Improving creep strength of the fine-grained heat-affected zone of novel 9Cr martensitic heat-resistant steel via modified thermo-mechanical treatment

The infamous type Ⅳ failure within the fine-grained heat-affected zone (FGHAZ) in G115 steel weldments seriously threatens the safe operation of ultra-supercritical (USC) power plants.In this work,the traditional thermo-mechanical treatment was modified via the replacement of hot-rolling with cold rolling,i.e.,normalizing,cold rolling,and tempering (NCT),which was developed to improve the creep strength of the FGHAZ in G115 steel weldments.The NCT treatment effectively promoted the dissolution of preformed M_(23)C_(6)particles and relieved the boundary segregation of C and Cr during welding thermal cycling,which accelerated the dispersed reprecipitation of M_(23)C_(6) particles within the fresh reaustenitized grains during post-weld heat treatment.In addition,the precipitation of Cu-rich phases and MX particles was promoted evidently due to the deformation-induced dislocations.As a result,the interacting actions between precipitates,dislocations,and boundaries during creep were reinforced considerably.Following this strategy,the creep rupture life of the FGHAZ in G115 steel weldments can be prolonged by 18.6%,which can further push the application of G115 steel in USC power plants.

Microstructural evolution and strengthening mechanism of aligned steel fiber cement-based tail backfills exposed to electromagnetic induction

Cemented tailings backfill(CTB)not only boosts mining safety and cuts surface environmental pollution but also recovers ores previously retained as pillars,thereby improving resource utilization.The use of alternative reinforcing products,such as steel fiber(SF),has continuously strengthened CTB into SFCTB.This approach prevents strength decreases over time and reinforces its long-term durability,especially when mining ore in adjacent underground stopes.In this study,various microstructure and strength tests were performed on SFCTB,considering steel fiber ratio and electromagnetic induction strength effects.Lab findings show that combining steel fibers and their distribution dominantly influences the improvement of the fill’s strength.Fill’s strength rises by fiber insertion and has an evident correlation with fiber insertion and magnetic induction strength.When magnetic induction strength is 3×10^(-4) T,peak uniaxial compressive stress reaches 5.73 MPa for a fiber ratio of 2.0vol%.The cracks’expansion mainly started from the specimen’s upper part,which steadily expanded downward by increasing the load until damage occurred.The doping of steel fiber and its directional distribution delayed crack development.When the doping of steel fiber was 2.0vol%,SFCTBs showed excellent ductility characteristics.The energy required for fills to reach destruction increases when steel-fiber insertion and magnetic induction strength increase.This study provides notional references for steel fibers as underground filling additives to enhance the fill’s durability in the course of mining operations.

Effect of B_(2)O_(3) enrichment on microstructural inhomogeneity of high strength steel weldments

The present work attributes the role of boron on the high strength steel submerged arc weld using an undermatching filler wire.Mild steel filler wire was used for welding in constant machine parameters setting to evaluate the joint strength due to the enrichment of boron.To change the chemical composition of the weld metal,boron trioxide powder was blended with virgin flux in various proportions(2.5%−12.5%),which led to an increase in boron weight percentage in the range of 0−0.0065.The results show that weld metals(WM)optical micrographs depict the various types of ferrites,pearlites and secondary phases like martensite-austenite(M-A).Acicular ferrite content was influenced by the boron trioxide addition.Heat affected zone(HAZ)micrographs were not showing appreciable changes with oxide enrichment.Hardness and toughness of weld metals showed the mixed trend with B_(2)O_(3) enrichment whereas,small reduction in ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and yield strength(YS)was observed.

Product Development of High Strength and Toughness Spring Flat Steel

With the continuous development of mechanical industry,higher requirements are put forward for the comprehensive properties of spring steel.The chemical composition and production process of spring flat steel are designed to meet the requirements of high strength and high toughness of spring flat steel,through the test,the product surface quality and internal quality all meet the national standards,the performance indicators to meet user requirements.

