and is higher than that of MS1500 with the same strength grade but is lower than that of QP980.The forming limit of S1500 steel is higher than that of MS1500 but lower than that of QP980.The instantaneous n-value of the material changes with the volume fraction of retained austenite.The hole expansion ratios of S1500,MS1500,and QP980 steels are 31.3%,32.2%,and 28.3%,respectively.The hole expansion ratio of QP steel increases slightly with the increase in strength grade.This behavior is contrary to the change trend of elongation and forming limit.Among the three kinds of materials,QP980 steel has the best global formability,and S1500 steel has better global formability than martensitic steel with a similar strength grade.The local formability of the materials improves slightly with the decrease in the amount of retained austenite.MS1500 may have the best local formability in accordance with engineering practice.

A two-parameter model to predict fatigue life of high-strength steels in a very high cycle fatigue regime

In this paper, ultrasonic （20 kHz） fatigue tests were performed on specimens of a high-strength steel in very high cycle fatigue （VHCF） regime. Experimental results showed that for most tested specimens failed in a VHCF regime, a fatigue crack originated from the interior of specimen with a fish-eye pattern, which contained a fine granular area （FGA） centered by an inclusion as the crack origin. Then, a two-parameter model is proposed to predict the fatigue life of high-strength steels with fish-eye mode failure in a VHCF regime, which takes into account the inclusion size and the FGA size. The model was verified by the data of present experiments and those in the literature. Furthermore, an analytic formula was obtained for estimating the equivalent crack growth rate within the FGA. The results also indicated that the stress intensity factor range at the front of the FGA varies within a small range, which is irrespective of stress amplitude and fatigue life.

Effect of in-situ nanoparticles on the mechanical properties and hydrogen embrittlement of high-strength steel

We investigated the critical influence of in-situ nanoparticles on the mechanical properties and hydrogen embrittlement(HE)of high-strength steel.The results reveal that the mechanical strength and elongation of quenched and tempered steel(919 MPa yield strength,17.11%elongation)are greater than those of hot-rolled steel(690 MPa yield strength,16.81%elongation)due to the strengthening effect of insitu Ti_(3)O_(5)–Nb(C,N)nanoparticles.In addition,the HE susceptibility is substantially mitigated to 55.52%,approximately 30%lower than that of steels without in-situ nanoparticles(84.04%),which we attribute to the heterogeneous nucleation of the Ti_(3)O_5 nanoparticles increasing the density of the carbides.Compared with hard TiN inclusions,the spherical and soft Al_(2)O_(3)–MnS core–shell inclusions that nucleate on in-situ Al_(2)O_(3) particles could also suppress HE.In-situ nanoparticles generated by the regional trace-element supply have strong potential for the development of high-strength and hydrogen-resistant steels.

Effect of Fast Cooling Rate on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Low-Carbon High-Strength Steel Annealed in the Intercritical Region

The effect of fast cooling rate on the microstructure and mechanical properties of low-carbon high-strength steel annealed in the intercritical region was investigated using a Gleeble 1500 thermomechanical simulator and a continuous annealing thermomeehanical simulator. The results showed that the microstructure consisted of ferrite and bainite as the main phases with a small amount of retained austenite and martensite islands at cooling rate of 5 and 50 ℃/s, respectively. Fast cooling after continuous annealing affected all constituents of the microstructure. The mechanical properties were improved considerably. Ultimate tensile strength （U-TS） increased and total elongation （TEL） decreased with increasing cooling rate in all specimens. The specimen 1 at a cooling rate of 5 ℃/s exhibited the maximum TEL and UTSxTEL （20% and 27 200 MPa%, respectively） because of the competition between weakening by presence of the retained austenite plus the carbon indigence by carbide precipitation, and strengthening by martensitic islands and precipitation. The maximum UTS and YS （1 450 and 951 MPa, respectively） were obtained for specimen 2 at a cooling rate of 50 ℃/s. This is attributed to the effect of dispersion strengthening of finer martensite islands and the effect of precipitation strengthening of carbide precipitates.

