Recent progress in third-generation low alloy steels developed under M^3 microstructure control

During the past thirty years, two generations of low alloy steels(ferrite/pearlite followed by bainite/martensite) have been developed and widely used in structural applications. The third-generation of low alloy steels is expected to achieve high strength and improved ductility and toughness, while satisfying the new demands for weight reduction, greenness, and safety. This paper reviews recent progress in the development of third-generation low alloy steels with an M^3 microstructure, namely, microstructures with multi-phase, meta-stable austenite, and multi-scale precipitates. The review summarizes the alloy designs and processing routes of microstructure control, and the mechanical properties of the alloys.The stabilization of retained austenite in low alloy steels is especially emphasized. Multi-scale nano-precipitates, including carbides of microalloying elements and Cu-rich precipitates obtained in third-generation low alloy steels, are then introduced. The structure–property relationships of third-generation alloys are also discussed. Finally, the promises and challenges to future applications are explored.

Performance of the Aluminide Coating of SomeLow Alloy Steels

Two low alloy steels 0.5Cr-0.5Mo-0.25V and H85 were pack-aluminized at 900°for 4 h by using Fe-Al powder mixture containing 48% Fe, 20.6% Al- 29.4% Al2O3 and 2% NH4Cl by weight. The microhardness and oxidation resistance at 900℃ of the aluminide coatings were studied. It was found that pack-aluminizing improves the microhardness of the 0.5Cro.5Mo-0.25V steel while it reduces the microhardness of the H85 steel. Pack aluminizing highly improves the oxidation resistance after 20h exposure at 900℃ in air for the investigated steels.

Influence of chromium on the initial corrosion behavior of low alloy steels in the CO_2–O_2–H_2S–SO_2 wet–dry corrosion environment of cargo oil tankers

The influence of Cr on the initial corrosion behavior of low-alloy steels exposed to a CO2–O2–H2S–SO2 wet–dry corrosion environment was investigated using weight-loss measurements, scanning electron microscopy, N2 adsorption tests, X-ray diffraction analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that the corrosion rate increases with increasing Cr content in samples subjected to corrosion for 21 d. However, the rust grain size decreases, its specific surface area increases, and it becomes more compact and denser with increasing Cr content, which indicates the enhanced protectivity of the rust. The results of charge transfer resistance(Rct) calculations indicate that higher Cr contents can accelerate the corrosion during the first 7 d and promote the formation of the enhanced protective inner rust after 14 d; the formed protective inner rust is responsible for the greater corrosion resistance during long-term exposure.

Abrasive Wear Characteristics of Carbon and Low Alloy Steels for Better Performance of Farm Implements

The low stress abrasion behaviours of heat treated mild, medium carbon and high C - low Cr steels, which are generally used in making farm implements, have been investigated. The simple heat treatment greatly improves the hardness, tensile strength and abrasion resistance of medium carbon and high C - low Cr steels. The results indicate that the material removal during abrasion is controlled by a number of factors, such as hardness, chemical composition, microstructure and heat treatment conditions. The conclusion is that the heat treated high C - low Cr steel and mild steel carburized by using coaltar pitch provide the best hardness and abrasion resistance and thus appear to be the most suitable materials for making agricultural tools.

Thermodynamic Calculation of A_(r3) Temperature inLow Alloy Steels

On the basis of superelement model, Cahn's transformation kinetics theory and Scheil's additivity rule, actual γ/α transformation start temperature, A.3 in Fe-Σ Xi-C (Xi=Mn, Si, Ni, Mo etc.)multi-component low alloy Steels during continuous cooling process was calculated. Influences of chemical composition, hot deformation of γ and cooling rate on Ar3 temperature were analyzed. Calculated Ar3 temperatures are in reasonable agreement with measured ones.

PHASE TRANSFORMATION UNIT OF BAINITIC FERRITE AND ITS SURFACE RELIEF IN LOW AND MEDIUM CARBON ALLOY STEELS

The lath-or plate-shaped bainitic ferrite of low and medium carbon alloy steels consists of packets of ferrite sublaths which are composed of many finer and regular ferrite blocks.They are uniform shear growth units of bainitic phase transformation.No carbide is precipitated from them.The bainitic O-carbides are precipitated from γ-α interface or carbon-rich austenite.The mode of arrangement of the units in ferrite sublath packet is in uni-or bi-di- rection.Single surface relief is produced by the accumulation of uniform shear strains with all the ferrite units arranged unidirectionally in a sublath packet,while tent-shaped surface relief is formed by the integration of the uniform shear strains of two groups with ferrite units piling up in two directions and growing face to face;whereas if they grow back to back,the integra- tion will be responsible for invert-tent-shaped surface relief.The interface trace between two groups of ferrite units in a sublath packet is shown as“midrib”.

