Mechanical properties and characteristics of nanometer-sized precipitates in hot-rolled low-carbon ferritic steel

The microstructures and properties of hot-rolled low-carbon ferritic steel have been investigated by optical microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and tensile tests after isothermal transformation from 600°C to 700°C for 60 min. It is found that the strength of the steel decreases with the increment of isothermal temperature, whereas the hole expansion ratio and the fraction of high-angle grain boundaries increase. A large amount of nanometer-sized carbides were homogeneously distributed throughout the material, and fine（Ti, Mo）C precipitates have a significant precipitation strengthening effect on the ferrite phase because of their high density. The nanometer-sized carbides have a lattice parameter of 0.411-0.431 nm. After isothermal transformation at 650°C for 60 min, the ferrite phase can be strengthened above 300 MPa by precipitation strengthening according to the Ashby-Orowan mechanism.

Microstructure,crystallography and nucleation mechanism of NANOBAIN steel

The microstructure of bainite ferrite in NANOBAIN steel transformed at different temperatures was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction, and vickers hardness tester in detail. It is found that the average width of bainitic ferrite （BF） plates can be refined to be thinner with the reduction of temperature （473-573 K）, and the bainitic ferrite plates can reach up to 20-74 nm at 473 K. Crystallographic analysis reveals that the bainitic ferrite laths are close to the Nishiyama-Wasserman orientation relationship with their parent austenite. Temperature shows a significant effect on the variant selection, and a decrease in temperature generally weakens the variant selection. Thermodynamic analyses indicates that the Lacher, Fowler and Guggenheim （LFG） model is more suitable than the Kaufman, Radcliffe and Cohen （KRC） model dealing with NANOBAIN steel at a low temperature range. The free energy change △G^γ→BF is about -1500 J.mol^-1 at 473 K, which indicates that nucleation in NANOBAIN steel is the shear mechanism. Finally, the formation of carbon poor regions is thermodynamically possible, and the existence of carbon poor regions can greatly increase the possibility of the shear mechanism.

Effect of interface morphology on the mechanical properties of titanium clad steel plates

Interface morphology has important influence on the bond quality of titanium clad steel plates. The mechanical properties of titanium clad steel plates with wavy and straight interfaces were investigated by tensile-shear tests and bending tests. The interface morphology of the plates was examined by optical microscopy （OM） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The experimental results show that the shear strength of a wavy interface is higher than that of a straight interface. A wavy interface is the guarantee for obtaining high shear strength to provide a greater shear resistance. During the maerobending process, cracks appear in the swirl of the wave tip and ferrotitanium intermetallies. For in-situ observing the bending process by SEM, the wave tip of a wavy interface and the massive ferrotitartium intermetallies of a straight interface are places where cracks initiate and propagate. The results are the same as those observed in the macrobending process. Became of high hardness, the wave tip and the massive ferrotitanium intermetallies are hard in terms of compatible deformation.

Precipitation behaviors of X80 acicular ferrite pipeline steel

The precipitation behaviors of X80 acicular ferrite pipeline steel were investigated by using transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS）. The results show that dendritic precipitates in the as-cast steel slabs precipitate mainly in grain boundaries, and these dendritic precipitates dissolve and re-precipitate to two kinds of carbonitrides： Ti- and Nb-rich （Ti, Nb）（C, N） carbonitrides during reheating. Four types of precipitates mainly exist in the hot rolled plate： Ti-rich carbonitrides resulted from the dendritic carbonitrides undissolved during the reheating process; Ti-rich carbonitrides re-precipitated along austenite grain boundaries during the re-heating process; NbC carbides mainly heterogeneously nucleated on the small pre-existing Nb-rich carbonitrides in the hot rolling process; and NbC carbides precipitated on dislocations during hot rolling.