Kinetic analysis of austenite transformation for B1500HS high-strength steel during continuous heating

The dilatometric curves of B1500HS high-strength steel at different heating rates were measured by a Gleeble-3800 thermal simulator and analyzed to investigate the effect of heating rate on austenitization.Results show that the value of starting temperature and ending temperature of austenite transformation increase with the rise of heating rates,whereas the temperature interval of austenite formation decreases.The kinetic equation of austenite transformation was solved using the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami model,and the related parameters of the equation were analyzed by the Kissinger method.For those calculations,the activation energy of austenite transformation is 1.01×10^6 J/mol,and the values of kinetic parameters n and ln k0 are 0.63 and 103.03,respectively.The relationship between the volume fraction of austenite and the heating time at different heating rates could be predicted using the kinetic equation.The predicted and experimental results were compared to verify the accuracy of the kinetic equation.The microstructure etched by different corrosive solutions was analyzed,and the reliability of kinetic equation was further verified from the microscopic perspective.

Present Situation of the Anti-Fatigue Processing of High-Strength Steel Internal Thread Based on Cold Extrusion Technology:A Review

The adoption of cold-extrusion forming for internal thread net forming becomes an important component of anti-fatigue processing with the development of internal thread processing towards high performance, low cost and low energy consumption. It has vast application foreground in the field of aviation, spaceflight, high speed train and etc. The internal thread processing and anti-fatigue manufacture technology are summarized. In terms of the perspective of processing quality and fatigue serving life, the advantages and disadvantages of the processing methods from are compared. The internal thread cold-extrusion processing technology is investigated for the purpose of improving the anti-fatigue serving life of internal thread. The superiorities of the plastic deformation law and surface integrity of the metal layer in the course of cold extrusion for improving its stability and economy are summed up. The proposed research forecasts the develop- ment tendency of the internal thread anti-fatigue manufacturing technology.

DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF HIGH-STRENGTH STEEL WELDING

Composition and service properties of high - strength low-alloyed steels with 590-980 MPa yield strength,which find an application in Russia, Belorus,Ukraine and other countries of the former USSR in manufacture of welded structures of a powerful mining and transport machinery, are given. Electrodes and wires for main processes of arc welding of these steels have been devel- oped on the basis of a rational use of different systems of alloying (08KhN2GM,08KhNG2M, and also economical systems of type 10G25, ect. ). Main approaches to the technological provess- es of manufacture of structures of high - strength steels are formulated.They are mainly directed to the weakening of de offect of the factors which contribute to a delayed fracture of joints (diffusive hydrogen,unfavourable rates of cooling,level of residual stresses). When there are no stress concentrators (and at a low level of residual stresses) the welded joints of these steels have a good resistance to fatigue and brittle fractures.As a rule, they are prevented with the help of the known approaches.It is shown that in addition to them and due to a proper selection of conditions of welding the life of welded joints of the high - strength steels can be 1. 2 - 1. 4 times in- creased.

Finite element analysis of the end cutting process for U-section parts with high-strength steel

This paper presents a constitutive framework for finite element analysis of the truck beam end cutting process.For this purpose,a finite strain anisotropic elasto-plastic model,which takes nonlinear kinematic and isotropic hardening into account,is presented.Three factors are investigated to determine the effect on cutting quality:radius of cutting tools,strength of materials and relative clearance in cutting.The recommendations made herein are based on the simulation results.

