Research on the SUS304 hot-rolled austenitic stainless steel strip by TMCP

To avoid intergranular corrosion and obtain microstructural homogenization, the conventional SUS304 austenitic stainless steel needs to be solution annealed after hot rolling. This study investigates the thermal-mechanical controlled process （TMCP） of SUS304 steel, especially the controlled rolling and online accelerated cooling procedures. The objective of this research is to reduce or even prevent carbide precipitation based on the description of the time- temperature-precipitation （TTP） curve. The dynamic and post-dynamic recrystallization behaviors of this steel ensured the homogenization of grains in this process due to, which was studied by the hot compression tests. The microstructure and the properties of the TMCP-produced SUS304 steel strip were compared with the conventional method of solution annealing. Based on the above results, the newly developed TMCP-produced SUS304 hot-rolled austenitic stainless steel strip has been successfully produced and it can be directly utilized in the cold rolling process without solution annealing.

Study on direct cold rolling of hot rolled austenitic stainless steel SUS 304 with oxide scale

The austenitic stainless steel SUS 304 with oxide scale was directly cold rolled at different reductions of 10%, 20% and 30% respectively. It was proved that the surface quality （lower surface roughness） of the cold rolled products was achieved after subsequent annealing and pickling possesses, compared to the conventional hot rolled No. 1 product, whereas the grain size, mechanical and corrosion-resistant properties were comparable to those of the No. 1 product.

Effect of cold rolling on the microstructural, magnetic, mechanical, and corrosion properties of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel

This study has evaluated the effect of different levels of cold rolling（from 0 to 50%）on the microstructural,magnetic,and mechanical properties and the corrosion behavior of 316L austenitic stainless steel in Na Cl（1 mol/L）＋H_2SO_4（0.5 mol/L）solution.Microstructural examinations using optical microscopy revealed the development of a morphological texture from coaxial to elongated grains during the cold-rolling process.Phase analysis carried out on the basis of X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of the ferromagneticα′-martensite phase under the stresses applied during cold rolling.This finding is in agreement with magnetic measurements using a vibrating sample magnetometer.Mechanical properties determined by tensile and Vickers microhardness tests demonstrated an upward trend in the hardness-to-yield strength ratio with increasing cold-rolling percentage,representing a reduction in the material’s work-hardening ability.Uniform and localized corrosion parameters were estimated via potentiodynamic polarization corrosion tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.In contrast to the uniform corrosion,wherein the corrosion current density increased with increasing cold-working degree because of the high density of microstructural defects,the passive potential range and breakdown potential increased by cold working,showing greater resistance to pit nucleation.Although pits were formed,the cold-rolled material repassivation tendency decreased because of the broader hysteresis anodic loop,as confirmed experimentally by observation of the microscopic features after electrochemical cyclic polarization evaluations.

Effects of cold rolling deformation on microstructure,hardness,and creep behavior of high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel

Effects of cold rolling deformation on the microstructure, hardness, and creep behavior of high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel （HNASS） are investigated. Microstructure characterization shows that 70% cold rolling deformation results in significant refinement of the microstructure of this steel, with its average twin thickness reducing from 6.4 μm to 14 nm. Nanoindentation tests at different strain rates demonstrate that the hardness of the steel with nano-scale twins （nt-HNASS） is about 2 times as high as that of steel with micro-scale twins （mt-HNASS）. The hardness of nt-HNASS exhibits a pronounced strain rate dependence with a strain rate sensitivity （m value） of 0.0319, which is far higher than that of mt-HNASS （m = 0.0029）. nt-HNASS shows more significant load plateaus and a higher creep rate than mt-HNASS. Analysis reveals that higher hardness and larger m value of nt-HNASS arise from stronger strain hardening role, which is caused by the higher storage rate of dislocations and the interactions between dislocations and high density twins. The more significant load plateaus and higher creep rates of nt-HNASS are due to the rapid relaxation of the dislocation structures generated during loading.

Influence of chemical composition and cold deformation on aging precipitation behavior of high nitrogen austenitic stainless steels

The influence of chemical composition and cold deformation on aging precipitation behavior of 18Cr-16Mn-2Mo-I.IN （HNS-A）, 18Cr-16Mn-I.3N （HNS-B）, 18Cr-18Mn-2Mo-0.96N （HNS-C） and 18Cr-18Mn-2Mo-0.77N （I-INS-D） high nitrogen austenitic stainless steels was investigated. The results show that the ＂nose＂ temperatures and incubation periods of the initial time-temperature-precipitation （TTP） curves of aged HNSs are found to be 850 ℃, 60 s; 850 ℃, 45 s; 850 ℃, 60 s and 900 ℃, 90 s, respectively. Based on the analysis of SAD patterns, the coarse cellular Cr2N precipitate which presents a lamellar structure has a hexagonal structure of a=0.478 nm and c=0.444 nm. The Z phase corresponding to a composition of Fe36Cr^2Mo10, is determined to be a body-centered cubic structure ofa=0.892 nm. The precipitating sensitivity presents no more difference with the nitrogen content increasing from 0.77% to 0.96%, but exhibits so obviously that the cellular precipitates nearly overspread the whole field. The addition of Mo element can restrain the TTP curves moving left and down, which means decreasing the sensitivity of aging precipitation. With increasing the cold deformation, the sensitivity of precipitation increases obviously.

