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.

Influence of Mo on Growth and Coarsening of Nanometer-sized Carbides in Low-alloy Ferritic Steels Containing Ti

By optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, the changes with aging time in size, composition and distribution of nanometer-sized （Ti, Mo）C precipitated in Ti-Mo low-alloy ferritc steel have been studied in comparison with that of nanometer-sized TiC precipitated in Ti low-alloy ferritc steel. It was found that the growth rate of （Ti,Mo）C in Ti-Mo steel was less than that of TiC in Ti steel. Nanometer- sized carbides formed at 650 ~C （or 550 ~C） for 55 h were at transitional stage from growth to coarsening. When aging time reaches 55 h, the coarsening rates of nanometer-sized carbides in Ti and Ti-Mo steel tend to be the same and in- variable. The influence of Mo on growth and coarsening of nanometer-sized carbides tends to decrease with increasing aging time, and Mo contents in nanometer-sized carbides with the same size at different aging time were different.

Strengthening mechanisms of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels:A review

This review summarizes the strengthening mechanisms of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic(RAFM)steels.High-angle grain boundaries,subgrain boundaries,nano-sized M_(23)C_(6),and MX carbide precipitates effectively hinder dislocation motion and increase high-temperature strength.M23C6 carbides are easily coarsened under high temperatures,thereby weakening their ability to block dislocations.Creep properties are improved through the reduction of M23C6 carbides.Thus,the loss of strength must be compensated by other strengthening mechanisms.This review also outlines the recent progress in the development of RAFM steels.Oxide dispersion-strengthened steels prevent M23C6 precipitation by reducing C content to increase creep life and introduce a high density of nano-sized oxide precipitates to offset the reduced strength.Severe plastic deformation methods can substantially refine subgrains and MX carbides in the steel.The thermal deformation strengthening of RAFM steels mainly relies on thermo-mechanical treatment to increase the MX carbide and subgrain boundaries.This procedure increases the creep life of TMT(thermo-mechanical treatment)9Cr-1W-0.06Ta steel by~20 times compared with those of F82H and Eurofer 97 steels under 550℃/260 MPa.

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.

Investigation on the strengthening mechanism of S30432 austenitic heat-resistant steel

From the viewpoint of energy-saving and environment protection,it is necessary to develop Ultra Super Critical(USC) fossil-fired power plants.In order to ensure the reliable operation of power plants under high steam conditions,good mechanical properties(particularly high creep strength),corrosion resistance and fabricability are generally required for the heat resistant steels used in USC boilers.Among these heat-resistant steels,S30432 austenitic heat-resistant steels are of interest due to high creep strength,excellent oxidation and corrosion resistance at temperatures up to 650 -700℃.In this paper,the strengthening mechanism of S30432 austenitic heat-resistant steel was investigated based on the precipitation behavior of S30432 during aging and creep at 650℃.Results show that the microstructure of as-supplied S30432 steel is austenite,the main precipitation consists of only Nb(C,N).After aged for 10 000 h or crept for 10 712 h,there is a slight increase in the size of fine Nb(C,N),but the transformation from Nb(C,N) to NbCrN does not occur.Aging and creep results in the precipitation ofε-Cu and M_(23)C_6.The coarsening velocity ofε-Cu particles diminishes greatly and they are still very fine in the long-term creep range.With the increase of aging and creep time M_(23)C_6 carbides tend to coarsen gradually.The size of M_(23)C_6 is larger and the coarsening is easier in contrast toε-Cu and Nb(C,N).Nb(C,N) precipitates in the as-supplied microstructure,while aging and creep result in the precipitation ofε-Cu and M_(23)C_6.High creep rupture strength of S30432 steel is attributed to the precipitation hardening ofε-Cu,Nb(C,N) and M_(23)C_6.Extremely,ε-Cu plays an important role in improving the creep rupture strength of S30432,and at least 61%of the creep rupture strength of S30432 at 650℃results from the precipitation hardening ofε-Cu particles.

Dissolution Behavior of Delta Ferrites in Martensitic Heat-resistant Steel for Ultra Supercritical Units Blades

The dissolution behavior of delta ferrites in martensitic heat-resistant steel was studied.And the reason why the dissolution rate of delta ferrites decreased with dissolution time was discussed.The experimental results show that the chemical compositions of delta ferrites negligibly change with dissolution time.The decrease of dissolution rate of delta ferrites with dissolution time should be attributed to the change of shape and distribution of delta ferrites.The shape of delta ferrites tends to transfer from polygon to sphere with dissolution time,causing the decrease of specific surface area of delta ferrites.The distribution position of delta ferrites tends to transfer from boundaries of austenite grains to interior of austenite grains with dissolution time,decreasing the diffusion coefficient of alloy atoms.Both them decrease the dissolution rate of delta ferrites.

