A review on the multi-scaled structures and mechanical/thermal properties of tool steels fabricated by laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing

The laser powder bed fusion(LPBF) process can integrally form geometrically complex and high-performance metallic parts that have attracted much interest,especially in the molds industry.The appearance of the LPBF makes it possible to design and produce complex conformal cooling channel systems in molds.Thus,LPBF-processed tool steels have attracted more and more attention.The complex thermal history in the LPBF process makes the microstructural characteristics and properties different from those of conventional manufactured tool steels.This paper provides an overview of LPBF-processed tool steels by describing the physical phenomena,the microstructural characteristics,and the mechanical/thermal properties,including tensile properties,wear resistance,and thermal properties.The microstructural characteristics are presented through a multiscale perspective,ranging from densification,meso-structure,microstructure,substructure in grains,to nanoprecipitates.Finally,a summary of tool steels and their challenges and outlooks are introduced.

INVESTIGATION OF LOW CYCLE FATIGUE BEHAVIOROF BUILDING STRUCTURAL STEELS UNDEREARTHQUAKE LOADING

Based on the failure model of building structural steels under earthquake loading, the low cycle fatigue test at constant strain, the stochastical fatigue test under real earthquake load spectrum and the structural fatigue test are carried out. The experimental results show that microalloying of V Ti and Nb can improve the anti-seismic propersties of steel bars. In the high strain and shori life range, both the static strength and ductility of steels are very important to increasing the low cycle fatigue resistance of steels.

Effects of low temperature on properties of structural steels

The experiments were carried out to measure the mechanical properties ofthree grades of structural steels (Q235A, 16Mn and Q390E steel) at low temperature. It was shownthat the strength of the steels increases while the plasticity and toughness decrease as temperaturedrops. In the transitional area the toughness drops rapidly with temperature. Among the threestructural steels, Q390E steel has the best toughness and the lowest sensitivity.

Evaluation Indicators and Extraction Method for Pitting Corrosion of Structural Steel

A set of evaluation indicators based on corrosion ratio in theory for assessing the extent of pitting corrosion and performance reduction are proposed. In order to quantify the morphology of pitting corrosion and extract the evaluation indicators,the 3D profile data obtained by pitting morphology measurement are imported into a special written program to automatically determine the location of each corrosion pit and distill any desired data pertinent to the pitting morphology. The results show that this method seems to be effective to analyze the corroded surface and characterize the pitting morphology.

A process-level hierarchical structural decomposition analysis (SDA) of energy consumption in an integrated steel plant

A hierarchical structural decomposition analysis(SDA) model has been developed based on process-level input-output(I-O) tables to analyze the drivers of energy consumption changes in an integrated steel plant during 2011-2013. By combining the principle of hierarchical decomposition into D&L method, a hierarchical decomposition model for multilevel SDA is obtained. The developed hierarchical IO-SDA model would provide consistent results and need less computation effort compared with the traditional SDA model. The decomposition results of the steel plant suggest that the technology improvement and reduced steel final demand are two major reasons for declined total energy consumption. The technical improvements of blast furnaces, basic oxygen furnaces, the power plant and the by-products utilization level have contributed mostly in reducing energy consumption. A major retrofit of ancillary process units and solving fuel substitution problem in the sinter plant and blast furnace are important for further energy saving. Besides the empirical results, this work also discussed that why and how hierarchical SDA can be applied in a process-level decomposition analysis of aggregated indicators.

DUCTILE CRACK INITIATION AND STEADY-STATE PROPAGATION OF HIGH STRENGTH STRUCTURAL STEEL

The resistance to crack propagation at earlier stage for a high strength structural steel with certain ductility and its correlation to microstructures,stress states,deformation history and strain characteristics have been investigated.The resistance to crack propagation is mainly de- termined by the plastic constrain ahead of the crack tip,the elastic energy and plastic work absorbed in the stress-strain field.These are connected with the state function of triaxial stress.The deformation history and strain characteristic during deformation of material are described by the flow line in which the deformation history and strain characteristic restrain the crack initiation at stage Ⅱ and the crack propagation at stage Ⅲ.The strain hardening rate may sensitively reflect the stress distribution and micro-fracture mechanism in the interi- or of material.