Effect of Steel Fiber on Concrete’s Compressive Strength

The general goal of this research is to investigate whether steel fiber has a significant “positive” or “negative” influence on concrete compressive strength, as well as the optimal steel fiber ratio that delivers best result. Manually, cement, fine aggregates, coarse aggregates, steel fibers, and water were mixed together properly. A slump test was carried on the mixed concrete. After determining the workability, the mixed concrete was poured into cubes dimension 150 mm × 150 mm × 150 mm and left for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the samples were removed from the mold and placed in a water tank to cure for 7 to 28 days. The cube was tested for compressive and flexural strength in a universal testing machine after the samples had cured for the required 7 - 28 days. This study focuses on how to obtain high strength concrete using with steel fiber in the Conventional mix ratio to enhance concrete strength. Concrete reinforcement using steel fibers alters the characteristics of the concrete, allowing it to withstand fracture and hence improve its mechanical qualities. This study reports on an experimental study that reveals the effect of steel fiber on concrete compressive strength and the optimal steel fiber ratio that produces the best results. Steel fiber reinforcing improved the compressive strength of concrete. The average compressive strength of normal M25 concrete with 0% steel fibers and curing ages of 7 and 28 days was determined to be 22.97 N/mm2 and 25.78 N/mm2, respectively. The steel fibers are then added in various concentrations, such as 1%, 2%, and 3%, with aspect ratios of 70. The compressive strength of concrete with 1%, 2%, and 3% steel fiber with an aspect ratio of 70 was examined at 7 days and found to be 23.96, 24.80, and 26.14 N/mm2 correspondingly.

Workability and Strength of Ceramsite Self-Compacting Concrete with Steel Slag Sand

This study focuses on the workability and compressive strength of ceramsite self-compacting concrete with fine aggregate partially substituted by steel slag sand(CSLSCC)to prevent the pollution of steel slag in the environment.The SF,J-ring,visual stability index,and sieve analysis tests are primarily employed in this research to investigate the workability of freshly mixed self-compacting concrete containing steel slag at various steel slag sand replacement rates.The experiment results indicate that CSLSCC with the 20%volume percentage of steel slag(VPS)performs better workability,higher strength,and higher specific strength.The 7-day compressive strength of CSLSCC with the 0.4 of the water-binder ratio(W/B),decreases with the increase of steel slag content,while the 28-day compressive strength increases significantly.The ceramsite self-compacting concrete with good comprehensive performance can be obtained when the substitution rate of steel slag sand for fine aggregate is less than 20%(volume percentage).

A Fuzzy Logic Approach to Predict Tensile Strength in TIG Mild Steel Welds

Welding defects influence the desired properties of welded joints giving fabrication experts a common problem of not being able to produce weld structures with optimal strength and quality. In this study, the fuzzy logic system was employed to predict welding tensile strength. 30 sets of welding experiments were conducted and tensile strength data was collected which were converted from crisp variables into fuzzy sets. The result showed that the fuzzy logic tool is a highly effective tool for predicting tensile strength present in TIG mild steel weld having a coefficient of determination value of 99%.

Light weight analysis of a skeleton vehicle frame using BS960 super-high-strength steel

Static strength finite element analysis was conducted to decrease the weight of a skeleton vehicle＇s frame. Results indicated that the maximum stress occurs on the front beam ＇s variable section area. Dynamic sensitivity analysis elucidated the relationship between the maximum stress and the thickness of a particular beam,e. g.,top,middle,and bottom beam. Displacement was analyzed by the key part that influenced the maximum stress. Finally,the new plan using BS960 super-high-strength beam steel and the preferred beam thickness was compared with the original plan. New combinations of beam thickness were introduced on the basis of different purposes; the maximum responding light w eight ratio was 21%.

Production of super-high strength aluminum alloy billets by low frequency electromagnetic casting

The effects of low frequency electromagnetic field on the macro-physical fields in the semi-continuous casting process of aluminum alloys and the microstructure and crack in the billets were studied and analyzed by the numerical and experimental methods.Comparison of the results for the macro-physical fields in the low frequency electromagnetic casting（LFEC） process with the conventional DC casting process indicates the following characters due to the application of electromagnetic field：an entirely changed direction and remarkably increased velocity of melt flow;a uniform distribution and a decreased gradient of temperature;elevated isothermal lines;a reduced sump depth;decreased stress and plastic deformation.Further,the microstructure of the billets is refined remarkably and the crack in the billets is eliminated in LFEC process because of modification of the macro-physical fields induced by the application of low frequency electromagnetic field.

Research and Development of Cemented Carbide Multifacet Drill for Drilling High Strength Steel

Aim To research on a solid cemented carbide multi facet drill for drilling high strength steel. Methods Assimilating some features of multi facet drill edge structures, through systematic drilling experiments, a new type of solid cemented carbide drill was developed and the drill geometry was optimized. Results With the new type drill,the drilling force decreases by 10%-20%, the drilling productivity (drilled holes per hour) increases by 2-3 times, and the drilling precision and surface finish increase by one level. Conclusion The new type drill possesses excellent drilling performance.