Thermal Activation Analyses of Dynamic FractureToughness of High Strength Low Alloy Steels

A formula is derived for determining the influence of temperature and loading rate on dynamic fracture toughness of a high strength low alloy steel (HQ785C) from thermal activation analysis of the experimental results of three-point bend specimens as well as introducing an Arrhenius formula. It is shown that the results obtained by the given formula are in good agreement with the experimental ones in the thermal activation region. The present method is also valuable to describe the relationship between dynamic fracture toughness and temperature and loading rate of other high strength low alloy steels.

Incubation and development of corrosion in microstructures of low alloy steels under a thin liquid film of NaCl aqueous solution

Electrochemical measurement, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were employed to investigate the corrosion behavior of some low alloy steels. The steels were held under a thin liquid film of 0.5wt% NaCl aqueous solution. It is found that the steels with the same chemical composition but different micmstructures exhibit obviously different corrosion behaviors. However, the corrosion behavior of the steels with different compositions but the same microstructnres may be similar in the present investigation. The corrosion rate of bainite is slower than that of ferrite and pearlite. The corrosion products of bainite are uniform and fine. The size of carbon-rich phases produces a great impact on the corrosion of the steels, whether in the initial stage or in the long tenn. It is easy to induce large pitting for carbon-rich phases with large size, which damages the compactness of the rust layer.

Carbon Equivalent Fundamentals in Evaluating the Weldability of Microalloy and Low Alloy Steels

Understanding the weldability of steel in relation to the use of carbon equivalent is very necessary for the welding industry. The study was poised to unearth the fundamentals of carbon equivalent as applied in evaluating the weldability of steel. The study used a two-stage design approach to address the problem of carbon equivalence weldability of steel, thus, survey and experimental. Two different steels were tested to ascertain their chemical composition which could inform carbon equivalent calculation, and the results revealed microalloy and low alloy steels respectively. In subjecting the microalloy steel to carbon equivalent analyses of the AWS and IIW coefficients;revealed a value (CEV) = 0.11 each, suggesting that this microalloy steel has excellent weldability;no preheating is required. A successful welding operation on this steel does not depend on preheating. Also, the average results of the low alloy steel revealed a value (CEV) = 0.37 and 0.32 respectively, suggesting that this type of steel has very good weldability and may require to preheat. It is recommended that welders have a general idea about the weldability of steel with regard to carbon equivalent calculation. In addition, they should understand the chemical compositions of steels they are dealing with.

Dry friction and wear characteristics of MoSi_2 against alloy steels

The dry friction and wear characteristics of three kinds of friction couplesunder different loads, MoSi_2/45 tempered steel, MoSi_2/45 quenched steel, and MoSi_2/CrWMn steel,were investigated by using a friction and wear tester. SEM and X-ray diffraction were employed toanalyze the microphotograph of the worn surface and the phase of worn pieces in order to reveal thewear mechanisms of MoSi_2 material. The results show that MoSi_2/CrWMn steel friction pair has gooddry friction and wear properties under the load of 80 N, where the friction coefficient is 0.255 andthe wear rate of MoSi_2 is only 14.72 mg centre dot km^(-1). But under the load of 150 N, it isMoSi_2/45 tempered steel friction pair that has good tribological properties, where the frictioncoefficient is 0.278 and the wear rate of MoSi_2 is only 10.6 mg centre dot km^(-1). The main wearmechanism of MoSi_2 under low loads is brittle fracture. With the increase of load, the main wearmechanism of MoSi_2 against 45 quenched steel or CrWMn steel is adhesive wear. However, the wearmechanism of MoSi_2 against 45 tempered steel is changed from oxidation-fatigue wear to adhesivewear.

Effects of stress ratio on the temperature-dependent high-cycle fatigue properties of alloy steels

This paper addresses the effects of stress ratio on the temperature-dependent high-cycle fatigue （HCF） properties of alloy steels 2CrMo and 9CrCo, which suffer from substantial vibrational loading at small stress amplitude, high stress ratio, and high frequency in the high-temperature environments in which they fimcfion as blade and rotor spindle materials in advanced gas or steam turbine engines. Fatigue tests were performed on alloy steels 2CrMo and 9CrCo subjected to constant-amplitude loading at four stress ratios and at four and three temperatures, respectively, to determine their temperature-dependent HCF properties. The interaction mechanisms between high temperature and stress ratio were deduced and compared with each other on the basis of the results of fractographic analysis. A phenomenological model was developed to evaluate the effects of stress ratio on the temperature-dependent HCF properties of alloy steels 2CrMo and 9CrCo. Good correlation was achieved between the predictions and actual experiments, demonstrating the practical and effective use of the proposed method.

