Ultra-high cycle fatigue behavior of high strength steel with carbide-free bainite/martensite complex microstructure

The ultra-high cycle fatigue behavior of a novel high strength steel with carbide-free bainite/martensite （CFB/M） complex microstructure was studied. The ultra-high cycle fatigue properties were measured by ultrasonic fatigue testing equipment at a frequency of 20 kHz. It is found that there is no horizontal part in the S-N curve and fatigue fracture occurs when the life of specimens exceeds 10^7 cycles. In addition, the origination of fatigue cracks tends to transfer from the surface to interior of specimens as the fatigue cycle exceeds 10^7, and the fatigue crack originations of many specimens are not induced by inclusions, but by some kind of ＂soft structure＂. It is shown that the studied high strength steel performs good ultra-high cycle fatigue properties. The ultra-high fatigue mechanism was discussed and it is suggested that specific CFB/M complex microstructure of the studied steel contributes to its superior properties.

Interaction of Hydrogen and Retained Austenite in Bainite/Martensite Dual-Phase High Strength Steel

The hydrogen trapping phenomena in two bainite/martensite dual-phase high strength steels(U20Si and U20DSi)were investigated by electrochemical permeation technique.The hydrogen diffusivity was calculated from data of permeation delay time,and the diffusion coefficient in U20 Si is far less than that in U20 DSi.Moreover,the hydrogen diffusivity decreases as the volume percent of retained austenite increases.The experiment results show that there are different hydrogen trappings and different volume percents of retained austenite in U20 Si and U20 DSi.The retained austenite is precipitated as films.The trap binding energy for the retained austenite and hydrogen is calculated to be 40.4kJ·mol-1.

Effect of Microstructure on Corrosion Fatigue Behavior of 1500 MPa Level Carbide-Free Bainite/Martensite Dual-Phase High Strength Steel

Influence of microstructure of the experimental steels on the corrosion fatigue behavior in 3.5% of NaCl aqueous solution was studied.Experimental results show that compared with the full martensite（FM）steel,the carbide-free bainite/martensite（CFB/M）steel has higher corrosion fatigue strength and corrosion fatigue crack threshold（ΔKthcf）,and lower corrosion crack propagation rate [（da/dN）cf].

Research and modeling on correlation among microstructure,yield strength and process of bainite/martensite steel

The contributions of different strengthening mechanisms to yield strength of bainite/martensite multiphase rail steel with different finish cooling temperatures in the controlled cooling process were quantitatively investigated.Dislocation density and substructure size of the rail steel were measured by scanning electron microscopy,electron backscatter diffraction and X-ray diffraction.The results show that the dislocation density increases with the decrease in block width in rail steel.Based on the correlation among dislocation density,block width and yield strength,a physical model was proposed to predict the yield strength of rail steel.The variation of block width and dislocation density in different positions of rail head microstructure was integrated with temperature field simulation.Dislocation density and block width reveal significant correlations with the finish cooling temperature.

Mechanical Properties of Steels Treated by Q-P-T Process Incorporating Carbide-free-bainite/martensite Multiphase Microstructure

Quenching partitioning tempering （QP-T） process were applied to a quenched carbide-free bainite/mar- tensite （CFB/M） multiphase steel 40Mn2Si2Cr and its effect on the mechanical properties was studied. The results showed that the partitioning time of Q P T treatment can he increased greatly to 90 min or even longer. The tensile strength, elongation and product of strength and elongation （PSE） of the experimental steel can achieve 1650 MPa, about 20% and over 33 GPa ·%, respectively. The significant increase of partitioning time and excellent mechanical properties could be related to the CFB microstrueture introduced in the quenching process during the Q-P-T treat- ment.

EFFECT OF SILICON ON PRODUCING DUCTILE IRON WITH COMPLEX STRUCTURE OF BAINITE AND MARTENSITE

This paper deals with an important role of silicon in producing ductile iron with quenched complex structure of bainite and martensite. The samples are cast in permanent mold and quenched in solution of sodium silicate. The result of thc experiments shows that the austenizing temperature should rise with increasing silicon content, otherwise much undissolved ferrite is present in the matrix after quenching. However the undissolvec ferrite can be decreased greatly or even eliminated by adding appropriate amount of ooron. On this condition, the amount of bainite gets increasing and the amount of residual austenite decreasing with the silicon cortent increasing. An approach has also been made to the mechanism of the effect of silicon on the transformation of bainite in ductile iron. The T.T.T. curves measured show that the increase of sllicon content causes the curve to shift to the left. This is quite different from the fact in steel.

EFFECTS OF RETAINED AUSTENITE ON DUPLEX MICROSTRUCTURE OF MARTENSITE AND LOWER BAINITE

The morphology and amount of the retained austenite in the duplex microstructure of martensite and tower bainite of a tow,alloy cold die steel(it is called GD steel for short) with high strength and high toughness have been investigated.The thermal and mechanical stabilities of the retained austenite were analyzed.Furthermore the effects of retained austenite on the mechanical properties of the steel were studied.The results show that the morphology and amount of retained austenite vary with silicon content in the steel.Retained austenite with high stability was responsible for the simultaneous increase in strength and toughness of the steel.The duplex microstructure of martensite and abnormal lower bainite of the steel with the maximum silicon content exhibits a relatively good strength-toughness combination.