Strengthening effect of Cu-rich phase precipitation in 18Cr9Ni3CuNbN austenitic heat-resisting steel

The Cu-containing austenitic heat-resistant steel 18Cr9Ni3CuNbN, which is being used as superheater and reheater tube material for modern ultra-super-critical （USC） power plants all over the world, has been investigated at 650 ℃ long time aging till 10 000 h. SEM, TEM and 3DAP （three dimensional atom probe） have been used to follow microstructural changes with mechanical property variations. Experimental results show that Cu-rich phase and MX precipitate in the grains as well as M 23 C 6 precipitates at grain boundaries are the main precipitation strengthening phases in this steel. Among them Cu-rich phase is the most important strengthening phase. Homogeneous distribution of very fine nano-size Cu-rich phase has been formed at very early stage of 650 ℃ aging （less than 1 h）. Cu atoms gradually concentrate to Cu-rich particles and the other elements （such as Fe, Cr, Ni etc） diffuse away from Curich particles to γ-matrix with the increasing of aging time at 650 ？ C. The growth rate of Cu-rich phase at 650 ℃ long time aging is very slow and the average diameters of Cu-rich phase have been determined by TEM method. Cu-rich phase keeps in about 30 nm till 650 ℃ aging for 10 000 h. It shows that nano-size Cu-rich phase precipitation strengthening can be kept for long time aging at 650 ℃ because of its excellent stability at high temperatures. According to structure stability study and mechanical properties determination results the Cu-rich phase precipitation sequence and its strengthening mechanism model have been suggested and discussed.

冷拔小口径16MnNiV无缝钢管的显微组织与力学性能演变规律

16MnNiV钢由16Mn,16MnV钢发展而来,棒坯经热穿孔轧制成为管坯后,再进行冷轧、冷拔和热处理,用于制备高强度小口径的高压油管。通过光学显微镜(OM)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、电子背散射衍射技术(EBSD)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)以及物理化学相分析法研究了在拉拔制管过程中小口径16MnNiV无缝钢管显微组织与力学性能的演变,揭示了其微观组织以及第二相析出的变化规律,并计算了其强化增量,相关结果可以为高强度高压油管的材料研制和性能提升提供参考。结果表明,实验钢在拉拔制管过程中的主要组织为铁素体与珠光体,随着冷拔工艺的进行,实验钢的有效晶粒尺寸呈现减小趋势。从析出情况来看,一次拉拔后退火会增加其析出总量,二次拉拔后退火不改变其析出总量。通过EDS分析得知,析出的第二相粒子为VC。经过冷拔过程以及不同的热处理工艺,实验钢的抗拉强度和屈服强度均逐渐增加,伸长率逐渐降低。强化机理计算可知,由于冷拔过程变形量较大,实验钢屈服强度的提高主要来自于细晶强化的贡献。ϕ6.35 mm×3 mm圆管经过热处理后的抗拉强度达到960 MPa以上,屈服强度达到864 MPa,伸长率达到15.5%,相比于其他16Mn系高压油管产品,力学性能得到较大提升,同时获得了良好的强塑性匹配。

铁素体耐热钢中碳化物对NiAl析出相及力学性能的影响

与传统碳化物强化的铁素体耐热钢不同,新型铁素体耐热钢以NiAl相强化为主,但存在室温脆性大的问题,限制了NiAl强化型铁素体耐热钢的应用。本工作通过增加NiAl强化型铁素体耐热钢中的碳含量,研究碳化物和NiAl析出相的晶界分布及其对钢的力学性能的影响。结果表明,随着碳含量的增加,碳化物的析出量增加,碳化物在晶界处由不连续的块状析出转变为连续均匀分布。碳化物的析出降低了α-Fe基体与NiAl相的错配度,NiAl析出相的尺寸减小约30 nm,面积分数略有降低,钢的硬度、强度和塑性得到提升,该研究将为新型NiAl强化铁素体耐热钢脆性改善提供理论指导。

