Effect of nitrogen content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of titanium-bearing nonquenched and tempered steel after hot forging

The microstructure and mechanical properties of titanium(Ti)-bearing medium-carbon nonquenched and tempered steel with different nitrogen content before and after hot forging were investigated through smelting,forging,and laboratory tests.The results show that the grain size of nonquenched and tempered steel was gradually refined,and the ferrite content gradually increased with an increase in nitrogen content.The grain size of the material with low nitrogen content increased abnormally,and its impact properties significantly decreased after hot forging.The grain size of nonquenched and tempered steel with higher nitrogen content was slightly larger than that before forging,and the tensile and yield strength increased,but the impact toughness was not significantly reduced.The Ti-bearing nonquenched and tempered steel showed better strength and toughness after hot forging with the addition of 0.010%0.015%nitrogen.

Research into Grinding Hardening of Microalloyed Non-quenched and Tempered Steel

Grinding hardening is a new technology of hardening steel piece surfaces with grinding heat generated in the grinding process instead of with a high or medium frequency induction heating method,which can effectively integrate grinding and surface hardening. Experimental studies were carried out on grinding hardening of non-quenched and tempered steel. Through grinding experiments with variable depths of cut and feeding rate,the variation in the depth of the hardening layer was studied and the microstructure of the hardening zone of the test pieces was subsequently ana-lyzed. In the end,the hardening effect of non-quenched and tempered steel was compared with that of 40Cr steel,which revealed the superiority of non-quenched and tempered steel in grinding hardening technology.

Rotating arc horizontal narrow gap welding of high strength quenched and tempered steel

Rotating arc borizontal narrow gap welding of quenched ＆ tempered （Q＆T） steel was innovatively performed for solving the bottleneck that the molten pool sagged due to the gravity. The shapely multilayer single pass horizontal joint could be obtairzed by using the rotating are welding process. The cold crack was not observed in the joint without controlling the heat input and selecting the consumables intentionally. Microstructure of the joint could be divided into three zones： base metal zone （BMZ） , heat-affected zone （ HAZ） and weld zone （WZ）. Because of the characteristic of the rotating arc horizontal welding process, the defects in the joints were slag inclztsion formed at the interlayer of lower side wall. Tbe tensile strength and hardness of HAZ and WZ were larger than those of BMZ. The impact toughness in WZ, HAZ and BM at 0 % is equal to 11.5, 212 and 236 J, respectively.

Review on regulation of MnS in non-qquenched and tempered steel

An overview of the current research status and control methods of MnS in non-quenched and tempered steel was provided.As a low-melting plastic inclusion,the morphology and distribution of MnS were influenced by various production processes.Therefore,control of MnS is a systematic problem that must be integrated into the entire production process.Based on the production process,the factors affecting the morphology and distribution of MnS in steel were introduced.The effects of oxygen activity,manganese,sulfur,and some alloys on MnS inclusion precipitation were summarized,mainly including MnS modification treatment and oxygen-sulfide composite precipitation control.It is believed that MnS precipitates during the solidification process of steel,and controlling the solidification cooling rate could effectively regulate the size and morphology of MnS,avoiding the precipitation of II-MnS.Additionally,by changing the deformation rate,deformation amount,deformation temperature during the hot deformation process,and heating time and temperature during heat treatment,the distribution and morphology of MnS could be improved.Through the fine control of the above process parameters,the number of II-MnS in steel could be effectively reduced,and their morphology could be improved,thereby enhancing the performance of non-quenched and tempered steel and promoting its wider application.Furthermore,applying laboratory research results to industrial production is an important direction for future research efforts in this field.