Finite element model updating of existing steel bridge based on structural health monitoring

Based on the physical meaning of sensitivity,a new finite element(FE) model updating method was proposed. In this method,a three-dimensional FE model of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge(NYRB) with ANSYS program was established and updated by modifying some design parameters. To further validate the updated FE model,the analytical stress-time histories responses of main members induced by a moving train were compared with the measured ones. The results show that the relative error of maximum stress is 2.49% and the minimum relative coefficient of analytical stress-time histories responses is 0.793. The updated model has a good agreement between the calculated data and the tested data,and provides a current baseline FE model for long-term health monitoring and condition assessment of the NYRB. At the same time,the model is validated by stress-time histories responses to be feasible and practical for railway steel bridge model updating.

Laser-assisted water jet machining of high quality micro-trap structures on stainless steel surfaces

Secondary electron emission(SEE)has emerged as a critical issue in next-generation accelerators.Mitigating SEE on metal surfaces is crucial for enhancing the stability and emittance of particle accelerators while extending their lifespan.This paper explores the application of laser-assisted water jet technology in constructing high-quality micro-trap structures on 316L stainless steel,a key material in accelerator manufacturing.The study systematically analyzes the impact of various parameters such as laser repetition frequency,pulse duration,average power,water jet pressure,repeat times,nozzle offset,focal position,offset distance between grooves,and processing speed on the surface morphology of stainless steel.The findings reveal that micro-groove depth increases with higher laser power but decreases with increasing water jet pressure and processing speed.Interestingly,repeat times have minimal effect on depth.On the other hand,micro-groove width increases with higher laser power and repeat times but decreases with processing speed.By optimizing these parameters,the researchers achieved high-quality pound sign-shaped trap structure with consistent dimensions.We tested the secondary electron emission coefficient of the"well"structure.The coefficient is reduced by 0.5 at most compared to before processing,effectively suppressing secondary electron emission.These results offer indispensable insights for the fabrication of micro-trap structures on material surfaces.Laser-assisted water jet technology demonstrates considerable potential in mitigating SEE on metal surfaces.

Simplified Thermodynamic Model for Pro-Eutectoid Ferrite Formation in Multicomponent Structural Steel

By introducing aparameter of difference in ferrite formation temperature between binary Fe-C and multicomponent system,and referring to the thermodynamic model for Fe-C binary system,a simplified thermodynamic model for pro-eutectoid ferrite formation in Fe-ΣXiC multicomponent structural steels(Xi=Mn,Si,Mo,Cr,Ni or Ti,etc)was suggested.The comparison of the calculated Ae3 temperatures with the measured data of steels 42 shows that the relative standard deviation and root-mean-square(RMS)error between them are only 0.71% and 8.92 K,respectively.However,the deviations between the same measured data and the values calculated from the superelement model are as high as 1.86% and 23.83 K,respectively.It can be concluded that the simplified thermodynamic model for pro-eutectoid ferrite formation in multicomponent structural steels is acceptable and the calculated Ae3 temperatures are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Monte-Carlo Simulation of Surface Crack Growth Rate for Offshore Structural Steel E36-Z35

The Monte- Carlo method is used to simulate the surface fatigue crack growth rate for offshore structural steel E36-Z35, and to determine the distributions and relevance of the parameters in the Paris equation. By this method, the time and cost of fatigue crack propagation testing can be reduced. The application of the method is demonstrated by use of four sets of fatigue crack propagation data for offshore structural steel E36-Z35. A comparison of the test data with the theoretical prediction for surface crack growth rate shows the application of the simulation method to the fatigue crack propagation tests is successful.