Effect of Mo content on the thermal stability of Ti-Mo-bearing ferritic steel

The effects of tempering holding time at 700℃on the morphology,mechanical properties,and behavior of nanoparticles in Ti-Mo ferritic steel with different Mo contents were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.The equilibrium solid solution amounts of Mo,Ti,and C in ferritic steel at various temperatures were calculated,and changes in the sizes of nanoparticles over time at different Mo contents were analyzed.The experimental results and theoretical calculations were in good agreement with each other and showed that the size of nanoparticles in middle Mo content nano-ferrite(MNF)steel changed the least during aging.High Mo contents inhibited the maturation and growth of nanoparticles,but no obvious inhibitory effect was observed when the Mo content exceeded 0.37wt%.The tensile strength and yield strength continuously decreased with the tempering time.Analysis of the strengthening and toughening mechanisms showed that the different mechanical properties among the three different Mo content experiment steels were mainly determined by grain refinement strengthening(the difference range was 30-40 MPa)and precipitation strengthening(the difference range was 78-127 MPa).MNF steel displayed an ideal chemical ratio and the highest thermodynamic stability,whereas low Mo content nano-ferrite(LNF)steel and high Mo content nano-ferrite(HNF)steel displayed relatively similar thermodynamic stabilities.

Influence of original microstructure on the transformation behavior and mechanical properties of ultra-high-strength TRIP-aided steel

The transformation behavior and tensile properties of an ultra-high-strength transformation-induced plasticity （TRIP） steel （0.2C-2.0Si-I.SMn） were investigated by different heat treatments for automobile applications. The results show that F-TRIP steel, a tradi- tional TRIP steel containing as-cold-rolled ferfite and pearlite as the original microstructure, consists of equiaxed grains of intercritical ferrite surrounded by discrete particles of M/RA and B. In contrast, M-TRIP steel, a modified TRiP-aided steel with martensite as the original mi- crostlucture, containing full martensite as the original microstructure is comprised of lath-shaped grains of ferrite separated by lath-shaped martensite/retained austenite and bainite. Most of the austenite in F-TRIP steel is granular, while the austenite in M-TRIP steel is lath-shaped. The volume fraction of the retained austenite as well as its carbon content is lower in F-TRIP steel than in M-TRIP steel, and austenite grains in M-TRIP steel are much finer than those in F-TRIP steel. Therefore, M-TRIP steel was concluded to have a higher austenite stability, re- sulting in a lower transformation rate and consequently contributing to a higher elongation compared to F-TRIP steel. Work hardening be- havior is also discussed for both types of steel.

Mechanical properties and wear resistance of ultrafine bainitic steel under low austempering temperature

The mechanical properties and wear resistance of the ultrafine bainitic steel austempered at various temperatures were investigated.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and X-ray diffraction were used to analyze the microstructure.The worn surfaces were observed via laser scanning confocal microscopy and SEM.Results indicated that,under low austempering temperatures,the mechanical properties differed,and the wear resistance remained basically unchanged.The tensile strength of the samples was above 1800 MPa,but only one sample austempered at 230°C had an elongation of more than 10%.The weight loss of samples was approximately linear with the cycles of wear and nonlinear with the loads.The samples showed little difference in wear resistance at different isothermal temperatures,whereas the thickness of their deformed layers varied greatly.The results are related to the initial hardness of the sample and the stability of the retained austenite.Meanwhile,the experimental results showed that the effect of austempering temperature on the wear resistance of ultrafine bainitic steel can be neglected under low applied loads and low austempering temperature.

Effects of ausforming strain on bainite transformation in nanostructured bainite steel

The effects of ausforming strain on bainite transformation in high-carbon low-alloy nanobainite steel were investigated using a Gleeble 3500 thermomechanical simulator machine. The bainite transformation speed at 300°C was found to be accelerated by ausforming at 300, 600, and 700°C under applied strains ranging from 10% to 50% followed by isothermal transformation at 300°C. The ausformed bainite volume fraction varied with the ausforming strain because of the mechanical stabilization of the deformed austenite. Ausforming at low temperatures not only enhanced the bainite ferrite volume fraction but also refined the microstructure substantially. Although the amount of bainite ferrite might have been reduced with increasing strain, the microstructures were refined by ausforming. © 2017, University of Science and Technology Beijing and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Effect of Nb on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties in Non-magnetic High Manganese Steel