Corrosion behavior of low alloy steels in a wet–dry acid humid environment

The corrosion behavior of corrosion resistant steel（CRS） in a simulated wet–dry acid humid environment was investigated and compared with carbon steel（CS） using corrosion loss, polarization curves, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, electron probe micro-analysis（EPMA）, N2 adsorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）. The results show that the corrosion kinetics of both steels were closely related to the composition and compactness of the rust, and the electrochemical properties of rusted steel. Small amounts of Cu, Cr, and Ni in CRS increased the amount of amorphous phases and decreased the content of γ-Fe OOH in the rust, resulting in higher compactness and electrochemical stability of the CRS rust. The elements Cu, Cr, and Ni were uniformly distributed in the CRS rust and formed CuFeO2, Cu2O, CrOOH, NiFe2O4, and Ni2O3, which enhanced the corrosion resistance of CRS in the wet–dry acid humid environment.

Research and Practice of Production Technology for High Performance Low Alloy Steels in WISCO

The product system of high strength low alloy steels (HSLA) produced by Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corporation (WISCO) was presented.A series of high performance structural steels have been developed for important construction projects around the world in different areas,such as bridge,pressure vessel,pipe line,shipbuilding,architecture,machinery and railway wagons.In order to promote the development of large heat input welding steel,high grade thick pipeline steel and long span bridge steel,a lot of advanced production technologies have been achieved through intensive investigation,such as the control of high purity,high homogenization and free defects in steel slabs,the rules of high melting point particle formation and distribution in micro and nano scale during steel production,and the TMCP technology for ultra low carbon bainite steel for medium and heavy plates.WISCO will carry on research and application of economic and weather-resistant steels and promote the developing and producing technologies of HSLA steel.

Fracture mode identification of low alloy steels and cast irons by electron back-scattered diffraction misorientation analysis

The fracture modes of low alloy steels and cast irons under tensile and fatigue conditions were identified by electron back-scattered diffraction（EBSD） misorientation analysis in this research. The curves of grain reference orientation deviation（GROD） distribution perpendicular to the fracture surface were obtained by EBSD observation, and the characteristics of each fracture mode were identified. The GROD value of the specimen fractured in tension decreases to a constant related to the elongation of corresponding specimen in the far field（farther than 5 mm away from the fracture surface）. The peak exhibits in GROD curves of two smooth specimens and a notched specimen near the fracture surface（within 5 mm away from the fracture surface）, and the formation mechanisms were discussed in detail based on the influences of specimen geometries（smooth or notched） and material toughness. The GROD value of fatigue fractured specimen is close to that at undeformed condition in the whole field, except the small area near the crack path. The loading conditions（constant stress amplitude loading or constant stress intensity factor range K loading） and the EBSD striation formation during fatigue crack propagation were also studied by EBSD observation parallel to the crack path.

In situ observation of austenite grain growth behavior in the simulated coarse-grained heat-affected zone of Ti-microalloyed steels

The austenite grain growth behavior in a simulated coarse-grained heat-affected zone during thermal cycling was investigated via in situ observation. Austenite grains nucleated at ferrite grain boundaries and then grew in different directions through movement of grain boundaries into the ferrite phase. Subsequently, the adjacent austenite grains impinged against each other during the α→γtransformation. After the α→γ transformation, austenite grains coarsened via the coalescence of small grains and via boundary migration between grains. The growth process of austenite grains was a continuous process during heating, isothermal holding, and cooling in simulated thermal cycling. Abundant finely dispersed nanoscale TiN particles in a steel specimen containing 0.012wt% Ti effectively retarded the grain boundary migration, which resulted in refined austenite grains. When the Ti concentration in the steel was increased, the number of TiN particles de- creased and their size coarsened. The big particles were not effective in pinning the austenite grain boundary movement and resulted in coarse austenite grains.