FATIGUE FRACTURE BEHAVIOR OF LOW CARBON MARTENSITE AND MARTENSITE/BAINITE DUPLEX STRUCTURE IN STEEL 20CrMnMo

Fatigue crack propagation rate,da/dN,and threshold stress intensity range,ΔK_(th),of steel 20CrMnMo containing low carbon martensite or low carbon martensite/bainite(LCM/B) duplex structure,obtained by oil quenching and austempered at 360℃,have been measured using specimens under four-point bending.Observation was also made of the crack path and fracture morphology with relation to microstructure.The formation of LCM/B duplex structure,which caused by 20% lower bainite after short-time isothermal treatment,may re- markably increase ΔK_(th)and considerably decrease da/dN.The effect of microstructure on da/dN and ΔK_(th)was discussed with the emphasis on the crack propagation path.

Review of precipitation strengthening in ultrahigh-strength martensitic steel

Martensite is an important microstructure in ultrahigh-strength steels,and enhancing the strength of martensitic steels often involves the introduction of precipitated phases within the martensitic matrix.Despite considerable research efforts devoted to this area,a systematic summary of these advancements is lacking.This review focuses on the precipitates prevalent in ultrahigh-strength martensitic steel,primarily carbides(e.g.,MC,M_(2)C,and M_(3)C)and intermetallic compounds(e.g.,Ni Al,Ni_(3)X,and Fe_(2)Mo).The precipitation-strengthening effect of these precipitates on ultrahigh-strength martensitic steel is discussed from the aspects of heat treatment processes,microstructure of precipitate-strengthened martensite matrix,and mechanical performance.Finally,a perspective on the development of precipitation-strengthened martensitic steel is presented to contribute to the advancement of ultrahigh-strength martensitic steel.This review highlights significant findings,ongoing challenges,and opportunities in the development of ultrahigh-strength martensitic steel.

Reverse Transformation Behavior of Martensite Formed during Cooling Proce under Constant Stress in TiNi Alloys

The reverse transformation temperature and recovery strain ratio of the martensite formed during the cooling process under a constant stress in TiNi shape memory alloy wires are studied in this paper. Results show that a higher level of the applied constant stress during the cooling process will induce martensite with a higher reverse martensitic transformation start temperature As and a smaller recovery strain ratio. Similarly, a prestrain at the room temperature elevates the As temperature and decreases the recovery strain ratio. However, the As temperature and the recovery strain ratio of the martensite formed during the cooling process under a constant stress are lower than those of the martensite formed by prestrain at the room temperature.

Antiphase boundary-like structure in α′′ martensite of TC21 titanium alloy

The morphology and formation mechanism of the substructure of martensite in TC21 alloy was investigated by XRD and TEM. The results showed that the martensitic transformation from β to α＂ occurs upon quenching after solution treatment between 960-1000 ℃. The antiphase boundary （APB）-like structure was observed clearly in the α＂ martensite plates. The APB-like contrasts exist along the （001） and （020） planes of α＂ martensite. This APB-like structure of α＂ martensite was identified as a kind of stacking fault with an APB-like morphology induced by martensitic transformation and not by order/disorder transition. During martensitic transformation, martensitic domains nucleate and grow, eventually encounter each other, resulting in the formation of the APBdike contrast.

Bar martensite性能与强化途径

按其组织形态马氏体(martensite)组织可以分为条状马氏体(bar martensite)、片状马氏体和蝶状马氏体等。其中条状马氏体又再分为扁条状板条马氏体和薄板状板条马氏体。Wc∠0.2%的钢淬火处理后形成以条状马氏体为主的马氏体混合组织。条状马氏体组织具有强韧结合的综合机械性能。强化工艺为淬火后低温回火。

Bainite Transformation Under Continuous Cooling of Nb-Microalloyed Low Carbon Steel

Utilizing Gleeble-1500 thermomechanical simulator, the influences of hot deformation parameters on continuous cooling bainite transformation in Nb-microalloyed low carbon steel were investigated. The results indicate that bainite starting temperature decreases with raising cooling rate and increases with increasing deformation temperature. Deformation has an accelerative effect on the bainite transformation when the specimens are deformed at 950 ℃. When the deformation temperature increases, the effect of deformation on bainite starting temperature is weakened. The amount of bainite is influenced by strain, cooling rate, and deformation temperature. When the specimens are deformed below 900 ℃, equiaxed ferrites are promoted and the bainite transformation is suppressed.