Experimental study on stress-strain-temperature models for structural steel

For the research on steel structure in fire,it is very important to determine the properties of structural steel at elevated temperature.Up to now,the high-temperature properties of material is believed to be related to only temperature state,which is not precise enough to simulate the behavior of steel structures under different combinations of heating,cooling,loading,and unloading.To analyze the influence of the temperature-load history on the steel properties,a series of tests were carried out under different temperature-load paths about steel Q235,which is widely used in steel structures in China.In this paper,the method to set the temperature-load paths was introduced;the variety regulation of steel properties changing with temperature was analyzed under different paths;according to experimental results,the formulas of elastic modulus and yield strength at elevated temperature were fitted,and the stress-strain-temperature 3D relationships of structural steel under different paths were presented.

Study on the Dynamic Characteristics of Light Steel Residential Structural System

The study on the dynamic characteristics of light steel residential structural system has both theoretical and practical significance for the application and promotion of light steel residential structural system. In this paper, we analyze several common types of light steel residential structural system, describe the dynamic characteristics of the light steel residential structural system for an overview on the basis of former related studies, and then summarize the advantages of light steel residential structure system.

Fatigue Performance Analysis and Evaluation for Steel Box Girder Based on Structural Health Monitoring System

Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge as a long-span suspension bridge,the finite element model(FEM)of it is established using the ANSYS Software.The beam4 element is used to simulate the main beam to establish the“spine beam”model of the Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge.The calculated low-order vibration mode frequency of the FEM is in good agreement with the completion test results.The model can simulate the overall dynamic response of the bridge.Based on the vehicle load survey,the Monte Carlo method is applied to simulate the traffic load flow.Then the overall dynamic response analysis of FEM is car-ried out.Taking the bending moment of the main beam as the control index,the fatigue sensitive section in the steel box girder of FEM is analyzed.Based on the strain time history data of steel box girder recorded by the structural health mon-itoring system(SHM),the true stress response of steel box girder under vehicle load is extracted.Taking the cumulative fatigue damage increment as the evalua-tion index,the fati gue performance evaluation of the steel box girders is con-ducted based on the collected health monitoring data.The fatigue effect of the beam section near the steel tower,especially the first section of the middle tower,is the key section of the fatigue analysis by health morning system,which is con-sistent with the calculation results of FEM.

Seismic Response Analysis of Steel Structure Isolation System Under Long-Period Seismic Motion

To analyze the seismic response of steel structure isolation systems under long-period seismic motion,a 9-story steel frame building was selected as the subject.Five steel structure finite element models were established using SAP2000.Response spectrum analysis was conducted on the seismic motion to determine if it adhered to the characteristics of long-period seismic motion.Modal analysis of each structural model revealed that the isolation structure significantly prolonged the structural natural vibration period and enhanced seismic performance.Base reactions and floor displacements of various structures notably increased under long-period seismic motion compared to regular seismic activity.Placing isolation bearings in the lower part of the structure proved more effective under long-period seismic motion.In seismic design engineering,it is essential to consider the impact of long-period seismic motion on structures and the potential failure of isolation bearings.

A STUDY OF THE TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF NITROGEN-IMPLANTED GCr15 BEARING STEEL AND 40Cr STRUCTURAL STEEL

Friction and wear properties of nitrogen-implanted GCrI5 bearing steel and 40Cr structuralsteel were studied under different implantation conditions. It is found that physical and mechani-cal properties, as well as chemical properties of the surface layer are greatly changed by ionirradiation, such as the decrease of surface roughness, the increase of hardness accompanied withthe occurrence of compressive stress, etc.. The results of SEM and Ferro-spectroscopy show thatthese variations in surface properties closely associated with changes in the microstructure causegreat variations in friction and wear conditions, and mechanisms between implanted andunimplanted specimens. Changes in the surface microstructure with iron implantation were identi-fied by Auger electron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectronspectroscopy. By means of the orthogonal experiment method, test results for each differentimplantation condition and original hardness of the materials under the same wear test conditionwere comprehensively analysed and discussed.

