scholarly journals The influence of the austenite grain size on the microstructural development during quenching and partitioning processing of a low-carbon steel

2019 ◽  
Vol 178 ◽  
pp. 107847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Celada-Casero ◽  
Cees Kwakernaak ◽  
Jilt Sietsma ◽  
Maria Jesus Santofimia
Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2241
Author(s):  
Chi-Kang Lin ◽  
Hsuan-Hao Lai ◽  
Yen-Hao Su ◽  
Guan-Ru Lin ◽  
Weng-Sing Hwang ◽  
...  

In this study, the effect of austenite grain size on acicular ferrite (AF) nucleation in low-carbon steel containing 13 ppm Mg is determined. The average austenite grain size was calculated using OM Leica software. Results show that the predicted and experimental values of austenite grain size are extremely close, with a deviation of less than 20 µm. AF formation is difficult to induce by either excessively small and large austenite grain sizes; that is, an optimal austenite grain size is required to promote AF nucleation probability. The austenite grain size of 164 µm revealed the highest capacity to induce AF formation. The effects of the maximum distance of carbon diffusion and austenite grain size on the microstructure of Mg-containing low carbon steel are also discussed. Next, the pinning ability of different inclusion types in low-carbon steel containing 22 Mg is determined. The in situ observation shows that not every inclusion could inhibit austenite grain migration; the inclusion type influences pinning ability. The grain mobility of each inclusion was calculated using in situ micrographs of confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) for micro-analysis. Results show that the austenite grain boundary can strongly be pinned by Mg-based inclusions. MnS inclusions are the least effective in pinning austenite grain boundary migration.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Wang ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
Jian Kang ◽  
Guo Yuan ◽  
Guodong Wang

Inclusion-induced acicular ferrite (AF) nucleation has been used for microstructure refinement in steel. Austenitization conditions have a significant influence on AF nucleation ability. In this paper, the effects of austenitization temperature and holding time on the transformation behaviors of low carbon steel containing Ti–Ca oxide particles were studied. A thermal treatment experiment, high temperature in situ observation, and calculation of Mn diffusion were carried out. The results indicate that small austenite grain size under low austenitizing temperature promoted grain boundary reaction products. With an increase in austenitizing temperature, the nucleation sites transferred to intragranular particles and AF transformation was improved. The inclusion particles in the Ti–Ca deoxidized steel were featured by an oxide core rich in Ti and a lesser amount of Ca and with MnS precipitation on the local surface, which showed a strong ability to promote AF nucleation. At a low austenitizing temperature, Mn diffusion was limited and the development of Mn-depleted zones (MDZs) around inclusions was not sufficient. The higher diffusion capacity of Mn at a high austenitizing temperature promoted the formation of MDZs to a larger degree and increased the AF nucleation ability. Boron segregation at large-sized austenite grain boundaries played an important role in AF transformation. Austenite grain size, Mn-depleted zone development, and boron segregation at grain boundaries were the decisive factors influencing the transformation behaviors under different austenitization conditions for the test steel.


Metals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liangyun Lan ◽  
Zhiyuan Chang ◽  
Penghui Fan

The simulation welding thermal cycle technique was employed to generate different sizes of prior austenite grains. Dilatometry tests, in situ laser scanning confocal microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the role of prior austenite grain size on bainite transformation in low carbon steel. The bainite start transformation (Bs) temperature was reduced by fine austenite grains (lowered by about 30 °C under the experimental conditions). Through careful microstructural observation, it can be found that, besides the Hall–Petch strengthening effect, the carbon segregation at the fine austenite grain boundaries is probably another factor that decreases the Bs temperature as a result of the increase in interfacial energy of nucleation. At the early stage of the transformation, the bainite laths nucleate near to the grain boundaries and grow in a “side-by-side” mode in fine austenite grains, whereas in coarse austenite grains, the sympathetic nucleation at the broad side of the pre-existing laths causes the distribution of bainitic ferrite packets to be interlocked.


Metals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farnoosh Forouzan ◽  
M. Guitar ◽  
Esa Vuorinen ◽  
Frank Mücklich

To improve the weld zone properties of Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS), quenching and partitioning (Q&P) has been used immediately after laser welding of a low-carbon steel. However, the mechanical properties can be affected for several reasons: (i) The carbon content and amount of retained austenite, bainite, and fresh martensite; (ii) Precipitate size and distribution; (iii) Grain size. In this work, carbon movements during the partitioning stage and prediction of Ti (C, N), and MoC precipitation at different partitioning temperatures have been simulated by using Thermocalc, Dictra, and TC-PRISMA. Verification and comparison of the experimental results were performed by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscop (SEM), and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Electron Backscatter Scanning Diffraction (EBSD) analysis were used to investigate the effect of martensitic/bainitic packet size. Results show that the increase in the number density of small precipitates in the sample partitioned at 640 °C compensates for the increase in crystallographic packets size. The strength and ductility values are kept at a high level, but the impact toughness will decrease considerably.


2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (15) ◽  
pp. 6059-6068 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. Santofimia ◽  
L. Zhao ◽  
R. Petrov ◽  
C. Kwakernaak ◽  
W.G. Sloof ◽  
...  

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