Features of heat treatment of high-strength lean alloyed cold-resistant steel

Mechanical characteristics of an alloy, used for manufacturing parts of heavy-duty machines, operating under conditions of dynamic and cyclic loads, should meet increased requirements. According to the concept of lean alloying, quality of an alloy and highest possible properties of a chemical composition are determined by the modes of heat treatment. Results of a study of quenching temperature effect on microstructure and properties of a new lean alloyed steel MAGSTRONG 450L having the following chemical composition, %, mass: 0.21 С; 0.23 Si; 0.96 Mn; 0.03 Cr; 0.41 Ni; 0.023 Ti; 0.0021 B presented. Smelting of ingots of a given chemical composition was carried out in a vacuum induction furnace ZG-0.06L. Reduction of ingots was carried out on a hydraulic press П6334 and on a single-stand reversing hot rolling mill 500 duo. The samples were heated in a ПКМ 3.6.2/12,5 chamber furnace. Best mode of the hardening heat treatment of sheet rolled product of steel MAGSTRONG H450L was established, ensuring forming of a mixed structure, comprising 80% of lath martensite and about 20% of high temperature lamellar martensite. Such a structure ensures maximum values of impact toughness KCV–40 = 38 J/сm2 at high strength parameters (tensile strength σв = 1514 МPa, offset yield strength σ0,2 = 1243 МPа, hardness 460 HBW) and satisfactory indices of plasticity (percent elongation δ50 = 16 %) which correspondents to requirements ТС 14-101-1034–2015. Based on results obtained, recommendations were elaborated for heat treatment of the sheet steel MAGSTRONG H450L, thickness 8–20 mm as per OJSC “BELAZ” order. Application of the obtained results of the study will enable to create and perfect the technological modes of heat treatment of alloys with similar composition.

Quantitatively Investigate the Effects of Natural Aging on Mechanical Properties and Bake Hardening Behaviors of Al-Mg-Si Alloys

The effect of natural aging on mechanical properties and bake hardening behaviors of Al-Mg-Si alloys was quantitatively investigated by a series of tensile experiments along the rolling direction. The natural aging period is from three days to three months after heat treatment. As the results, within three months, along the rolling direction, 0.2% offset yield strength and ultimate tensile strength respectively increased from 97 MPa to 145 MPa, 210 MPa to 248 MPa. The strain hardening exponent n-value and the increment of yield strength after bake hardening respectively decreased from 0.2804 to 0.2186, 127 MPa to 89 MPa. The percentage elongation after fracture varies from 22% to 24% during natural aging and varies from 13% to 16% after bake hardening. A large amount of detailed data has been given, which quantitatively describes the change in mechanical properties and bake hardening behaviors of Al-Mg-Si alloys during natural aging.

Quantitative Research on the Effect of Natural Aging on the Mechanical Properties and Bake Hardening Properties of AA6014 Alloy within Six Months

This article is dedicated to quantitatively and systematically revealing the changes of mechanical properties and bake hardening properties of AA6014 alloy during six-month natural aging in detail. Three directions (0, 45, and 90° relative to the rolling direction) of the aluminum alloy sheets and 16 time points within six months were selected to conduct experiments. The change trend of six mechanical properties (0.2% offset yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, plastic extension at maximum force, elongation after fracture, and strain hardening exponent) were obtained by a large number of micro-hardness measurements and tensile tests. The results show that elongations along the three directions are basically the same and do not drop significantly with the progress of natural aging but fluctuate within a certain range. The trends of the n value during natural aging before and after bake hardening are opposite and bake hardening leads to ~0.07 decrease of the n value. The PLC phenomenon disappears after 90 days of natural aging, and the yield strengths along the three directions also stabilize; thus, it can be inferred that the cluster changes tend to stabilize after 90 days natural aging. The large and systematic dataset are clearly and intuitively presented, which can not only be used to provide data reference for industrial production of automobile manufacturers but also be used to reveal the microscopic mechanism of the natural aging process.

The Study of the Copper Alloy Structure and Properties

This paper is devoted to the possibility of using tin as an alloying element in a copper alloy for the contact wire manufacture for high-speed electrified railways. To this end, laboratory experiments were carried out to determine the effect of tin on the structure, mechanical and electrical properties of samples, made of low-alloy system Cu-Sn alloys, under the cold deformation. Cast rods and rolled billets of CuSn0,2, CuSn0,4 and CuSn0,6 alloys are made. The cast rods macrostructure is studied. The analysis showed that with the introduction of tin into copper, there is no zone of columnar crystals in the macrostructure. Moreover, it was found that grains of α-solid solution of tin in copper have a shape close to equiaxial. A structure analysis of rolled billets showed that an increase in the deformation degree leads to grinding of crystalline grains. The mechanical properties of rolled billets were determined: ultimate tensile strength σU, offset yield strength σ0.2 and elongation δ50. The dependence of the electrical resistivity of rolled billets on the deformation degree and the tin content in the alloy is determined. Еhe higher the tin content in the alloy and the deformation degree is, the higher is the electrical resistivity. The electrical resistivity of samples, made of CuSn0.2 and CuSn0.4 alloys, coincides with the GOST R 55647-2018 requirements. The laboratory studies have shown that tin-containing copper alloys (Sn is up to 0.4 wt. %) can be recommended as a material for the manufacture of contact wire.