Strain rate and cold rolling dependence of tensile strength and ductility in high nitrogen nickel-free austenitic stainless steel

The tensile strength and ductility of a high nitrogen nickel-free austenitic stainless steel with solution and cold rolling treatment were investigated by performing tensile tests at different strain rates and at room temperature. The tensile tests demonstrated that this steel exhibits a significant strain rate and cold rolling dependence of the tensile strength and ductility.With the increase of the strain rate from 10^-4s^-1to 1 s^-1, the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength increase and the uniform elongation and total elongation decrease. The analysis of the double logarithmic stress–strain curves showed that this steel exhibits a two-stage strain hardening behavior, which can be well examined and analyzed by using the Ludwigson equation. The strain hardening exponents at low and high strain regions（n2and n1） and the transition strain（εL） decrease with increasing strain rate and the increase of cold rolling RA. Based on the analysis results of the stress–strain curves, the transmission electron microscopy characterization of the microstructure and the scanning electron microscopy observation of the deformation surfaces, the significant strain rate and cold rolling dependence of the strength and ductility of this steel were discussed and connected with the variation in the work hardening and dislocation activity with strain rate and cold rolling.

Surface rust of cold-rolled bell-type annealing strip steel

This paper offers systematic analysis and in-depth research on the surface rust problem of cold-rolled bell-type annealing strip products.The defect characteristics,occurrence rules,generation mechanism,and influencing factors of surface rust are presented.This research employed a cold-rolled bell-type furnace annealing unit in a coastal steel factory as an example and conducted production process tests,on-site production tests,scanning electron microscopy,energy spectrum analysis,MINITAB statistical analysis,etc.Moreover,six significant influencing factors and their rules were studied:the cooling time of the final cooling table,the storage time of the intermediate storage,the temperature setting of the intermediate storage,the temperature of leveling liquid,the purging pressure of leveling machine,and the dust in the environment.

Fatigue Response of Cold-Rolled Type-304 Stainless Steel Foil

This study presents the fatigue response of 304 stainless steel foil, cold-rolled to a thickness of 3.2 μm with 87 percent cold work at orientations of 0, 45, and 90 degrees to the direction of rolling. Fatigue specimens were fabricated by laminating a supportive layer of 20-μm polyimide film to one side of the foil and patterning 242 crack initiation features by photolithographic process. Progression of fatigue damage was determined through electrical resistance measurement. The fatigue response was demonstrated to be largely affected by anisotropy existing between the rolling direction and the off-axis orientations. Fatigue cracks that traveled in a direction parallel to the elongated grains (cyclic loads applied at 90-degree orientation to foil rolling direction) had the most fatigue response (undesirable characteristic). The construction of the specimens with thin foil supported by a film backing contributed to high fatigue threshold.

Development and Lubricating Properties of Rolling Oil for Stainless Steel Cold Rolling

Appropriate base oils and homologous additives such as extreme pressure and anti-wear agents,oiliness agents and antioxidants were selected,and experiments testing the compatibility performance between additive,base oil and other components were carried out to develop the SK and SD series of rolling oils for cold rolling of stainless steel.The developed oils were used in the stainless steel cold rolling lubrication experiments,and were successfully applied in the actual cold rolling operation of stainless steel.Compared with a foreign product,the tribological properties,the thermal oxidation stability,and the rolling lubrication performance of the developed stainless steel cold rolling oils were studied.Test results showed that the tribological properties of the thereby developed rolling oils and the reference one were almost at the same level,and to some extent the performance of rolling was even better than the foreign product,at the same time the stainless steel sheet could retain its well annealed performance.Meanwhile,within a certain range,the lubrication of the rolling oil became better as its viscosity increased at the same level of saponification value,which could provide a lower friction coefficient,so that a higher maximum reduction ratio of the rolled piece through a constant roll gap and a minimum thickness could be secured.Also,similar phenomena appeared as the saponification value increased at a same viscosity level of the rolling oils.

