The delayed fracture behavior of medium carbon high strength spring steel containing different amounts of boron （0. 000 5%, 0. 001 6 %） was studied using sustained load delayed fracture test. The results show that d...The delayed fracture behavior of medium carbon high strength spring steel containing different amounts of boron （0. 000 5%, 0. 001 6 %） was studied using sustained load delayed fracture test. The results show that delayed fracture resistance of boron containing steels is higher than that of conventional steel 60Si2MnA at the same strength level and it increases with the increase of boron eontent from 0. 000 5% to 0. 001 6%. The delayed fracture mode is mainly intergranular in the boron containing steels tempered at 350℃, which indicates that the addition of boron does not change the fracture character. However, the increase of boron content enlarges the size of the crack initia tion area. Further study of phase analysis indicates that most boron is in solid solution, and only a very small quantity of boron is in the M3 （C, B） phase.展开更多
The application of the hot-rolled micronlloyed medium-carbon steel is limited due to its lower toughness compared with quenched and tempered steels.A high strength microalloyed medium-carbon steel has been developed t...The application of the hot-rolled micronlloyed medium-carbon steel is limited due to its lower toughness compared with quenched and tempered steels.A high strength microalloyed medium-carbon steel has been developed to meet the increasing demand for eliminating heat treatment.The effects of chemical compositions,hot-deforming temperatures and cooling rates after hot-deforming on mechanical properties of the steel were investigated.Attention was given to the steel toughness above the required value for safety components in application.The basic microstructural variables controlling the properties were discussed.It is demonstrated that toughness and machinability can be improved through the addition of 0.5%Si,0.5%S and 0.01%Ti.Toughness can be further improved by controlling hot-deforming temperature and subsequent cooling rate.展开更多
This paper presents a study of the quasistatic and dynamic deformation behaviors of conventional and microalloyed medium-carbon steels in a wide temperature range. As strain rate increased, the flow stress increased a...This paper presents a study of the quasistatic and dynamic deformation behaviors of conventional and microalloyed medium-carbon steels in a wide temperature range. As strain rate increased, the flow stress increased at room temperature, but occasionally did not at elevated temperatures. The flow stress of the microalloyed steel containing precipitates was less sensitive to strain rate at room temperature than that of the conventional steel due to a relatively larger activation length. Microstructural observation of the steels deformed after compression test indicated that inhomogeneous deformation became more serious with increasing strain rate and temperature without fracturing in the highly localized region.展开更多
The effect of Al on the morphology of MnS in medium-carbon non-quenched and tempered steel was investigated at three different cooling rates of 0.24, 0.43, and 200°C·s^-1. The formation mechanisms of three t...The effect of Al on the morphology of MnS in medium-carbon non-quenched and tempered steel was investigated at three different cooling rates of 0.24, 0.43, and 200°C·s^-1. The formation mechanisms of three types of MnS were elucidated based on phase diagram information combined with crystal growth models. The morphology of MnS is governed by the precipitation mode and the growth conditions. A monotectic reaction and subsequent fast solidification lead to globular Type I MnS. Type II MnS inclusions with different morphological characteristics form as a result of a eutectic reaction followed by the growth in the Fe matrix. Type III MnS presents a divorced eutectic morphology. At the cooling rate of 0.24°C·s^-1, the precipitation of dispersed Type III MnS is significantly enhanced by the addition of 0.044wt% acid-soluble Al（Als）, while Type II MnS clusters prefer to form in steels with either 0.034wt% or 0.052wt% Als. At the relatively higher cooling rates of 200°C·s^-1 and 0.43°C·s^-1, the formation of Type I and Type II MnS inclusions is promoted, and the influence of Al is negligible. The results of this work are expected to be employed in practice to improve the mechanical properties of non-quenched and tempered steels.展开更多