Change of Specimen Temperature during the Monotonic Tensile Test and Correlation between the Yield Strength and Thermoelasto-Plastic Limit Stress on the Example of Aluminum Alloys

This paper presents an attempt to generalize the description of the course of specimen temperature changes during the tensile test and to connect the value of the thermoelasto-plastic limit stress with the value of a clear (physical) or proof strength (offset yield strength) on the example of tests of the following aluminum alloy sheets used in Poland for airplane structures: 2024-T3 and D16 in three grades: D16ATV, D16CzATV, and D16UTV. A thermographic camera was used for specimen surface temperature measurement during the tensile test. The Portevine–Le Chatelier effect (the so-called PLC effect) was observed for tests of specimens cut from sheet plates, which was strongly reflected in the temperature fluctuations. The course of temperature change during tensile tests was divided into four characteristic stages related to the occurrence of a clear or offset yield strength. It was found that if there is a clear yield strength, the value of the thermoelasto-plastic limit stress was greater than this yield strength. If there was an offset yield strength, the value of the thermoelasto-plastic limit stress was lower than this yield strength. The differences in the aforementioned values of individual yield strengths did not exceed several percent. Thus, it can be concluded that the thermoelasto-plastic limit stress determined on the basis of the course of specimen temperature changes during the tensile test is well correlated with the value of the yield strength of the material.

Magnesium Solubility in Primary α-Al and Heat Treatment Response of Cast Al-7Si-Mg

Magnesium and silicon concentrations in the interior of primary α-Al of Al-7Si-Mg alloys were studied at temperatures in the liquid-solid range and just after solidification was completed. Analysis of the results showed that the magnesium concentration in the interior of primary α-Al is very low in the temperatures range from the liquidus to the start of the Al-Si eutectic reaction. Formation of silicon-rich phases during eutectic reactions, such as eutectic silicon and β-Al5FeSi, phases trigger a significant increase in the magnesium concentration in the interior of primary α-Al, when sufficient time is allowed for solid-state diffusion to occur. When fast cooling rates are applied during the Al-Si eutectic reaction, most of the magnesium is retained in π-Al8FeMg3Si6 and Mg2Si phases formed during solidification. Semi-solid Al-7Si-Mg castings were produced with varying magnesium contents, and the mechanical properties were evaluated in the as-cast, T5 and T6 conditions. It was found that the 0.2% offset yield strength of the semi-solid Al-7Si-Mg castings in the T5 and T6 conditions increases linearly with the square root of the magnesium concentration in the interior of the α-Al globules formed during the slurry preparation process.

The Use of X-Ray Diffraction Peaks Profile Analysis to Define the Structural Condition of Elastically Stressed 09G2S Steel

By using X-ray diffractometry, it was determined how short-term stresses, being within the limits of the offset yield strength σs, influence changes in the diffraction line profile characteristics resulting from static tension in plate specimens of 09G2S (09Г2С) structural steel. Microstructural changes in the surface of 09G2S steel specimens considered in this work were studied at different levels of elastic stress. The special aspects of changes in the diffraction line profile characteristics are presented and discussed, specifically, a broadening of the profile maximum half-width (B), as a response to the external mechanical impact on the surface layers.

Rapidly Solidified Aluminium Alloy Composite with Nickel Prepared by Powder Metallurgy: Microstructure and Self-Healing Behaviour

Composite material prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) from a powder mixture of AlCrFeSi rapidly solidified alloy and 5 wt. % of Ni particles was studied in this work. It was proven that during SPS compaction at 500 °C, no intermetallic phases formed on the surface of Ni particles. The material exhibited sufficient mechanical properties obtained by tensile testing (ultimate tensile stress of 203 ± 4 MPa, ductility of 0.8% and 0.2% offset yield strength of 156 ± 2 MPa). Tensile samples were pre-stressed to 180 MPa and annealed at 450 and 550 °C for 1 h. Annealing at 450 °C did not lead to any recovery of the material. Annealing at 550 °C caused the full recovery of 0.2% offset yield strength, while the ductility was decreased. The self-healing behaviour originates from the growth of intermetallic phases between the Ni particle and the Al matrix. The sequence of NiAl, Ni2Al3 and NiAl3 intermetallic phases formation was observed. In particular, the morphology of the NiAl3 phase, growing in thin dendrites into the Al matrix, is suitable for the closing of cracks, which pass through the material.

Determination of Pipeline Yielding Occurred in Hydrostatic Pressure Testing

The pipeline industry has traditionally utilized the “double stroke” concept to define line pipe yielding for limiting plastic deformation of the pipeline during hydrostatic pressure testing. Practice showed that double stroke may define a nominal yield point lying between the elastic limit and the offset yield strength. Recently, a set of field hydrostatic tests were conducted on an X70 pipeline at Enterprise Products, and the test pressure at double stroke was as high as 129% of SMYS, but the von Mises stress was less than the actual yield strength. The entire pipeline was thought in the elastic conditions at double stroke during the hydrostatic testing. It is well recognized that the classical Tresca and von Mises yield criteria determines a lower and an upper bound of the limit load at yielding, and a newly proposed Zhu-Leis yield criterion determines a medium result of the two classical solutions. Extensive full-scale tests have confirmed that the Zhu-Leis yield solution is the best prediction of experimental data on average. This paper attempts to use the more accurate Zhu-Leis yield criterion to reanalyze the real-world hydrostatic tests of the X70 pipeline to see if pipe yielding occurs and to determine pipe diameter expansion at double stroke during the hydrostatic pressure testing.