Morphological transformation of elongated MnS inclusions in non-quenched and tempered steel during isothermal heating

Elongated MnS inclusions in rolled non-quenched and tempered steel tend to cause the mechanical anisotropy of steel,deteriorate the mechanical properties and degrade the quality and service life of the steel products.To reveal the mechanisms of morphological transformation of strip-shaped MnS inclusions during isothermal heating,the effects of heat treatment time and temperature on the morphology,number density and size distribution of elongated MnS inclusions were systematically studied and discussed.A diffusion couple experiment was also conducted to clarify the diffusion mode of MnS inclusions.The experimental results showed that with the increase in isothermal heating time(from 0 to 10 h at 1473 K)and temperature(from 1173 to 1573 K for 3.0 h),the number density and average aspect ratio of MnS inclusions generally showed an increase and decrease trend,respectively,while the area fraction remained stable and only slightly fluctuated around 0.4%.In the diffusion couple,after the isothermal heating at 1473 K for 3.0 h,the elements Mn and S in the steel near the steel-MnS interface were very stable without any concentration gradient.The morphology change sequence of the elongated MnS inclusions in the rolled non-quenched and tempered steel during the isothermal heating was strip→cylinderization→spindle→spheroidization.Relationship between the diameter of MnS inclusion and the spacing between two MnS inclusions after splitting,and the fitting goodness of different n values under different experimental time and temperature confirmed that the driving force for the transformation of MnS inclusions during the isothermal heating was surface diffusion,instead of volume diffusion.

In situ observation and thermodynamic calculation of MnS in 49MnVS3 non-quenched and tempered steel

Based on thermodynamics calculation, the results of the formation temperature of MnS inclusions of non-quenched and tempered steel during heating process were dis- cussed. It is shown that while the solid fraction is 0.9, MnS inclusions began to precipitate in the final stage of solidification. The solidification process of 49MnVS3 non-quenched and tempered steel during heating has been observed in situ using a confocal scanning laser microscope （CSLM）, which agrees well with the thermody- namics calculation. MnS particles were coarsening during heating process, which would reduce the pinning effect on the austenite grain boundaries and bring about the ~11rtden ~r^wth ~f ,qnrn~ ~11,qtenif.~ ~r^ins in thi~ st~.g~.

Dynamic Fracture Toughness of Armour Grade Quenched and Tempered Steel Joints Fabricated Using Low Hydrogen Ferritic Fillers

The armour grade quenched and tempered steel joints fabricated using low hydrogen ferritic steel （LHF） filler exhibited superior joint efficiency owing to preferential ferrite microstructure in the welds and also they offered required resistance to HIC. However, the combat vehicles used in military operations will be required to operate under a wide range of road conditions ranging from first class to cross country. Structural components in combat vehicles are subjected to dynamic loading with high strain rates during operation. Stress loadings within the vehicle hull of these vehicles are expected to fluctuate considerably and structural cracking especially in welds during the service life of these vehicles can lead to catastrophic failures. Under these conditions, fracture behaviour of high strain rate sensitive structural steels can be better understood by dynamic fracture toughness （K1d）. Hence, an attempt was made to study dynamic fracture toughness of the armour grade quenched and tempered steel and their welds fabricated using LHF consumables. The experimental results indicate that the K1d values of the joints fabricated by shielded metal arc welding （SMAW） are higher than those of the joints fabricated using flux cored arc welding （FCAW） process.

Effect of Nb-V Microalloying on Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Medium Carbon Non-Quenched and Tempered Steel

Based on optical microscope(OM),transmission electron microscope(TEM) and mechanical performance measurement,the microstructures and mechanical properties of Nb-V micro-alloying non-quenched and tempered steels have been studied.The results showed that the microstructure consists of ferrite and pearlite,in which there exists a lot of intragranular ferrite.Niobium carbide is the main form of carbonitrides,Nb-enriched carbonitrides refine grains,V-enriched carbonitrides have precipitation strengthening effect,which promotes the toughness of the studied steel.The mechanical properties for steels 1,2 and 3 have met the standards required by high load automobile crankshaft,in which the comprehensive property for No.2 is the best.

Development of non-quenched and tempered bolt steel

The 8.8 grade non-quenched and tempered bolt steel was studied according to the process conditions of wire rod plant and customer requirments.Three types of experimental steel grades were selected.10MnSiTi Nb and 20Mn2VTi(N) were chosen as the formal steel after several experimemts.