Microstructure and mechanical properties of two kinds of non-magnetic high manganese steels with and without Nb addition which experienced the same rolling and heating treatment were investigated by means of scan ning electron microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and tensile test. It was found that the microstructure of the high manganese steel was refined by the Nb addition. Moreover, steel with Nb addition has a higher stacking fault energy which favors the deformation twinning, Twin ning is the most important deformation mechanism in the Nb-bearing steel. Therefore, steel with Nb addition has much higher strength and higher plasticity. The product of tensile strength and total elongation exceeds 61.8 GPa ·%. In addition, steel with Nb addition also has excellent non magnetic property.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Quenching and Partitioning Steel

In order to investigate the effect of microstructural characterization on the mechanical properties and retained austenite stability, a different type of quenching and partitioning steel（I-Q＆P） through intercritical annealing before the quenching and partitioning process was designed, which can realize lamellar intercritical microstructure compared to the conventional quenching and partitioning（Q＆P） process. The morphology of ferrite and martensite/retained austenite is lamellar in the I-Q＆P steel while it is equiaxed after being heat-treated by conventional Q＆P process. The I-Q＆P steel is proved to have better formability and mechanical properties than conventional Q＆P steel, which is due to the highervolume fraction of retained austenite in the I-Q＆P steel and confirmed by electron backscattering diffraction patterns and X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, the stability of retained austenite in I-Q＆P steel is also higher than that in conventional Q＆P steel, which is investigated by tensile tests and differential scanning calorimetry.

Effects of Mn and Cr contents on microstructures and mechanical properties of low temperature bainitic steel

The effects of Mn and Cr contents on bainitic transformation kinetics,microstructures and mechanical properties of high-carbon low alloy steels after austempered at 230,300 and 350 ℃ were determined by dilatometry,optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction and tensile tests. The results showed that Mn and Cr can extend bainitic incubation period and completion time,and with the increase of Mn and Cr content,the bainitic ferrite plate thickness decreased and the volume fraction of retained austenite increased. TRIP（ transformation induced plasticity） effect was observed during tensile testing which improved the overall mechanical property. The increase of Mn concentration can improve the strength to a certain extent,but reduce the ductility. The increase of Cr concentration can improve the ductility of bainitic steels which transformed at a low temperature. The low temperature bainitic steel austempered at 230 ℃ exhibited excellent mechanical properties with ultimate tensile strength of（ 2146 ± 11） MPa and total elongation of（ 12. 95 ± 0. 15） %.

Influence of annealing temperatures on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties in a low-carbon steel

Quenching and partitioning (Q&P) heat treatments with different annealing temperatures and fixed initial quenching tem-peratures were applied to cold-rolled low-carbon steel with the initial microstructure of ferrite and pearlite, aiming to gain the same amount of austenite (preset value) before the partitioning stage. The chemical compositions of the material have been specially designed, containing 1.6 wt.% silicon and 0.8 wt.% aluminum to avoid the precipitation of carbides. The micro-structure evolution of the investigated steel was characterized using a dilatometer, an optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), an X-ray diffractometer, an electron backscattered diffraction and transmission electron microscope. Consequently, the microstructure of all samples looks quite similar. At the same time, according to SEM micrographs and dilatometer data, there are competitive reactions in Q&P process, such as the precipitation of carbides, the transformation of bainite and the formation of secondary martensite. Thus, the measured austenite is less than the preset values. Mechanical properties of the material were detected by uniaxial tensile tests. The results indicate that the ultimate tensile strength of the four groups of samples is similar, but the total elongation has a significant downward tendency with the increase in annealing temperatures. After annealing at 840 ℃, the steel possesses great ultimate tensile strength of about 1200 MPa and optimum total elongation of about 20.37% with favorable products of strength and elongation of about 24.35 GPa%.

