Investigation on the Microstructure Hardness for the Hot Compressed Duplex Steel

Effect of microstructure size and type on the hardness for the duplex steel were disclosed by using of optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and nanoindenter for the samples hot compressed under different temperature with reduction of 10%, 30%, 50% and 70%. OM and SEM were used to measure the average martensite lamellar width, space and indenter morphology. nanoindenter test characterized the microstructure hardness for the samples under different process. Experiment results show that martensite hardness for the sample hot compressed at 950°C has larger diversity than that of sample hot compressed at 1200°C. The martensite hardness fluctuation range for the sample compressed at 950°C is almost from about 7GPa to 12GPa, while, for the sample compressed at 1200°C, the fluctuation range is basically from about 9GPa to 12GPa. However, the average hardness for the samples hot compressed at 950°C is comparably smaller, which is related with lower quench temperature. The larger martensite hardness fluctuation is mainly related with induced ferrite formation and finer martensite lamellar width. For the ferrite phase, the hardness fluctuation range is lower.

Hydrogen Embrittlement Resistance of High Strength 9260 Bar Steel Heat Treated by Quenching and Partitioning

The influence of microstructure on hydrogen embrittlement of high strength steels for fastener applications is explored in this study. Space limiting applications in areas such as the automotive or agricultural industries provide a need for higher strength fasteners. Albeit, hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility typically increases with strength. Using a 9260 steel alloy, the influence of retained austenite volume fraction in a martensitic matrix was evaluated with microstructures generated via quenching and partitioning. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to assess the influence of retained austenite in the matrix with different quenching parameters. The quench temperatures varied from 160 °C up to 220 °C, and a constant partitioning temperature of 290 °C was employed for all quench and partitioned conditions. The target hardness for all testing conditions was 52-54 HRC. Slow strain rate tensile testing was conducted with cathodic hydrogen pre-charging that introduced a hydrogen concentration of 1.0-1.5 ppm to evaluate hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of these various microstructures. The retained austenite volume fraction and carbon content varied with the initial quench temperature. Additionally, the lowest initial quench temperature employed, which had the highest austenite carbon content, had the greatest hydrogen embrittlement resistance for a hydrogen concentration level of 1.0-1.5 ppm.

Processing Variants in Medium-Mn Steels

This paper highlights some recent efforts to extend the use of medium-Mn steels for applications other than intercritically batch-annealed steels with exceptional ductility (and strengths in the range of about 1000 MPa). These steels are shown to enable a range of promising properties. In hot-stamping application concepts, elevated Mn concentration helps to stabilize austenite and to provide a range of attractive property combinations, and also reduces the processing temperatures and likely eliminates the need for press quenching. The “double soaking” concept also provides a wide range of attractive mechanical property combinations that may be applicable in cold-forming applications, and could be implemented in continuous annealing and/or continuous galvanizing processes where Zn-coating would typically represent an additional austempering step. Quenching and partitioning of steels with elevated Mn concentrations have exhibited very high strengths, with attractive tensile ductility; and medium-Mn steels have been successfully designed for quenching and partitioning using room temperature as the quench temperature, thereby effectively decoupling the quenching and partitioning steps.

Quenching and Partitioning of Multiphase Aluminum-Added Steels

The quenching and partitioning response following intercritical annealing was investigated for three lean TRIP-type high-Al steel compositions. Depending on the intercritical austenite fraction following annealing, the steels assumed either a ferrite/martensite/retained austenite microstructure or a multiphase structure with ferritic, bainitic and martensitic constituents along with retained austenite. The amount of retained austenite was found to correlate with the initial quench temperature and, depending on the intercritical annealing condition prior to initial quenching, with the uniform and ultimate elongations measured in tensile testing.

Experimental Study of Quench Temperature During Reflood Phase

Reflood process plays an important role in protecting fuel rods from damage and mitigating consequence during a hypothetical loss of coolant accident (LOCA). Study of quench temperature which is a symbol of quenching process is important for deep understanding of quench mechanism and development of quench models. However, there is no consensus on effects of different parameters such as inlet mass flux on quench temperature. More experimental studies on quench temperature are still needed. Based on an experimental study in an annular channel, the influences of inlet mass flux (20∼300kg/m2•s) and power (0∼1.5kW/m) on quench temperature have been investigated. It is shown that the effect of inlet mass flux on quench temperature is related to power. Quench temperature increases with increasing inlet mass flux when power is low enough but decreases with increasing mass flux when power is high.