Microstructure analysis of AISI 304 stainless steel produced by twin-roll thin strip casting process

The microstructure of AISI 304 austenlte stainless steel fabricated by the thin strip casting process were investigated using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope （SEM）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The microstructures of the casting strips show a duplex structure consisting of delta ferrite and austenite. The volume fraction of the delta ferrite is about 9.74vo1% at the center and 6.77vo1% at the surface of the casting thin strip, in vermicular and hand shapes. On account of rapid cooling and solidification in the continuous casting process, many kinds of inclusions and precipitates have been found. Most of the inclusions and precipitates are spherical complex compounds consisting of oxides, such as, SiO2, MnO, Al2O3, Cr2O3, and FeO or their multiplicity oxides of MnO.Al2O3, 2FeO.SiO2, and 2MnO.SiO2. Many defects including dislocations and stacking faults have also formed during the rapid cooling and solidification process, which is helpful to improve the mechanical properties of the casting strips.

Microstructure of AISI 304 stainless steel strips produced by a twin-roll caster

By optical inspection of macro-etched metallography and electron back-scattered diffraction （EBSD） mapping, this paper analyzed the microstructure of austenitic stainless steel strips produced with an equal-diameter twin-roll strip caster. The results indicate that the microstructure of the strips includes two columnar zones with highly compact dendrites and one equiaxed zone. The characteristics, such as grain size and growing direction of columnar grains and equiaxed grains, were investigated. An additional transitional area with many finer grains between the columnar zone and the equiaxed zone was found. As shown in EBSD analysis, small angle boundaries exist both in the columnar zone and the equiaxed zone, although they are especially more in the transitional area. Additionally, some 〈111〉 twin boundaries were found in the microstructure of the strips.

Study on metallurgical properties and pellet proportioning technology of stainless steel cold-rolling sludge

With a complicated composition, large rolling sludge has been a focal point concerning neither at home nor abroad have any technologies suitable for bulk utilization of stainless steel cold- production and serious damage to the environment, stainless steel cold- environmental protection for stainless steel enterprises. Up to now, come into being that are not only proper, safe and economical but also rolling sludge. Based on the characteristics of the stainless steel cold- rolling sludge, orthogonal experiments were carried out on pellet proportioning and high-temperature roasting, and major metallurgical properties of sludge pellets were also tested. As the results show, pellets with 30% addition of cold-rolling sludge are qualified regarding their compressive strength, chemical composition and major metallurgical properties. No adverse impact happens to the blast furnace operation when sludge pellets account for 10% of the blast furnace raw materials. Therefore, the technical route applied in this paper is proved simple, feasible and environmentally friendly for cold-rolling sludge treatment.

Research on TMCP technology for the manufacture of SUS 304 L austenitic stainless steel plates

Two thermo-mechanical controlled processes （TMCP） including controlled rolling and accelerated cooling are proposed for the production of heavy gauge SUS 304 L austenitic stainless steel plates with different strengths and other characteristics. Based on the recrystallization mechanism and carbide precipitation behavior of SUS 304 L austenitic stainless steel ,TMCP provides a powerful means to control the microstructure and precipitation of the hot rolled steel plate by the controlled rolling and accelerated cooling process. The dislocation density and grain size are the main factors in determining the strength of the stainless steel plates. Therefore ,it is necessary to strictly control the hot rolling parameters, including parameters such as the finish hot rolling temperature in the recrystallization temperature region and the total reduction in the non-recrystallization region. Furthermore, in order to avoid carbide precipitation and guarantee the intergranular corrosion resistance of TMCP SUS 304 L austenitic stainless steel, a critical cooling rate after rolling is determined.

Researches on the problems in the production of low nickel austenitic stainless steel

Problems encountered in the production of low nickel austenitic stainless steel have been studied. These problems primarily include the changes to the microstructure of the slab during the heating process, the formation and removal of deformation - induced martensite during cold rolling, and the effects of the annealing process on the surface oxide structure. A reasonable manufacturing process has been proposed on the basis of the research results and high-quality cold-rolled strips of low nickel austenitic stainless steel have been produced.

Application of cationic emulsion in stainless steel cold rolling

Emulsion, obtained by cationic emulsifiers, allows much larger oil droplets with narrower particle distribution, slows down the contamination from iron fines to the oil droplets, and is further enhanced with higher boundary and elastohydrodynamic lubrication for a relatively slower rolling process but high rolling force. As a result,it is suitable for the cold rolling of stainless steel. Cationic emulsion is now applied in a 1 750 mm 5-stand tandem cold rolling mill of Baosteel to roll stainless steel and carbon steel. The production process is stable and the product quality satisfies customer requirements.