Cold Cracking of Flux Cored Arc Welded Armour Grade High Strength Steel Weldments

In this investigation, an attempt has been made to study the influence of welding consumables on the factors that influence cold cracking of armour grade quenched and tempered （Q＆.T） steel welds. Flux cored arc welding （FCAW） process were used making welds using austenitic stainless steel （ASS） and low hydrogen ferritic steel （LHF） consumables. The diffusible hydrogen levels in the weld metal of the ASS and LHF consumables were determined by mercury method. Residual stresses were evaluated using X-ray stress analyzer and implant test was carried out to study the cold cracking of the welds. Results indicate that ASS welds offer a greater resistance to cold cracking of armour grade Q＆T steel welds.

Experimental Investigation on the Performance of Armour Grade Q&T Steel Joints Fabricated by Flux Cored Arc Welding with Low Hydrogen Ferritic Consumables

Quenched and Tempered （Q＆T） steels are widely used in the construction of military vehicles due to its high strength to weight ratio and high hardness. These steels are prone to hydrogen induced cracking （HIC） and softening in the heat affected zone （HAZ） after welding. The use of austenitic stainless steel （ASS） consumables to weld the above steel was the only available remedy to avoid HIC because of higher solubility for hydrogen in austenitic phase. Recent studies revealed that low hydrogen ferritic （LHF） steel consumables can also be used to weld Q＆T steels, which can give very low hydrogen levels in the weld deposits and required resistance against cold cracking. Hence, in this investigation an attempt has been made to study the performance of armour grade Q＆T steel joints fabricated by flux cored arc welding with LHF steel consumables. Two different consumables namely （i） austenitic stainless steel and （ii） low hydrogen ferritic steel have been used to fabricate the joints by flux cored arc welding （FCAW） process. The joints fabricated by LHF consumable exhibited superior transverse tensile properties due to the presence of ferrite microstructure in weld metal. The joints fabricated by ASS consumable showed higher impact toughness due to the presence of austenitic phase in weld metal microstructure. The HAZ softening in coarse grain heat affected zone （CGHAZ） is less in the joints fabricated using LHF consumable due to the lower heat input involved during fabrication compared to the joints fabricated using ASS consumables.

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.

Mechanical properties of a microalloyed bainitic steel after hot forging and tempering

Mechanical properties of a newly developed microalloyed bainitic steel were investigated after the hot forging, air cooling and tempering process. The microstructure of the as forged bainitic steel mainly consists of granular bainite and -20 vol. % martensite. The fraction of retained austenite remains unchanged until tempering at 200 ℃, above which it decreases significantly. The increase of tempering temperature leads to decreases of both ultimate tensile strength and total elongation but decreases of both yield strength and reduction of area. The maximum and mini- mum values of impact toughness were observed after tempering at around 200 and 400 ℃, respectively. These effects are mainly attributed to the decomposition of martensite/austenite con stituents and the tempering effects in martensite. The tempering of the forged bainitic steel at around 200 ℃ results in an excellent combination of strength and toughness, which is comparable to that of the conventional quenched and-tempered 40Cr steel. Therefore, low-tempering treatment coupled with post-forging residual stress relieving is a feasible method to further improve the mechanical prooerties of the bainitic foging steel.

Thermal stability of retained austenite and mechanical properties of medium-Mn steel during tempering treatment

The thermal stability of retained austenite（RA）and the mechanical properties of the quenched and intercritical annealed 0.1C-5Mn steel with the starting ultrafine lamellar duplex structure of ferrite and retained austenite during tempering within the range from 200 to 500°C were studied by X-ray diffraction（XRD）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM）and tensile testing.The results showed that there was a slight decrease in the RA volume fraction with increasing tempering temperature up to 400°C.This caused a slight increase in the ultimate tensile strength（UTS）and a slight decrease in the total elongation（TE）;thus,the product of UTS to TE（UTS×TE）as high as 31GPa·% was obtained and remained nearly unchanged.However,aportion of the RA began to decompose when tempered at 500°C and thus caused a^35% decrease of the RA fraction and a^16%decrease of the value of UTS×TE.It is concluded that the ultrafine lamellar duplex structure is rather stable and the excellent combination of strength and ductility could be retained with tempering temperature up to 400°C.Thus,thermal processes such as galvanization are feasible for the tested steel provided that their temperatures are not higher than 400°C.