Effect of Microstructure Refinement on the Strength and Toughness of Low Alloy Martensitic Steel

Martensitic microstructure in quenched and tempered 17CrNiMo6 steel with the prior austenite grain size ranging from 6 μm to 199 μm has been characterized by optical metallography （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The yield strength and the toughness of the steel with various prior austenite grain sizes were tested and correlated with microstructure characteristics. Results show that both the prior austenite grain size and the martensitic packet size in the 17CrNiMo6 steel follow a HalI-Petch relation with the yield strength. When the prior austenite grain size was refined from 199 μm to 6 μm , the yield strength increased by 235 MPa, while the Charpy U-notch impact energy at 77 K improved more than 8 times, indicating that microstructure refinement is more effective in improving the resistance to cleavage fracture than in increasing the strength. The fracture surfaces implied that the unit crack path for cleavage fracture is identified as being the packet.

High-Strength and High-Plasticity TWIP Steel for Modern Vehicle

In this paper new high-strength and high-plasticity twinning induced plasticity （TWlP） steel for modern automobile body was investigated. Some basic experimental results were given. The results indicate the TWlP steel has excellent properties. It exhibits high ultimate tensile strength （600,--1100 MPa） and extremely large elongation of 60% to 90%.In the future it would be capable of satisfying the requirements of new generation of vehicle.

Application of Hot Forming High Strength Steel Parts on Car Body in Side Impact

Lightweight structure is an important method to increase vehicle fuel efficiency. High strength steel is applied for replacing mild steel in automotive structures to decrease thickness of parts for lightweight. However, the lightweight structures must show the improved capability for structural rigidity and crash energy absorption. Advanced high strength steels are attractive materials to achieve higher strength for energy absorption and reduce weight of vehicles. Currently, many research works focus on component level axial crash testing and simulation of high strength steels. However, the effects of high strength steel parts to the impact of auto body are not considered. The goal of this research is to study the application of hot forming high strength steel（HFHSS） in order to evaluate the potential using in vehicle design for lightweight and passive safety. The performance of HFHSS is investigated by using both experimental and analytical techniques. In particular, the focus is on HFHSS which may have potential to enhance the passive safety for lightweight auto body. Automotive components made of HFHSS and general high strength steel（GHSS） are considered in this study. The material characterization of HFHSS is carried out through material experiments. The finite element method, in conjunction with the validated model is used to simulate the side impact of a car with GHSS and HFHSS parts according to China New Car Assessment Programme（C-NCAP） crash test. The deformation and acceleration characteristics of car body are analyzed and the injuries of an occupant are calculated. The results from the simulation analyses of HFHSS are compared with those of GHSS. The comparison indicates that the HFHSS parts on car body enhance the passive safety for the lightweight car body in side impact. Parts of HFHSS reduce weight of vehicle through thinner thickness offering higher strength of parts. Passive safety of lightweight car body is improved through reduction of crash deformation on car body by the application of HFHSS parts. The experiments and simulation are conducted to the HFHSS parts on auto body. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the application of HFHSS materials on automotive components for improved capability of passive safety and lightweight.

Effects of chromium on the corrosion and electrochemical behaviors of ultra high strength steels

The effects of chromium on the corrosion and the electrochemical behaviors of ultra high strength steels were studied by the salt spray test and electrochemical methods. The results show that ultra high strength steels remain martensite structures and have anodic dissolution characteristic with an increase of chromium content. There is no typical passive region on the polarization curves of an ultra high strength stainless steel, AerMet 100 steel, and 300M steel. However, chromium improves the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel remarkably. It has the slowest corrosion rate in the salt spray test, one order of magnitude less than that of AerMet 100 and 300M steels. With the increase of chromium content, the polarization resistance becomes larger, the corrosion potential shifts towards the positive direction with a value of 545 mV, and the corrosion current density decreases in electrochemical measures in 3.5wt% NaCl solutions. Because of the higher content of chromium, the ultra high strength stainless steel has a better corrosion resistance than AerMet 100 and 300M steels.

Design of a low-alloy high-strength and high-toughness martensitic steel

To develop a high strength low alloy （HSLA） steel with high strength and high toughness, a series of martensitic steels were studied through alloying with various elements and thermodynamic simulation. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the designed steel were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, tensile testing and Charpy impact test. The results show that cementite exists between 500℃ and 700℃, M7C3 exits below 720℃, and they are much lower than the austenitizing temperature of the designed steel. Furthermore, the Ti（C,N） precipitate exists until 1280℃, which refines the microstructure and increases the strength and toughness. The optimal alloying components are 0.19% C, 1.19% Si, 2.83% Mn, 1.24% Ni, and 0.049% Ti; the tensile strength and the V notch impact toughness of the designed steel are more than 1500 MPa and 100 J, respectively.