Influence of cold deformation on microstructure,mechanical properties,and corrosion resistance of high-sulfur free-cutting 316LS stainless steel

In this study,the influence of plastic deformation produced by cold rolling at reduction ratios ranging from 10% to 80% on the microstructure,mechanical properties,and pitting corrosion behavior of high-sulfur freecutting 316 LS austenitic stainless steel was investigated. The results indicate that slipping is the predominant effect and that sulfide inclusions extend along the rolling direction during the cold deformation of 316 LS. The strong austenite stability of 316 LS results in the formation of only a small quantity of deformation-induced martensite. The experimental results reveal that the strength,hardness,and yield ratio increased with increases in the reduction ratio,mainly due to work hardening,whereas the elongation decreased drastically,due to the combined effect of the work hardening and brittleness caused by the numerous sulfide inclusions. Electrochemically active sites on the surface of316 LS increased with an increased reduction ratio,which caused an increased current fluctuation in the passive zone. This also caused the breakdown potential（ E_b） near the pitting zone to exhibit a gradual increase in the zigzag current shift to the left on the polarization curves. The E_b of 316 LS decreased with increases in the reduction ratio,mainly due to the extended sulfide inclusions,the increased dislocation density,and the deformation-induced martensite content.

Control of Surface Thermal Scratch of Strip in Tandem Cold Rolling

The thermal scratch seriously affects the surface quality of the cold rolled stainless steel strip. Some researchers have carried out qualitative and theoretical studies in this field. However, there is currently a lack of research on effective forecast and control of thermal scratch defects in practical production, especially in tandem cold rolling. In order to establish precise mathematical model of oil film thickness in deformation zone, the lubrication in cold rolling process of SUS410L stainless steel strip is studied, and major factors affecting oil film thickness are also analyzed. According to the principle of statistics, mathematical model of critical oil film thickness in deformation zone for thermal scratch is built, with fitting and regression analytical method, and then based on temperature comparison method, the criterion for deciding thermal scratch defects is put forward. Storing and calling data through SQL Server 2010, a software on thermal scratch defects control is developed through Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 by MFC technique for stainless steel in tandem cold rolling, and then it is put into practical production. Statistics indicate that the hit rate of thermal scratch is as high as 92.38%, and the occurrence rate of thermal scratch is decreased by 89.13%. Owing to the application of the software, the rolling speed is increased by approximately 9.3%. The software developed provides an effective solution to the problem of thermal scratch defects in tandem cold rolling, and helps to promote products surface quality of stainless steel strips in practical production.

3D stress simulation and parameter design during twin-roll casting of 304 stainless steel based on the Anand model

This study first investigated cracks on the surface of an actual steel strip. Formulating the Anand model in ANSYS software, we then simulated the stress field in the molten pool of type 304 stainless steel during the twin-roll casting process. Parameters affecting the stress distribution in the molten pool were analyzed in detail and optimized. After twin-roll casting, a large number of transgranular and intergranular cracks resided on the surface of the thin steel strip, and followed a tortuous path. In the molten pool, stress was enhanced at the exit and at the roller contact positions. The stress at the exit decreased with increasing casting speed and pouring temperature. To ensure high quality of the fabricated strips, the casting speed and pouring temperature should be controlled above 0.7 m/s and 1520℃, respectively.

Numerical Simulation of Continuous Tension Leveling Process of Thin Strip Steel and Its Application

Cold-rolled thin strip steel of high flatness quality undergoes multistage deformation during tension leveling. Thus, the parameters of set-up and manipulating are more difficult. With the aid of FE code MSC. MARC, the tension leveling process of thin strip steel was numerically simulated. Concentrating on the influence of the roll intermeshes in 2# anti-cambering on the distribution and magnitude of residual stresses in leveled strip steel, several experiments were clone with the tension leveler based on the results from the simulation. It was found from the simulation that the magnitude of longitudinal residual stresses in the cross-section of the leveled strip steel regularly presents obvious interdependence with the roll intermeshes in 2# anti-cambering. In addition, there is a steady zone as the longitudinal residual stresses of the surface layers in leveled strip steel vary with the roll intermeshes of 2# anticambering, which is of importance in the manipulation of tension levelers. It was also found that the distribution of strains and stresses across the width of strip steel is uneven during leveling or after removing the tension loaded upon the strip, from which it was found that 3D simulation could not be replaced by 2D analysis because 2D analysis in this case cannot represent the physical behavior of strip steel deformation during tension leveling.

Correlation of morphological anisotropy and Lankford value of deep drawing sheets hot-rolled by compact strip production

Cold-rolled steel sheets in automotive applications require an excellent deep draw ability, which is characterized by the Lankford value （r-value）. In this study, a correlation was identified between r-value and pancake-shaped grain flatness which is indicated as the ratio of grain diameter in the rolling direction （RD） and normal direction （ND） of sheets （dr/dn）. A mathematical model （ r = e^0.345（dn^1/2-dr^1/2） ） was developed to calculate r-value by the microstructure of steel sheets hot-rolled by compact strip production （CSP）. It is shown that the r-value is higher, if the microstructure of steel sheet is of pancake-shaped grains elongated in the rolling direction. The calculated r-value is confirmed to fit exactly to the measured one from the large-scale production.