Phase Transformation of a Cold Work Tool Steel during Tempering

The hardness and microstructure evolution of a 8% Cr cold work tool steel during tempering for 40 h were investigated. Transmission electron microscope examinations showed that M_3C carbides precipitated from supersaturated martensite after tempering at 350 ℃. When the tempering temperature was higher than 520 ℃,the M_（23）C_6 carbides precipitated to substitute for M_3C carbides. After ageing at the temperature of 520 ℃ for 40 h,it was observed that very fine and dense secondary Mo_2C precipitates were precipitated. Thus,it can be concluded that the early stage of Mo_2C-carbide precipitation is like to be Gunier-Preston（ G-P） zone formed by [Mo-C] segregation group which is responsible for the secondary hardening peak at 520 ℃. Overageing at 700 ℃ resulted in recovery of martensitic microstructure and precipitation of M_（23）C_6 carbides.When ageing at 700 ℃ for more than 20 h,recrystallization occurred,which resulted in a change of the matrix morphology from martensitic plates to equiaxed ferrite. It was noticed that the size of recrystallized grain / subgrain was very fine,which was attributed to the pinning effect of M_（23）C_6 precipitates.

Effect of rhenium on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of Fe–2.25Cr–1.6W–0.25V-0.1C bainitic steels

A new ferritic creep resistant steel has been developed by eliminating Nb and adding 1.5 mass % Re to a ferritic steel grade T/P23 with the aim of enhancing its mechanical properties at high temperature.Cast ingots of both steels, new grade and ASTM T/P 23, were hot rolled at 900℃ and then submitted to a thermal treatment consisting of solubilization at 1050℃ and tempering at 700℃. Tempered bainitic microstructures obtained contain second phases reinforcing carbide particles, mainly M_6C and M_（23）C_6 at the boundaries of both, prior austenite grains and bainitic ferrite laths, as well as MC within the grains. Mechanical properties at temperatures ranging from 540 to 600℃ were studied by strain-ratechange tests in compression at strain rates between 10^（-7） and 10^（-4）s^（-1）. These tests showed high stress exponents（n ≥ 20） and activation energies（Q ≈ 400 k J/mol） for both alloys, which were associated with a dislocation movement mechanism with a strong interaction between dislocations and precipitates. On the other hand, a creep exponent of 5 was derived for the stress dependence of minimum creep rate from conventional-type creep tests at 600℃. Although this stress exponent is usually related to a dislocation climb controlled creep mechanism, remarkable microstructural degradation observed with increasing creep time makes difficult to elucidate the true deformation mechanism controlling creep.

In-situ TEM Observation of Cementite Coarsening Behavior of 5Mn Steel during Tempering

The cementite formation and coarsening behaviors of 0. 2 mass% C-5 mass% Mn steel during tempering at 500℃ were investigated by in-situ transmission electron microscope（ TEM）. In-situ TEM observation showed uniform distribution of cementite particles at the early stage of tempering in the rapidly heated（ 500 ℃ / s） sample. Elemental analysis confirmed that the cementite growth was dominated by Mn diffusion. During the cementite growth,the coarsening behavior of intragranular cementite was significantly controlled by the matrix diffusion,while that of the intergranular cementite was mainly governed by the boundary diffusion. The in-situ TEM observation revealed that the dislocation pipe diffusion of Mn took place during tempering,which accelerated the Mn diffusion between cementite particles. The coarsening rates of individual cementite particles were calculated based on the in-situ TEM observation.