Interface Reaction between Molten Al99.7 Aluminum Alloy and Various Tool Steels

During the die-casting process as well as the hot forming process, the tool is subjected to complex thermal, mechanical, and chemical stresses that can cause various types of damage to different parts of the tool. This study was carried out to determine the resistance of various tool steels, i.e., UTOPMO1, HTCS-130, and W600, in molten Al99.7 aluminum alloy at a temperature of 700 °C. The formation kinetics of the interaction layer between the molten aluminum and tool steels was studied using differential scanning calorimetry. Light and field-emission scanning electron microscopy were used to analyze the thickness and nature of the interaction layers, while thermodynamic calculations using the Thermo-Calc software were used to explain the results. The stability of the HTCS-130 and W600 tool steels is better than the stability of the UTOPMO1 tool steel in the molten Al99.7 aluminum. Two interaction layers were formed, which in all cases indicate an intermetallic Al13Fe4 layer near the aluminum alloy and an intermetallic Al5Fe2 layer near the tool steels, containing small round carbides. It was confirmed that Ni reduces the activity of aluminum in the ferrite matrix and causes a reduction in the thickness of the intermetallic layer.

Development of 1.2 GPa Ferrite-based Lightweight Steels via Low-temperature Tempering

Previously reported low-Mn ferritic-based lightweight steels are potential candidates for industrial applications, however, they typically exhibit lower strength, with < 1 GPa and lower strength-ductility balance, than medium- and high-Mn austenitic lightweight steels. Herein, we introduce a low-temperature tempering-induced partitioning (LTP) treatment that avoids the strength-ductility dilemma of low-Mn ferriticbased steels. When the LTP process was performed at 330 oC for 665 s, the strength of typical ferritic base Fe-2.8Mn5.7Al0.3C (wt%) steel with heterogeneously sized metastable austenite grains embedded in a ferrite matrix, exceeded 1.1 GPa. Notably, the increased strength-ductility balance of the LTP-processed ferritic steel was comparable to that of the high-Mn based austenitic lightweight steel series. Using microscale to nearatomic scale characterization we found that the simultaneous improvement in strength and total elongation could be attributed to size-dependent dislocation movement, and controlled deformation-induced martensitic transformation.

Low-Carbon Ti-Mo Microalloyed Hot Rolled Steels: Special Features of the Formation of the Structural State and Mechanical Properties

Low-carbon Ti-Mo microalloyed steels represent a new generation of high strength steels for automobile sheet. Excellent indicators of difficult-to-combine technological, strength, and other service properties are achieved due to the superposition of a dispersed ferrite matrix and a bulk system of nanoscale carbide precipitates. Recently, developments are underway to optimize thermo-deformation processing for the most efficient use of phase precipitates. The review summarizes and analyzes the results of studies of mechanical properties depending on the chemical composition and parameters of hot deformation of low-carbon Ti-Mo microalloyed steels. Particular attention is paid to the features of the formation and the influence of various types of phase precipitates and the dispersion of the microstructure on mechanical properties. The advantages of Ti-Mo microalloying system and the tasks requiring further solution are shown.

Effect of Carbon Content and Intercritical Annealing on Microstructure and Mechanical Tensile Properties in FeCMnSiCr TRIP-Assisted Steels

Four TRIP (Transformation Induced Plasticity) assisted steels, three TBF (TRIP Bainitic Ferrite) steels and one TPF (TRIP Polygonal Ferrite) steel, were manufactured from three different carbon contents (0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 wt.% C), to study the evolution of their microstructure and tensile mechanical properties in 15 mm thick plates. TBF steels were subjected to the same austenitization heat treatment and subsequent bainitization isothermal treatment. The TPF steel was subjected to an intercritical annealing and subsequent isothermal bainitization treatment. All were microstructurally characterized by optical, scanning electron and atomic force microscopy, as well as X-ray diffraction. Mechanically, they were characterized by the ASTM E8 tensile test and fractographies. For the TBF steels, the results showed that when the carbon content increased, there were an increase in volume fraction of retained austenite, of the microconstituent “martensite/retained austenite” and in the tensile strength; and a decrease in the volume fraction of bainitic ferrite matrix and elongation; with an improvement in TRIP behavior due to the increase in retained austenite. The TPF steel presented around 50% ductile polygonal ferrite developing better TRIP behavior than the TBF steels. The evolution of the fractographies was ductile to brittle for TBF steels with an increase in carbon content, and for TPF, the appearance of the fracture surface was ductile.