The influence of soaking time in deep cryogenic treatment on the tensile and impact properties of low-alloy medium-carbon HY-TUF steel was investigated in this study. Microstructural studies based on phase distributio...The influence of soaking time in deep cryogenic treatment on the tensile and impact properties of low-alloy medium-carbon HY-TUF steel was investigated in this study. Microstructural studies based on phase distribution mapping by electron backscatter diffraction show that the deep cryogenic process causes a decrease in the content of retained austenite and an increase in the volume fraction of η-carbide with increasing soaking time up to 48 h. The decrease in the content of retained austenite from ~1.23vol% to 0.48vol% suggests an isothermal martensitic transformation at 77 K. The η-type precipitates formed in deep cryogenic-treated martensite over 48 h have the Hirotsu and Nagakura orientation relation with the martensitic matrix. Furthermore, a high coherency between η-carbide and the martensitic matrix is observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The variations in macrohardness, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and ductility with soaking time in the deep cryogenic process show a peak/plateau trend.展开更多
A medium-carbon low-alloy steel with designed chemical composition was investigated.The steel exhibits an excellent product of strength and elongation value of 31,832 MPa%through quenching and partitioning treatment,w...A medium-carbon low-alloy steel with designed chemical composition was investigated.The steel exhibits an excellent product of strength and elongation value of 31,832 MPa%through quenching and partitioning treatment,with a tensile strength of 1413 MPa and elongation of 22%.X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy characterizations confirm that the retained austenite in the specimens undergoes stress-induced phase transformation to the martensite and hexagonal phases,namely the transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP)effect is triggered.This TRIP effect,triggered by the stress-induced phase transition of retained austenite,is responsible for the excellent mechanical properties obtained in the steel.For further investigating the stress-induced phase transition mechanism,thermodynamic methods are applied.Gibbs free energy of face-centered cubic-Fe,ε-Fe,ω-Fe and body-centered cubic-Fe associated with the stress-induced phase transition was calculated using molecular dynamics simulations,and a calculation method of strain energy in thermodynamic units for the stress-induced martensitic transformation is presented.The final results reveal the process and thermodynamic mechanism of stress-induced martensitic transformation in medium-carbon steels,in which the hexagonal phase can participate in the process as an intermediate product.展开更多
The microstructure evolution and properties of medium-carbon cast steel alloyed with different Ni contents after tempering at various temperatures have been investigated.The addition of 0.47-1.59 wt.%Ni content result...The microstructure evolution and properties of medium-carbon cast steel alloyed with different Ni contents after tempering at various temperatures have been investigated.The addition of 0.47-1.59 wt.%Ni content results in the formation of 16%-36% retained austenite(RA).The blocky and irregular-polygonal RA mainly forms along the prior austenite grain boundaries,and the tempering temperature does not affect the RA content.The hardness of medium-carbon cast steel is affected by the precipitation of carbides and the hardness of martensite.Excessive RA content is the main cause of intergranular impact rupture and low impact energy.The long-strip carbides formed after tempering at 320℃ would further reduce the impact energy of medium-carbon cast steel.When tempering at 220 and 380℃,the increase in impact energy is attributed to the formation of rod-like and spherical carbides and the low-carbon martensite.For the medium-carbon cast steel with high impact energy,its impact-abrasive wear resistance is more excellent.Micro-cutting and delamination are the primary wear mechanisms.展开更多
A new process involving ultra-fast cooling（UFC）and on-line tempering（OLT）was proposed to displace austempering process,which usually implements in a salt/lead bath and brings out serious pollution in the industria...A new process involving ultra-fast cooling（UFC）and on-line tempering（OLT）was proposed to displace austempering process,which usually implements in a salt/lead bath and brings out serious pollution in the industrial application.The optimization of the new process,involving the evolution of the microstructure of medium-carbon steel during various cooling paths,was studied.The results show that the cooling path affected the final microstructure in terms of the fraction of pearlite,grain size and distribution of cementite in pearlite.Increasing the cooling rate or decreasing the OLT temperature contributes to restraining the transformation from austenite to ferrite,and simultaneously retains more austenite for the transformation of pearlite.It is also noted that bainite was observed in the microstructure at the cooling rate of 45℃/s and the OLT temperature of 500℃.Through either increasing the cooling rate or decreasing the OLT temperature,the distribution of cementite in pearlite is more dispersed and grain is refined.Taking the possibility of industrial applications into account,the optimal process of cooling at 45℃/s followed by OLT at 600℃ after hot rolling was determined,which achieves a microstructure containing nearly full pearlite with an average grain size of approximately 7μm and a homogeneously dispersed distribution of cementite in pearlite.展开更多