Precipitation Strengthening by Nanometer-sized Carbides in Hot-rolled Ferritic Steels

The mechanical properties of the hot-rolled plates of Ti steel and Ti-Mo steel after isothermal transformation in a temperature range of 600 700 ℃ for 60 min have been tested, and the microstructures of the matrix and the characteristics of precipitated nanometer-sized carbides have also been examined by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The precipitation regularity of nanometer-sized carbides has been studied by thermodynamic method and the contributions of corresponding strengthening mechanisms to the total yield strength have been calculated. The tensile strength of hot-rolled Ti-Mo ferritie steel can achieve 780 MPa with an elongation of 20.0% after being isothermally treated at 600 ℃ for 60 rain, and the tensile strength of Ti steel is 605 MPa with an elongation of 22.7%, according to the results of tensile tests. The critical nucleation size of （Ti,Mo）C is smaller than that of TiC at a given isothermal temperature, but the nucleation rate of （Ti, Mo）C is larger than that of TiC. The grainrefinement strengthening and precipitation strengthening contribute the main amount of the total yield strength. The major increase in yield strength with the decrease of isothermal temperature results from the contribution of precipi tation strengthening. The contribution of precipitation strengthening to the yield strength of the steels has been esti mated. The ferrite phase can be strengthened by about 400 MPa through precipitation strengthening in Ti-Mo steel isothermally treated at 600 ℃ for 60 rain, which is about 200 MPa higher than that of Ti steel under the same conditions.

Effect of Annealing Process on Microstructure and Mechanical Property of 1100 MPa Grade TRIP Steel

To develop super-high strength TRIP steel for automobile application with good combination of strength and plasticity, an ultra high-strength TRIP steel 0.2 %C-2.0% Si-1.8% Mn was investigated at different intercritical annealing temperatures and bainitic isothermal temperatures. Microstructures were observed by scanning electron mi- croscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and X-ray diffraction, and mechanical properties were tested under a uniaxial tensile testing machine. It shows that the best comprehensive mechanical properties were obtained for the experimental steel particularly annealed at 820 ℃ and austempered at 410 ℃. Yield strength of the tested steel mainly depends on ferrite, while the high strength of the tested steel is related to mar- tensite which forms through blocky austenite transformation during cooling and subsequent tensile test attributed to the TRIP effect. Hence, it could be concluded that the grain size of the retained austenite and carbon content in re- tained austenite are the main reasons for high elongation of the tested steel.

High-temperature deformation behavior of titanium clad steel plate

In this paper, the single-pass hot compression experiment of titanium clad steel plate was carried out by Gleeble-3500 thermal mechanics simulation test machine,and the effect of deformation temperature(T), strain rate(ε),thickness ratio(k), and friction coefficient(l) on flow pattern of the metal and stress in the deformation zone was analyzed.The results show that the metal flow behavior and the stress during compressive deformation depend strongly on the deformation temperature. At 800 and 850 °C, the bimetal can flow uniformly, while at 900 °C, the TA2 flows faster than Q235 B, and the phenomenon of TA2 wrapping Q235 B is observed. The metal flow of the bimetal material will coordinate each other through the bonding interface. It is noted that the stress increases with the increase of the ε and l and decreases when the metal flows along the contact area.

Microstructure and properties of 1100 MPa grade low-carbon hot-rolled steel by laser welding

The microstructure and mechanical properties of the butt joint of 1100 MPa grade hot-rolled low-carbon steel by laser welding were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, micro-hardness and tensile tests. The yield strength and tensile strength of the laser welded joint reached 100.2 and 99.5% of the base material （BM）, respectively. However, the elongation of the welded joint only reached about 60% of BM. The lowest and highest hardness areas both existed in the incomplete recrystallization zone. The width of the softened area of the welded joint is about 240-260 pro. The element distribution has no obvious change for C, Cr, Si, Mn, Ti, etc.

Ultra-low-carbon steel spheroidization and torsion

Spheroidizing annealing and torsion testing of 0.027 wt% carbon steel rod were conducted to evaluate spheroidization kinetic behavior at 943 K （670 ℃） under deformed and non-deformed states. Kinetic curves were also predicted using the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov equation, and the results agree well with the experimental ones. After spheroidization was performed twice, the spherical cementite and precipitated carbides became smaller and the distribution was more uniform. Comparison of materials subjected to single and double spheroidizing annealing indicated a difference in grain size. Torsion performance was considerably improved under double spheroidization, especially the maximum torque with slight variations.