In situ measured growth rates of bainite plates in an Fe-C-Mn-Si superbainitic steel

The growth rates of bainite plates in an Fe-C-Mn-Si superbainitie steel were investigated by in situ observation. The lengthening rates of ferrite bainite during both cooling and isothermal holding processes were observed and the growth rates of bainite plates nucleating at grain boundaries, within grains and on preformed bainite were measured. It is indicated that the lengthening rates of bainite plates during the cooling and isothermal processes were different, and that the growth rates of bainite plates nucleating at different types of sites also demon- strated diversity. The bainite plates initiating at [vain boundaries during cooling grew the fastest, while the plates nucleating on preformed bainite did the slowest. However, the growth rate of the bainite plates nucleating at grain boundaries during isothermal transformation de- creased the most, whereas the bainite plates initiating within grains grew the fastest. In addition, the growth rate of ferrite bainite in the study supported the diffusion transformation mechanism of bainite from the viewooint of ~rowth rate.

Precipitation behavior and martensite lath coarsening during tempering of T/P92 ferritic heat-resistant steel

Tempering is an important process for T/P92 ferritic heat-resistant steel from the viewpoint of microstructure control, as it facili- tates the formation of final tempered martensite under serving conditions. In this study, we have gained deeper insights on the mechanism underlying the microstructural evolution during tempering treatment, including the precipitation of carbides and the coarsening of martensite laths, as systematically analyzed by optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron mi- croscopy. The chemical composition of the precipitates was analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Results indicate the for- mation of M3C （cementite） precipitates under normalized conditions. However, they tend to dissolve within a short time of tempering, owing to their low thermal stability. This phenomenon was substantiated by X-ray diffraction analysis. Besides, we could observe the precipitation of fine carbonitrides （MX） along the dislocations. The mechanism of carbon diffusion controlled growth of M23C6 can be expressed by the Zener＇s equation. The movement of Y-junctions was determined to be the fundamental mechanism underlying the martensite lath coarsening process. Vickers hardness was estimated to determine their mechanical properties. Based on the comprehensive analysis of both the micro- structural evolution and hardness variation, the process of tempering can be separated into three steps.

Interface Migration between Martensite and Austenite during Quenching and Partitioning (Q&P) Process

An Fe-0.2C-1.5Si-1.67Mn steel was subjected to quenching and partitioning （Q＆P） process, and the interface migration between martensite and austenite at an elevated partitioning temperature was observed. The interface migration is excluded in constrained paraequilibrium （CPE） model. Based on ＂endpoint＂ predicted by CPE model the thermodynamic condition of interface migration is analyzed, that is, the difference in the chemical potential of iron in both ferrite （martenisite） and austenite produces the driving force of the iron atoms to migrate from one phase to the other phase. In addition, the interface migration can change the austenite fraction; as a result, the austenite fraction at partitioning temperature may be higher than that at quenching temperature through the interface migration, but this phenomenon cannot be explained by CPE model.

Effects of Deformation on Bainite Transformation During Continuous Cooling of Low Carbon Steels

Hot deformation experiments were carried out on Gleeble 1500 thermo-mechanical simulator. The bainite transformation after deformation was investigated by optical microstructure analysis. The results indicated that the deformation accelerated the bainite transformation when the deformation was carried out at high temperature and no or little ferrite was precipitated before bainite transformation; when the deformation was carried out at low temperature, the deformation hindered the bainite transformation because a lot of ferrite precipitated before bainite transformation.

Apparent Morphologies and Nature of Packet Martensite in High Carbon Steels

The apparent morphologies of packet martensite in eight high carbon steels were researched by using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope. It was found that the apparent morphologies, substructures, and habit plane of packet martensite in high carbon steels are entirely different from that in low carbon steels; the substructures of packet martensite in high carbon steels possess fully twinned structure, while the substructures of individual coarse martensite plates in these steels bear both fully and partially twinned structures. The formation reason for apparent morphologies, substructures and two habit planes （i. e, { 111 }, and { 225}r） of high carbon martensite were discussed in detail.

Kinetics of bainite-to-austenite transformation during continuous reheating in low carbon microalloyed steel

A dilatometer was used to study the kinetics of bainite-to-austenite transformation in low carbon microalloyed steel with the initial microstructure of bainite during the continuous reheating process. The bainite-to-austenite trans- formation was observed to take place in two steps at low heating rate. The first step is the dissolution of bainite, and the second one is the remaining bainite-to-austenite transformation controlled by a dissolution process. The calculation result of the kinetics of austenite formation shows that the two steps occur by diffusion at low heating rate. However, at high heating rate the bainite-to-austenite transformation occurs in a single step, and the process is mainly dominated by shear. The growth rate of austenite reaches the maximum at about 835℃ at different heating rates and the growth rate of austenite as a function of temperature increases with the increase in heating rate.

STABILIZATION OF MARTENSITE IN Cu-Zn-Al ALLOY AND ITS REVERSE SHAPE MEMORY EFFECT

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＴｈｅｓｔａｂｉｌｉｚａｔｉｏｎｏｆｍａｒｔｅｎｓｉｔｅｒｅｆｅｒｓｔｏｔｈｅｐｈｅｎｏｍｅｎｏｎｔｈａｔｔｈｅｒｅｖｅｒｓｅｔｒａｎｓｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎｓｔａｒｔａｎｄｆｉｎｉｓｈｔｅｍｐｅｒａｔｕｒｅｓ（ＡｓａｎｄＡｆ）ｉ...