The microstructure and mechanical properties of NiCrMoV-and NiCrSi-alloyed medium-carbon steels were investigated after multiple tempering. After austenitising, the steels were hardened by oil quenching and subsequent...The microstructure and mechanical properties of NiCrMoV-and NiCrSi-alloyed medium-carbon steels were investigated after multiple tempering. After austenitising, the steels were hardened by oil quenching and subsequently double or triple tempered at temperatures from 250 to 500 °C. The samples were characterised using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, while the mechanical properties were evaluated by Vickers hardness testing, V-notched Charpy impact testing and tensile testing. The results showed that the retained austenite was stable up to 400 °C and the applied multiple tempering below this temperature did not lead to a complete decomposition of retained austenite in both steels. It was also found that the microstructure, hardness and impact toughness varied mainly as a function of tempering temperature,regardless of the number of tempering stages. Moreover, the impact toughness of NiCrMoV steel was rather similar after single/triple tempering at different temperatures, while NiCrSi steel exhibited tempered martensite embrittlement after single/double tempering at 400 °C. The observed difference was mainly attributed to the effect of precipitation behaviour due to the effect of alloying additions in the studied steels.展开更多
An unqualifed six-cylinder heavy truck crankshaft has been studied to investigate the cause of magnetic particle testing defects on the rod journals.Large-sized long-striped MnS inclusions are regarded as the major ca...An unqualifed six-cylinder heavy truck crankshaft has been studied to investigate the cause of magnetic particle testing defects on the rod journals.Large-sized long-striped MnS inclusions are regarded as the major cause for the magnetic particle testing failure because they have been detected in situ under the magnetic particle indications.Through the observation of macroscopic structures of the rod journals and corresponding counterweight blocks,it is found that for the 1#and 3#rod journals,the center metal of the original hot-rolled bar has been extruded to the inboard edge of the rod journals and large-sized long-striped MnS inclusions are exposed on the surface after fash removal,leading to the failure of magnetic particle testing.As for the 2#rod journal,the center metal of the original bar has not been extruded to the surface and MnS inclusions on the rod journal surface are small in size,few in number,resulting in passing the magnetic particle testing.If the quality of the hot-rolled bars fuctuates,it is more recommended to apply magnetic particle testing on samples at the center of bars before forging to evaluate the severity of defects caused by the long-striped MnS inclusions for fear of the scrap of the fnal crankshafts.展开更多
基金Item Sponsored by National Key Fundamental Research and Development Programme of China (2004CB619104)
文摘The delayed fracture behavior of medium carbon high strength spring steel containing different amounts of boron （0. 000 5%, 0. 001 6 %） was studied using sustained load delayed fracture test. The results show that delayed fracture resistance of boron containing steels is higher than that of conventional steel 60Si2MnA at the same strength level and it increases with the increase of boron eontent from 0. 000 5% to 0. 001 6%. The delayed fracture mode is mainly intergranular in the boron containing steels tempered at 350℃, which indicates that the addition of boron does not change the fracture character. However, the increase of boron content enlarges the size of the crack initia tion area. Further study of phase analysis indicates that most boron is in solid solution, and only a very small quantity of boron is in the M3 （C, B） phase.
文摘The application of the hot-rolled micronlloyed medium-carbon steel is limited due to its lower toughness compared with quenched and tempered steels.A high strength microalloyed medium-carbon steel has been developed to meet the increasing demand for eliminating heat treatment.The effects of chemical compositions,hot-deforming temperatures and cooling rates after hot-deforming on mechanical properties of the steel were investigated.Attention was given to the steel toughness above the required value for safety components in application.The basic microstructural variables controlling the properties were discussed.It is demonstrated that toughness and machinability can be improved through the addition of 0.5%Si,0.5%S and 0.01%Ti.Toughness can be further improved by controlling hot-deforming temperature and subsequent cooling rate.