Data mining to effect of key alloying elements on corrosion resistance of low alloy steels in Sanya seawater environmentAlloying Elements

In this paper,the relationship model between seawater environment,chemical composition and corrosion potential of low alloy steel is established and the distribution of corrosion potential of low alloy steel with changes in key alloying elements is excavated.The research was carried out with the following steps:Firstly,the relationship model between corrosion potential of low alloy steel and its influencing factors was established by data dimension reduction and artificial neural network(ANN).Secondly,key alloying elements of experimental steels were selected out by Pearson correlation analysis,then the corrosion resistance element model was visualized to show the effect of key alloying elements on corrosion potential of low alloy steel.Finally,corrosion potential of low alloy steel with the change of key alloying elements was classified and visualized by classification method.The mining results can reflect the validity of the proposed mining methods to a certain extent and provide an intuitive data basis for the development of high-quality and low-cost low alloy steels.

Hot ductility behavior of V-N and V-Nb microalloyed steels

The hot ductility of V-N and V-Nb microalloyed steels was investigated on a Gleeble-1500 thermomechanical simulator, and the results were compared with those of V and Nb microalloyed steels. A ductility trough is found in both the steels in the temperature range of 700 to 1050℃. Compared to the V steel, the V-N steel has a wider and deeper ductility trough with the increase of N content, due to the in- creased precipitation of V（C, N） in the steel. Above 930℃, when 0.047wt% V is added to the 0.028wt% Nb-containing steel, the ductility becomes worse, owing to the rise of the onset dynamic recrystallization temperature. However, the ductility gets better at 800 to 930℃ be- cause of the coarsening of precipitates in austenite. With the improvement in ductility, the fracture mechanism is changed from intergranular to high ductile fracture in the temperature range of 800 to 1050℃.

A Transmission Electron Microscopy Study of Plate Martensite Formation in High-carbon Low Alloy Steels

The martensitic microstructures in two high-carbon low alloy steels have been investigated by classical and automated crystallographic analysis under a transmission electron microscope. It is found that the martensitic substructure changes from consisting mostly of transformation twins for 1.20 mass% carbon （C） steel to both transformation twins and planar defects on {101}M for 1.67 mass% C steel. In the 1.67 mass% C steel it is further found that small martensite units have a rather homogeneous substructure, while large martensite units are more inhomogeneous. In addition, the martensite units in both steels are frequently found to be of zigzag patterns and have distinct crystallographic relationships with neighboring martensite units, e.g. kink or wedge couplings. Based on the present findings the development of martensite in high-carbon low alloy steels is discussed and a schematic of the martensite formation is presented. Moreover, whether the schematic view can be applied to plate martensite formation in general, is discussed.

Influence of Ti on Weld Microstructure and Mechanical Properties in Large Heat Input Welding of High Strength Low Alloy Steels

The influence of Ti on weld microstructure and mechanical properties in large heat input welding of high strength low alloy steels is investigated. The results indicate that a moderate amount of Ti is still effective for grain refinement even under larger heat input and a large amount of acicular ferrite （AF） is formed in the weld metal when Ti content is within 0. 028%--0. 038%. With increasing Ti content, proeutectoid ferrite in the weld metal decreases, whereas bainite and M-A constituent increase. The type of inclusion in the welds varies from Mn-Si-AI-O to Ti-Mn- A1-O and finally to Ti-A1-O as Ti content increases from 0 up to 0. 064%. As for adding 0. 028%--0. 038% Ti, high weld toughness could be attained since most inclusions less than 2 tim which contain Ti20s provide the effective nu- clei for aeicular ferrite formation. However, the toughness of the weld metals severely reduces when Ti content is over the optimum ranRe of 0. 028%--0. 038%.

Effect of Boron on CGHAZ Microstructure and Toughness of High Strength Low Alloy Steels

Effect of boron on the microstructure and impact toughness in the coarse-grained heat-affected zone（CGHAZ）of two high strength low alloy steels,boron-free and boron-containing,was investigated by means of weld thermal simulation test.The result shows that,for the boron-free steel,a microstructure consisting of grain boundary ferrite degenerates pearlite and granular bainite for longer t8/5（the cooling time from 800 to 500 ℃）,while lath bainite for shorter t8/5.For the boron-containing steel,granular bainite is dominant for a wide range of t8/5.Continuous cooling transformation（CCT）study on the CGHAZ indicates that the transformation start temperature decreases by about 50-100℃under different t8/5,for the boron-containing steel compared with the boron-free steel.The presence of boron suppresses the nucleation of ferrite at prior austenite grain boundaries and hence enlarges the range of t8/5for granular bainite transformation.However,the addition of boron deteriorates the impact toughness of CGHAZ,which may be due to a markedly increased fraction of martensite-austenite（M-A）constituents and decreased fraction of high angle grain boundaries.