Development of Graphene Based Cobalt-Ferrites Nanocomposites for Microwave Shielding

The study is related to cobalt ferrites nanocomposites embedded with graphene nanosheets, prepared by co-precipitation method. Various doping of graphene from 0.1% up to 1% were applied within the cobalt ferrite structure to study its microwave and mechanical effects on the nanocomposites. Microstructural analysis confirms the homogeneous dispersion and successful adhesion of graphene nanosheets within the cobalt ferrite matrix. Microwave absorbing capacity of these samples was studied by Agilent network analyzer in low frequency band of microwave (1MHz to 2 GHz), Results reveals that graphene incorporation not only improved the absorption capacity of cobalt ferrites (13dB-17d), but also widened its maximum absorption peak. This change was supposed to be due to inhomogeneity and combine effects of electric (graphene), and magnetic dielectric nature (cobalt ferrites). Further mechanical characterizations reveal that our composites samples have higher flexural strength (19.92 MPa for 1% loading) and improved toughness (>6000 J/mm2) compare to pure cobalt ferrites (10.28 MPa, 1000 J/mm2).

Qualitative Investigation of Damage Initiation at Meso-Scale in Spheroidized C45EC Steels by Using Crystal Plasticity-Based Numerical Simulations

This research uses EBSD data of two thermo-mechanically processed medium carbon (C45EC) steel samples to simulate micromechanical deformation and damage behavior. Two samples with 83% and 97% spheroidization degrees are subjected to virtual monotonic quasi-static tensile loading. The ferrite phase is assigned already reported elastic and plastic parameters, while the cementite particles are assigned elastic properties. A phenomenological constitutive material model with critical plastic strain-based ductile damage criterion is implemented in the DAMASK framework for the ferrite matrix. At the global level, the calibrated material model response matches well with experimental results, with up to ~97% accuracy. The simulation results provide essential insight into damage initiation and propagation based on the stress and strain localization due to cementite particle size, distribution, and ferrite grain orientations. In general, it is observed that the ferrite–cementite interface is prone to damage initiation at earlier stages triggered by the cementite particle clustering. Furthermore, it is observed that the crystallographic orientation strongly affects the stress and stress localization and consequently nucleating initial damage.

Influence of B-Site Gd+3 Substitution on Various Properties of Co-Ferrite Nanoparticles

The effect of rare earth (Gd+ 3) substitution on various properties of nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite material with composition CoFe2 − xGdxO (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0,08, 0.1) prepared using combustion method was investigated. The alterations produced in the structural parameters of the spinel lattice of cobalt ferrite were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The structural parameter such as Lattice constant, mass density, strain, and crystallite size showed irregular variation triggered due to Rare earth inclusion. The chemical composition analysis was done using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Morphological investigations were done using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The dependence of A.C. susceptibility and other crucial magnetic properties on rare earth content in the ferrite matrix was also investigated. The temperature dependence of electrical properties such as DC resistivity, dielectric constant, and dielectric loss was also investigated to study the alterations caused due to incorporation of rare earth ions.

Spinning Process of D406A Ultra-High Strength Steel

D406A steel is a medium-carbon low-alloy steel, which has excellent comprehensive mechanical properties. It is widely used in the production of missiles and rocket barrels. In this paper, the spinning forming limit test and the intermediate heat treatment process of ultra-high-strength steel were used to explore the effect of spinning process and heat treatment on the properties of spinning parts. The research results showed that the reduction amount of the material made the material thinning rate approach the limit thinning rate. The final blank wall thickness was reduced from 15 mm to 3.0 mm when the cracking occurred. It was calculated that the material's power spinning limit thinning rate was 80%. The ferrite matrix after spinning showed a streamline distribution characteristic perpendicular to the thinning direction, and the precipitated carbides were uniformly distributed on the surface of the matrix, which had the characteristics of deformation and extension along the streamline. After the heat treatment, the structure of the spinning parts changed continuously. When the structure was quenched and tempered, the martensitic structure can be obtained, and the tempered martensitic structure was smaller. Furthermore a test piece for ultra-high-strength steel spinning technology has been developed, and the solutions discussed for flanging defects in the actual spinning process, and test data for the actual production of ultra-high-strength steel spinning parts accumulated.