文摘This paper presents a study of the quasistatic and dynamic deformation behaviors of conventional and microalloyed medium-carbon steels in a wide temperature range. As strain rate increased, the flow stress increased at room temperature, but occasionally did not at elevated temperatures. The flow stress of the microalloyed steel containing precipitates was less sensitive to strain rate at room temperature than that of the conventional steel due to a relatively larger activation length. Microstructural observation of the steels deformed after compression test indicated that inhomogeneous deformation became more serious with increasing strain rate and temperature without fracturing in the highly localized region.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51174020 and 51374018)the National High-Tech Research and Development Program of China (No. 2013AA031601)
文摘The effect of Al on the morphology of MnS in medium-carbon non-quenched and tempered steel was investigated at three different cooling rates of 0.24, 0.43, and 200°C·s^-1. The formation mechanisms of three types of MnS were elucidated based on phase diagram information combined with crystal growth models. The morphology of MnS is governed by the precipitation mode and the growth conditions. A monotectic reaction and subsequent fast solidification lead to globular Type I MnS. Type II MnS inclusions with different morphological characteristics form as a result of a eutectic reaction followed by the growth in the Fe matrix. Type III MnS presents a divorced eutectic morphology. At the cooling rate of 0.24°C·s^-1, the precipitation of dispersed Type III MnS is significantly enhanced by the addition of 0.044wt% acid-soluble Al（Als）, while Type II MnS clusters prefer to form in steels with either 0.034wt% or 0.052wt% Als. At the relatively higher cooling rates of 200°C·s^-1 and 0.43°C·s^-1, the formation of Type I and Type II MnS inclusions is promoted, and the influence of Al is negligible. The results of this work are expected to be employed in practice to improve the mechanical properties of non-quenched and tempered steels.
文摘The influence of soaking time in deep cryogenic treatment on the tensile and impact properties of low-alloy medium-carbon HY-TUF steel was investigated in this study. Microstructural studies based on phase distribution mapping by electron backscatter diffraction show that the deep cryogenic process causes a decrease in the content of retained austenite and an increase in the volume fraction of η-carbide with increasing soaking time up to 48 h. The decrease in the content of retained austenite from ~1.23vol% to 0.48vol% suggests an isothermal martensitic transformation at 77 K. The η-type precipitates formed in deep cryogenic-treated martensite over 48 h have the Hirotsu and Nagakura orientation relation with the martensitic matrix. Furthermore, a high coherency between η-carbide and the martensitic matrix is observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The variations in macrohardness, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and ductility with soaking time in the deep cryogenic process show a peak/plateau trend.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2018YFB0703904).
文摘A medium-carbon low-alloy steel with designed chemical composition was investigated.The steel exhibits an excellent product of strength and elongation value of 31,832 MPa%through quenching and partitioning treatment,with a tensile strength of 1413 MPa and elongation of 22%.X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy characterizations confirm that the retained austenite in the specimens undergoes stress-induced phase transformation to the martensite and hexagonal phases,namely the transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP)effect is triggered.This TRIP effect,triggered by the stress-induced phase transition of retained austenite,is responsible for the excellent mechanical properties obtained in the steel.For further investigating the stress-induced phase transition mechanism,thermodynamic methods are applied.Gibbs free energy of face-centered cubic-Fe,ε-Fe,ω-Fe and body-centered cubic-Fe associated with the stress-induced phase transition was calculated using molecular dynamics simulations,and a calculation method of strain energy in thermodynamic units for the stress-induced martensitic transformation is presented.The final results reveal the process and thermodynamic mechanism of stress-induced martensitic transformation in medium-carbon steels,in which the hexagonal phase can participate in the process as an intermediate product.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFB3701204)National Natural Science Foundation of China(52001072)+3 种基金National High-End Foreign Expert Project(G2022030064L)Guangdong Province Key Area R&D Program(2020B0101340004)GDAS'Project of Science and Technology Development(2022GDASZH-2022010103)Double Thousand Plan of Jiangxi Province(S2020CXTD0356)。
文摘The microstructure evolution and properties of medium-carbon cast steel alloyed with different Ni contents after tempering at various temperatures have been investigated.The addition of 0.47-1.59 wt.%Ni content results in the formation of 16%-36% retained austenite(RA).The blocky and irregular-polygonal RA mainly forms along the prior austenite grain boundaries,and the tempering temperature does not affect the RA content.The hardness of medium-carbon cast steel is affected by the precipitation of carbides and the hardness of martensite.Excessive RA content is the main cause of intergranular impact rupture and low impact energy.The long-strip carbides formed after tempering at 320℃ would further reduce the impact energy of medium-carbon cast steel.When tempering at 220 and 380℃,the increase in impact energy is attributed to the formation of rod-like and spherical carbides and the low-carbon martensite.For the medium-carbon cast steel with high impact energy,its impact-abrasive wear resistance is more excellent.Micro-cutting and delamination are the primary wear mechanisms.