基于纳米铁碳析出物的钢综合强化机理

简要叙述了关于钢强化机理的研究现状,用化学相分析+X射线小角散射、RTO方法及高分辨透射电镜对薄板坯连铸连轧钛微合金化高强耐候钢中纳米粒子的属性进行了综合分析。发现钛微合金化高强耐候钢中尺寸<36 nm的粒子,除纳米TiC以外,还存在大量的纳米Fe3C,其体积分数为同尺寸TiC体积分数的4.4倍,析出强化作用比纳米TiC粒子大,不可忽略;提出了钢的综合强化机理,指出对不同种类、不同尺寸的纳米析出粒子,应分别根据位错切割和位错绕过机理计算出析出强化贡献,然后与固溶强化和细晶强化贡献加和,求得钢的屈服强度;讨论了细晶强化与位错强化不能加和的原因以及相变对钢强度影响的表现形式,对钛微合金化高强耐候钢屈服强度的理论计算与生产结果相符,实验钢σs=630～676 MPa,实际σs=630～680 MPa。简述了钢综合强化机理的应用情况,指出了有待进一步研究的科学问题。

10Cr9MoVNb钢的组织和性能

以正交设计法研究了热处理工艺对试验钢性能的影响，用透射电子显微镜等手段观察组织、确定析出相的结构和成分。结果表明，该钢经１０５０℃１ｈ正火＋７８０℃１ｈ回火后，具有高的强度和良好的韧性。

890MPa级纳米碳化物强化铁素体高强钢的研制

通过Ti-V-Nb-Mo复合微合金化设计、控轧控冷(TMCP)及合理选择卷取温度,开发出抗拉强度为890 MPa级铁素体高强钢。结果表明,经两阶段控轧后冷却到600℃进行模拟卷取,钢板的屈服强度达到877 MPa,抗拉强度达到950 MPa,伸长率为20.0%,显微组织为均匀细小的多边形铁素体+少量晶界渗碳体。强化机理分析表明,析出强化和细晶强化是铁素体高强钢的主要强化方式,其中析出强化增量高达380 MPa。

超纯铁素体不锈钢26Cr-1Mo轧材脆性的研究

采用测定韧-脆转变的方法,研究了碳化物析出、晶粒尺寸及轧制条件对超纯铁素体不锈钢 26Cr-1Mo 脆性的影响。结果表明:晶粒尺寸及轧后的冷却条件对该钢的DBTT 均有明显影响。轧后空冷的脆性是由于 M_(23)C_6 的析出以及变形组织和 475℃脆性综合作用的结果。

Impact Toughness of Heat-Affected Zones of 11Cr Heat-Resistant Steels

Aiming at the requirements of structural steel in Gen-IV nuclear reactor, the high-chromium martensitic heat-resistant steels containing 10–12% chromium were developed. The toughness of heat-affected zones(HAZs) is one of the important factors for evaluating the weldability of steels. In this paper, the simulated HAZs were fabricated using tempered SIMP steels. The effects of microstructures on the impact toughness of materials were analyzed using Vickers hardness tester, optical microscope, transmission electron microscope. Experimental results demonstrated that the HAZs of weldment were poor in toughness, much lower than that of the base metal. However, after experiencing post-weld heat treatment, the toughness of the HAZs increased greatly. The toughness became better in terms of CG-HAZ, FG-HAZ and IC-HAZ for the two steels, regardless of as-welded or after PWHT. Compared with SIMP7 steel, chemical compositions, such as C, Si, Mn and Cr, were adjusted to a lower content;the toughness of base metal and simulated HAZs was better in the case of SIMP11. The conjunct roles of dislocation density and carbon contents retained in the martensite led to poor impact toughness of the aswelded HAZs, because dislocations and carbon atoms affected the inner stresses within lattices.

铌微合金化HSLA钢铁素体中Nb(C，N)析出强化的研究进展

介绍了含微量铌的高强度低合金(HSLA)钢铁素体中Nb(C,N)析出的数学模型,以及计算经900～1 200℃奥氏体化处理后的铁素体中NbC形核半径、形核率和形核长大率。一些研究者的试验结果表明,Nb的碳氮化物在铁素体上的析出需要较高的位错密度,与奥氏体中形成的NbC相比较,铁素体中形成的NbC相对较少,在680℃卷取钢板的抗拉强度较未经卷取直接空冷至室温的钢板抗拉强度有明显提高。