Regularity of Structural Superplasticity of Hypoeutectoid Steel

The curve of the relation between fracture elongation and temperature for unltrafine grained low alloy hypoeutectoid steels generally shows that three peaks occur at temperatures just below A_ c1, between A_ c1 and A_ c3, and just above A_ c3, When these steels are subjected to superplastic tensile test at different temperatures, the value of the last one is the lowest and the other two peaks are different one from another depending on components, microstructures and deformation conditions of the steels.

Influence of Rare Earths on Improve Impact Property of Structural Alloy Steel with Extra Low Sulfur and Oxygen

The influence of rare earth lanthanum and cerium on impact property of structural alloy steel with extra low sulfur and oxygen was studied by impact test and microanalysis. The results showed that rare earths increased impact power of the steel when their contents were about 0.005%. Proper addition of rare earths could purify grain boundaries and decrease amount of inclusions, and reduced the possibility of crack growth along grain boundaries and through inclusions. Therefore, such steel could absorb more crack growth energy while it was impacted. However, if the content of rare earths is excessive, the grain boundary would be weakened and brittle-hard phosphates and Fe-RE intermetallic would be formed, which worsened impact toughness of steel.

Ice Induced Low Temperature Fatigue Crack Propagation in Offshore Structural Steel A131

To investigate the low temperature fatigue crack propagation behavior of offshore structural steel A131 under random ice loading, three ice failure modes that are commonly present in the Bohai Gulf are simulated according to the vibration stress responses induced by real ice loading. The test data are processed by a universal software FCPUSL developed on the basis of the theory of fatigue crack propagation and statistics. The fundamental parameter controlling the fatigue crack propagation induced by random ice loading is determined to be the amplitude root mean square stress intensity factor K-arm. The test results are presented on the crack propagation diagram where the crack growth rate da/dN is described as the function of K-arm. It is evident that the ice failure modes have great influence on the fatigue crack propagation behavior of the steel in ice-induced vibration. However, some of the experimental phenomena and test results are hard to be physically explained at present. The work in this paper is an initial attempt to investigate the cause of collapse of offshore structures due to ice loading.

Optimum structural design of full-scale steel buildings using drift-tribe-charged system search

In this paper,the potential of utilizing improved metaheuristic approaches in optimal design of building structures is concerned.In this regard,the drift-tribe-charged system search algorithm is proposed that the position and velocity updating processes of the charged system search is developed by implementing the mathematical presentation of the free-electron model utilized for metal conductors.In addition,the searching phase of the developed algorithm is also divided into three separate phases in order to improve the convergence capability of the algorithm.By means of these modifications,the exploitation and exploration rates of the standard algorithm are enhanced.In order to determine the ability of the proposed improved metaheuristic method considering some complex optimization problems,a 10-story steel building structure with 1026 structural members alongside a 60-story structure with 8272 members are utilized as numerical examples.The overall capability of the developed metaheuristic approach is compared with other metaheuristics.A total number of 30 independent runs have been conducted for each of the standard and proposed methods while a statistical analysis is also conducted for comparative purposes.The obtained optimum results demonstrated that the proposed metaheuristic approach is capable of preparing better outcomes than other metaheuristics.

Structural Analysis and Design of Steel Connections Using Component-Based Finite Element Model

This paper introduces CBFEM （component-based finite element model） which is a new method to analyze and design connections of steel structures. Design focused CM （component model） is compared to FEM （finite elements models）. Procedure for composition of a model based on usual production process is used in CBFEM. Its results are compared to those obtained by component method for portal frame eaves moment connection with good agreement. Design of moment resistant column base is demonstrated by a case loaded by two directional bending moments and normal force. Interaction of several connections in one complex joint is explained in the last example. This paper aims to provide structural engineers with a new tool to effectively analyze and design various joints of steel structures.