基金sponsored by Key Projects in the National Science&Technology Pillar Program of China(2013BAE07B00)State Natural Science Fund Projects of China(51474142,51671124)+1 种基金Program for Professor of Special Appointment(Eastern Scholar)at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning(2012)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2015M580316)
文摘A new process involving ultra-fast cooling（UFC）and on-line tempering（OLT）was proposed to displace austempering process,which usually implements in a salt/lead bath and brings out serious pollution in the industrial application.The optimization of the new process,involving the evolution of the microstructure of medium-carbon steel during various cooling paths,was studied.The results show that the cooling path affected the final microstructure in terms of the fraction of pearlite,grain size and distribution of cementite in pearlite.Increasing the cooling rate or decreasing the OLT temperature contributes to restraining the transformation from austenite to ferrite,and simultaneously retains more austenite for the transformation of pearlite.It is also noted that bainite was observed in the microstructure at the cooling rate of 45℃/s and the OLT temperature of 500℃.Through either increasing the cooling rate or decreasing the OLT temperature,the distribution of cementite in pearlite is more dispersed and grain is refined.Taking the possibility of industrial applications into account,the optimal process of cooling at 45℃/s followed by OLT at 600℃ after hot rolling was determined,which achieves a microstructure containing nearly full pearlite with an average grain size of approximately 7μm and a homogeneously dispersed distribution of cementite in pearlite.
基金sponsorship provided by Innovate UK through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership Programme(KTP010269 Sheffield Hallam University and Tyzack Machine Knives Ltd.)
文摘The microstructure and mechanical properties of NiCrMoV-and NiCrSi-alloyed medium-carbon steels were investigated after multiple tempering. After austenitising, the steels were hardened by oil quenching and subsequently double or triple tempered at temperatures from 250 to 500 °C. The samples were characterised using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, while the mechanical properties were evaluated by Vickers hardness testing, V-notched Charpy impact testing and tensile testing. The results showed that the retained austenite was stable up to 400 °C and the applied multiple tempering below this temperature did not lead to a complete decomposition of retained austenite in both steels. It was also found that the microstructure, hardness and impact toughness varied mainly as a function of tempering temperature,regardless of the number of tempering stages. Moreover, the impact toughness of NiCrMoV steel was rather similar after single/triple tempering at different temperatures, while NiCrSi steel exhibited tempered martensite embrittlement after single/double tempering at 400 °C. The observed difference was mainly attributed to the effect of precipitation behaviour due to the effect of alloying additions in the studied steels.
基金The authors are grateful to the financial support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51874034 and 51674024).
文摘An unqualifed six-cylinder heavy truck crankshaft has been studied to investigate the cause of magnetic particle testing defects on the rod journals.Large-sized long-striped MnS inclusions are regarded as the major cause for the magnetic particle testing failure because they have been detected in situ under the magnetic particle indications.Through the observation of macroscopic structures of the rod journals and corresponding counterweight blocks,it is found that for the 1#and 3#rod journals,the center metal of the original hot-rolled bar has been extruded to the inboard edge of the rod journals and large-sized long-striped MnS inclusions are exposed on the surface after fash removal,leading to the failure of magnetic particle testing.As for the 2#rod journal,the center metal of the original bar has not been extruded to the surface and MnS inclusions on the rod journal surface are small in size,few in number,resulting in passing the magnetic particle testing.If the quality of the hot-rolled bars fuctuates,it is more recommended to apply magnetic particle testing on samples at the center of bars before forging to evaluate the severity of defects caused by the long-striped MnS inclusions for fear of the scrap of the fnal crankshafts.