含Cu-Cr微合金钢650℃回火时第二相析出强化的研究

将含Cu-Cr微合金钢930℃保温30min淬火至室温,随后650℃回火10min～10h。利用光学显微镜(OM)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)研究不同回火时间条件下,样品中组织演变和第二相析出行为。结果表明:回火过程中组织从马氏体和贝氏体逐渐向针状铁素体和多边形铁素体演变;硬度变化曲线上出现2个二次硬化峰值,分别为回火1h和4h时的硬化峰,前者是V和Mo的碳化物析出强化结果,后者是由富Cu相的析出强化所致,V和Mo的碳化物强化产生的硬度值增量大于富Cu相;Cr的碳化物在回火过程中析出长大速度较快,析出强化能力较弱。

动态应变时效处理对SA508-Ⅲ钢组织性能的影响

通过对SA508-Ⅲ钢进行动态应变时效处理,得到了不同应变和应变速率下的显微硬度值,并结合光学显微镜、扫描电镜及透射电镜进行微观组织结构的观察,研究了应变量及应变速率对SA508-Ⅲ钢性能和组织的影响,结果表明:在500℃时,不同应变速率下动态应变时效处理后试样的显微硬度均随应变量的增加而升高,且高应变速率试样的显微硬度均高于低应变速率试样;经过动态应变时效处理,材料的微观组织仍为典型的上贝氏体,未发生明显变化;位错密度随应变的增加而增加,加工硬化效果增强,使得硬度升高;析出的碳化物主要为MC和M23C6(M为Mo,Cr和Mn等)型,且数量随应变增加而增加,沉淀强化效果增加,对材料的显微硬度的变化产生了重要影响。

Ni含量对控轧控冷船舶用Nb-Ti微合金化NiCr钢组织和性能的影响

研究了0.31%Ni和0.88%Ni二种控轧控冷Nb-Ti微合金化NiCr钢的组织和性能。结果表明,船舶用钢控轧控冷获得粒状贝氏体、上贝氏体、针状铁素体、多边形铁素体及少量珠光体等组成的复合组织。控轧控冷造成铁素体晶粒尺寸细化,细小M-A岛增多。二种钢均获得较高的抗拉强度、屈服强度、伸长率和硬度,0.88Ni-0.32Cr钢性能优于0.31Ni-0.33Cr钢。船舶用钢-80℃试样纵向冲击功都在200 J以上,0.88Ni-0.32Cr钢甚至超过了300 J。该钢中最佳的Ni含量为0.88%Ni。由于控轧控冷造成了铁素体细晶强化、M-A岛复合强化、析出强化和位错强化,合金元素镍有效的提高了船舶钢的低温冲击韧性。

利用APT研究铁素体时效钢中富Cu相和碳化物的偏析行为

铁素体时效钢样品经过880℃水淬、660℃调质处理,然后400℃时效4000 h后,利用三维原子探针层析技术(APT)研究了时效钢中晶界和基体中富Cu析出相和碳化物的偏析行为。结果表明:分析区域中Mn、Ni、Mo、C和Cu元素更容易在晶界处偏聚,形成富Cu团簇和碳化物,晶界处的纳米富Cu相为短棒状,其尺寸大小约为6 nm,团簇中的Cu原子含量为40at%。基体中的纳米团簇近似为球状,其尺寸和团簇中的Cu原子的数量密度都比晶界处小。在晶界处析出的富Cu团簇在碳化物之间,形成一种"夹层结构"。此外,富Cu团簇内部有Mn和Ni原子的偏聚,促进富Cu相的析出。

两相区退火热轧中锰钢碳化物析出行为与组织性能研究

采用奥氏体逆相变(ART)退火热处理工艺,研究了退火过程中碳化物析出行为对中锰钢中组织的演变、残余奥氏体含量及力学性能的影响。结果表明,实验钢经ART工艺处理后,获得了铁素体、残余奥氏体与少量马氏体多相组织;退火初期(5 min),碳化物受高密度位错钉扎C、Mn原子的抑制作用,使得逆相奥氏体先于碳化物在原奥氏体边界或马氏体板条界面析出;退火中期(10 min),位错密度因回复快速减小,C、Mn原子扩散激活能增大,促进了大量碳化物析出;随退火时间延长(30~60 min),细小碳化物作为新生奥氏体核心逐渐溶解,残余奥氏体体积分数以及残余奥氏体中C含量提高;伴随碳化物析出与溶解,实验钢屈服强度呈先升高后降低的趋势,而断后伸长率及均匀延伸率呈持续升高趋势,退火60 min时,断后伸长率达到41.1%,均匀延伸率达到34.3%,抗拉强度达到821 MPa,实验钢获得高达33 743 MPa·%的强塑积。