Improvement of Toughness of Ultrahigh Strength Steel Aermet 100

The influence of double aging on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ultrahigh strength steel Aermet 100 was analyzed. Under the double aging, there is no apparent decrease in the strength of steel. However, the impact fatigue life can be prolonged by 35.5% and dynamic fracture toughness be raised by 22.6% respectively, as compared with the normal aging. Based on the observation of microscopic structure, the physical mechanism of the prolongation of impact fatigue life and the enhancement of stability of the reverted austenite, AR, is analyzed further. The results show that this new technique is a breakthrough of combination optimization between strength and toughness for Aermet 100 steel. In the light of the current understanding on this subject, the volume fracture of soften and tough AR formed in process of heat preservation at higher temperature of double aging increases drastically. Moreover, during the treatment of lower temperature of double aging, the carbon separating from the martensitic ferrite will diffuse into AR, resulting that the martensitic brittleness decreases and the stability of AR increases.

Effect of microstructure on the low temperature toughness of high strength pipeline steels

Microstructure observations and drop-weight tear test were performed to study the microstructures and mechanical properties of two kinds of industrial X70 and two kinds of industrial X80 grade pipeline steels. The effective grain size and the fraction of high angle grain boundaries in the pipeline steels were investigated by electron backscatter diffraction analysis. It is found that the low temperature toughness of the pipeline steels depends not only on the effective grain size, but also on other microstructural factors such as martensite-austenite （MA） constituents and precipitates. The morphology and size of MA constituents significantly affect the mechanical properties of the pipeline steels. Nubby MA constituents with large size have significant negative effects on the toughness, while smaller granular MA constituents have less harmful effects. Similarly, larger Ti-rich nitrides with sharp corners have a strongly negative effect on the toughness, while fine, spherical Nb-rich carbides have a less deleterious effect. The low temperature toughness of the steels is independent of the fraction of high angle grain boundaries.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of C-Mn-Cr-Nb and C-Mn-Si-Nb ultra-high strength dual-phase steels

The microstructures and mechanical properties of C-Mn-Cr-Nb and C-Mn-Si-Nb ultra-high strength dual-phase steels were studied by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, and tensile test. The results show that Si can promote the transformation of austenite （γ） to ferrite （α）, enlarge the （α＋γ） region, and increase the aging stability of martensite by inhibiting carbide precipitation. Adding Cr leads to the formation of retained austenite and martensite/austenite （M/A） constituents, as well as the decomposi- tion of martensite during the overaging stage. Both of the steels show higher initial strain-hardening rates and two-stage strain-hardening characteristics. The C-Mn-Si-Nb steel shows the higher strain-hardening rate than the C-Mn-Cr-Nb steel in the first stage; however, there is no significant difference in the second stage. Although the tensile strength and elongation of the two steels both exceed 1000 MPa and 15%, respectively, the comprehensive mechanical properties of the C-Mn-Si-Nb steel are superior.

Effects of Si on the stability of retained austenite and temper embrittlement of ultrahigh strength steels

Effects of silicon （Si） content on the stability of retained austenite and temper embrittlement of ultrahigh strength steels were investigated using X-ray diffraction （XRD）,transmission electron microscopy （TEM）,and other experimental methods.The results show that Si can suppress temper embrittlement,improve temper resistance,and hinder the decomposition of retained austenite.Reversed austenite appears gradually with the increase of Si content during tempering.Si has a significant effect on enhancing carbon （C） partitioning and improving the stability of retained austenite.Si and C atoms are mutually exclusive in lath bainite,while they attract each other in austenite.ε-carbides are found in 1.8wt% Si steel tempered at 250℃,and they get coarsened obviously when tempered at 400℃,leading to temper embrittlement.Not ε-carbides but acicular or lath carbides lead to temper embrittlement in 0.4wt% Si steel,which can be inferred as cementites and composite compounds.Temper embrittlement is closely related to the decomposition of retained austenite and the formation of reversed austenite.

Delayed Fracture Behavior of CrMo-Type High Strength Steel Containing Titanium

The delayed fracture behaviors of CrMo-type high strength steels containing different amount of titanium(0to 0.10%)were studied.The steels were quenched at 880℃ and tempered from 400℃ to 650℃,and a wide range of tensile strength was obtained.The sustained load tensile test was carried out by using notched tensile specimens in Walpole solution.The experimental results showed that with higher strength,the Ti-microalloyed steels show higher resistance to delayed fracture compared with non-microalloyed steel due to titanium beneficial role and microstructure changes.The undissolved TiC is uniformly distributed as strong hydrogen traps,retarding or preventing the diffusion and accumulation of hydrogen to lower-interaction energy sites,such as prior austenite and martensite lath boundaries in stress concentration area.Meanwhile,the grain refining effect of titanium is also an important factor to improve the delayed fracture resistance of Ti-microalloyed steels.The characteristics of delayed fracture remain nearly the same with titanium addition.