Development of a hot-rolled 980 MPa advanced high-strength steel with excellent flangeability and bendability

A new 980 MPa advanced high-strength steel(AHSS) with excellent bendability and flangeability has been studied and industrially produced, typical of tensile strength, fractured elongation, and hole expansion ratio(HER) exceeding 980 MPa, 10%,and 30%,respectively.The 90° V-type bending perpendicular to the rolling direction can satisfy the R/t=1.0 requirement, indicating excellent bendability.Systematic evaluations of industrial trial-produced 980 MPa hot-rolled AHSS have been conducted, including microstructure, tensile properties in three directions, HER,bendability, fatigue limit strength, and forming limit.The microstructure of the newly developed 980 MPa AHSS primarily consists of fine bainite and a small amount of martensite-austenite constituent.The practical yield and tensile strength are higher than 800 and 980 MPa, respectively, with typical elongation of 13% and HER of around 40%.The good combination of the newly developed 980 MPa AHSS is primarily attributed to the fine bainitic microstructure, resulting in excellent flangeability and bendability.In addition, the newly developed 980 MPa AHSS has good fatigue and forming properties, making it suitable for the production of chassis and suspension components.

Cutting and Welding of High-Strength Steels Using Non-Vacuum Electron Beam as a Universal Tool for Material Processing

Using a non-vacuum electron beam, a two-step process chain for plate materials is a feasible possibility. Cutting and welding can be performed in subsequent steps on the same machine for a highly productive process chain. The electron beam is a tool with high energy conversion efficiency, which is largely independent of the type of metal. Its high power density qualifies the non-vacuum electron beam as an outstanding energy source for the well-known NVEB welding as well as for high-speed cutting. Welding is possible with or without filler wire or shielding gas, depending on the application. The NVEB-cutting process employs a co-moving cutting head with a sliding seal for extremely high cutting speeds producing high quality edges. Due to direct removal of fumes and dust, NVEBC with local suction is an exceptionally clean and fast process. The NVEB welding process is possible directly after cutting, without further edge preparation. The potential directions of development of non-vacuum electron beam technologies are discussed. An exemplary two-step process chain using high-strength steel is presented to highlight possible application in industries such as general steel construction, automotive, shipbuilding, railway vehicle or crane construction. An analysis of the mechanical properties of the resulting weld seam is presented.

Research on the Pitting Mechanism of Dispersion-Strengthened High-Strength Steel Under Wet-Dry Cycling in a Marine Environment

Due to the wet-dry cycling in the ocean tidal zone,the supply of dissolved oxygen and salt-containing particles were sufficient,so the corrosion was serious.Pitting corrosion was a common form of localized corrosion.This paper studied the pitting corrosion mechanism of dispersion-strengthened high-strength steel under different wet-dry ratio environments.Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy was used to study the changes of corrosion rate and electric double layer structure of the dispersionstrengthened high-strength steel.Scanning electron microscope,Raman spectroscopy,electron probe microanalysis and laser confocal scanning microscope were used to observe the corrosion product morphologies,analyze the corrosion product compositions,analyze the secondary distribution of alloy elements in the corrosion products and analyze the pitting information of the steel after the corrosion products were removed.The results showed that the degree of the steel corrosion was slight when the wetting time was longer,the size and depth of the corrosion pits on the surface were smaller.This was because the environment with longer wetting time made the corrosion products denser.In this environment,the conversion ofγ-FeOOH to Fe3O4 was promoted.In addition,it could also promote the alloying elements to be more concentrated in the rust layer.The above phenomena hindered the further corrosion of the matrix by dissolved oxygen and Cl−in the seawater.

Improvement of the microstructural features and mechanical properties of advanced high-strength steel DP590 welds

The effects of the welding current mode in resistance spot welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of advanced high-strength steel dual-phase 590(DP590)sheets were investigated.Results showed that a rough martensitic structure was formed in the weld zone of the sample welded via the single-pulsed mode,whereas the microstructure in the heat-affected zone consisted of a very rough martensitic microstructure and rough ferrite.However,using the secondary pulse mode led to the formation of tempered martensite in the weld zone.The maximum load and the energy absorption to failure of the samples with the secondary pulsed cycle were higher than those of the samples with the single-pulsed mode.Tensile shear results indicated that the secondary pulsed mode could significantly change the mode of failure upon shear tension testing.Therefore,the obtained results suggest that the use of secondary pulsed mode can improve the microstructural feature and mechanical properties of advanced high-strength steel DP590 welds.

Experimental study on the causes of cracking of high-strength steel during bending

This paper studies the chemical composition, tensile properties, inclusions, metallogrophic structure, and other such parameters to identify the causes of cracking during the bending of high-strength steel. The results show that the major causes of cracking are the original transverse cracks or holes on the surface of the slab and the presence of scales rolled into the cracks or holes. Cold fracturing from such defects is rare, and can be eleminated by enhancing the control of the steelmaking process and by mechanical clean-up of the surface cracks and holes in the slab.

Research on welding technology of hot-rolled extra-high-strength steel developed by Baosteel

In this study, the welding technology of the hot-rolled extra-high-strength steel, BS960QC, has been comprehensively investigated. Analysis has been made on the weldability ,the different welding procedures ,the mechanical properties, and the fatigue properties, and a set of recommendation guidelines have been proposed for evaluating the welded joints of the extra-high-strength steel. The research and results indicate that the hot-rolled extra-high-strength steel, BS960QC,has good weldability and an excellent adaptability to welding procedures. Further,the excellent mechanical properties and fatigue properties of the welded joints ,which can be achieved by using optimized welding procedures, can completely meet the technical requirements of the construction machinery industry.

Microstructural analysis of the softened zone in the welding joint of 100 kg class hot-rolled extra-high-strength steel

Using the Gleeble 3500 thermal-mechanical system to simulate thermal cycles with different peak temperatures, the hardness and microstructure in the heat-affected zones of two kinds of 100 kg class hot-rolled extra-high-strength steel were compared. When the peak temperature of the thermal cycle was 800℃ ,incomplete transformation occurred during quenching in both steels, and massive martensite and bainite grains were formed. The hardness was determined by the composition and distribution of the microstructure. The concentration of massive martensite was low, and hence the hardness was low,in steel #1. Conversely,the massive martensite content in steel #2 was high and uniformly distributed,resulting in a high hardness. These findings can provide a reference for improving the mechanical properties in the softened zone.

Laser Beam Welding of 600 MPa Quenched and Tempered High-Strength Steel

Conventional fusion arc welding of high-strength quenched and tempered steel can be improved through the use of non-conventional laser beam welding. This article presents the investigations of autogenous bead on plate and butt CO2 Laser Welding (LW) of 7 mm thick high-strength quenched and tempered low alloy SM570 (JIS) steel plates. The influence of laser welding parameters, mainly welding speed, defocusing distance and shielding gas flow rate on the weld profile, i.e., weld zone penetration depth and width, microstructure and mechanical properties of welded joints was determined. All welded joints showed smooth and uniform weld beads free from superficial porosity and undercuts. The selected best welding conditions were a laser power of 5.0 kW, welding speed of 500 mm/min, argon gas shielding flow rate of 30 L/min and a defocusing distance of -0.5 mm. It was observed that these conditions gave complete penetration and minimized the width of the weld bead. The microstructure of the welded joints was evaluated by light optical microscopy. The weld metal (WM) and heat-affected zone (HAZ) near weld metal achieved maximum hardness (355 HV). The tensile fractured samples showed the ductile mode of failure and ultimate tensile strength of 580 MPa.

Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Q690 High-Strength Steel after High Cycle Fatigue Damage

Through the static tensile test of Q690 high-strength steel, the relevant mechanical parameters are obtained and the maximum fatigue load is determined. The fatigue life is measured by the fatigue test under the load. According to the fatigue cumulative damage method, the number of fatigue pre-damage vibration is designed in proportion. Then the fatigue pre-damage test is carried out on the high-strength steel, the stress-strain curve and the variation of residual mechanical property reduction coefficient with fatigue damage were drawn. The results show that: compared with the undamaged specimens, the yield strength and tensile strength of Q690 steel are less affected by fatigue damage, but the elongation changes more significantly, and the elastic modulus is not significantly affected. Finally, through the change of mechanical properties of Q690 high-strength steel with different fatigue damage, it provides a scientific basis for the performance evaluation of existing Q690 high-strength steel structure after fatigue damage.