Continuous Cooling Transformation Behavior of High Carbon Pearlitic Steel

The continuous cooling transformation behavior of high-carbon pearlitic steel was studied by employing optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and the Vickers hardness test. The results show that the microstructure of the test steel is composed of proeutectoid cementite and lamellar pearlite in the cooling rate range of 0.05–2 °C/s and lamellar pearlite in the range of 2–5 °C/s. Further, martensite appears at 10 °C/s. With the increase in the cooling rate, the Vickers hardness of the test steel first decreases and then increases. In the industrial production of high-carbon pearlite steel, the formation of proeutectoid cementite at a low cooling rate needs to be avoided, and at the same time, the formation of martensite and other brittle-phase at a high cooling rate needs to be avoided.

Investigation of the Structural, Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Plasma Electrolytic Hardened Chromium-Nickel Steel

This paper investigates how electrolytic plasma hardening (PEH) bears upon the changes in the phase structural and tribological properties of steel 0.34C-1Cr-1Ni-1Mo-Fe, which is widely used in manufacturing highly stressed gears. The samples of steel 0.34C-1Cr-1Ni-1Mo-Fe went through the PEH in an electrolyte containing an aqua solution of 20% calcined soda (Na2CO3) and 10% carbamide ((NH2)2CO). The initial steel 0.34C-1Cr-1Ni-1Mo-Fe is stated to have the following structural components: a lamellar pearlite with volume share of 35%, a ferrite-carbide mixture of ~45% and a fragmented ferrite of ~20%; after the PEH it contains lath-lamellar martensite, fine particles of cementite and M23C6 carbide. The durability of steel 0.34C-1Cr-1Ni-1Mo-Fe was found to rise by 3.4 times after the PEH and its microhardness increased in 2.6 times. The curve-tension of the crystal lattice was established to be like plastic (χ = χpl) and does not cause the formation of microcracks in the material.

A multiscale mean field model for elastic properties of hypereutectoid pearlitic steels with different microstructures

Multiscale modeling of macroscopic elastic properties of pearlitic hypereutectoid steel using the Eshelby matrix–inclusion approach is possible. The model works through successive homogenization steps, based on the elastic properties of cementite and ferrite. Globular pearlite is homogenized using α Mori–Tanaka approach. Lamellar pearlite and pearlite colonies with fragmented proeutectoid cementite are homogenized by α classical self-consistent scheme. In the case of pearlite colonies surrounded by α continuous cementite film, α generalized self-consistent scheme is used. The influence of microstructural parameters such as the pearlite colony size or the thickness of the proeutectoid cementite on Young’s and shear moduli and on coefficients of the stiffness tensor is simulated. Proof of concept is obtained by comparison between predicted elastic behavior and experimental results from the literature.

Physical Nature of Strengthening Mechanisms During Extremely Long-Term Operation of Rails

The quantitative estimation of strengthening mechanisms of rails’ surface layer is carried out on the basis of regularities and formation mechanisms of structure-phase states revealed by the methods of modern physical materials science. It is performed at different depths of the rail head along the central axis and fillet of differentially quenched 100-meter rails after the extremely long-term operation (gross passed tonnage of 1411 mln tons). A long-term operation of rails is accompanied by the formation of structural constituent gradient consisting of a regular change in the relative content of lamellar pearlite, fractured pearlite, the structure of ferrite-carbide mixture, scalar, and excess dislocation density along the cross-section of the rail head. As the distance to the rail fillet surface decreases, the relative content of metal volume with lamellar pearlite decreases. However, the relative content of metal volume with the presence of the fractured pearlite structure and ferrite-carbide mixture increases. The contributions caused by the matrix lattice friction, intraphase boundaries, dislocation substructure, presence of carbide particles, internal stress fields, solid-solution strengthening, pearlite component of steel structure are estimated. It is shown that the main mechanism of strengthening in the surface layer is due to the interaction of moving dislocations with low-angle boundaries of nanometer dimensional fragments and subgrains. The main dislocation strengthening mechanism in a near-surface layer at a depth of 2-10 mm is due to the interaction of moving dislocations with immobile ones.

Mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of rotating arc-gas metal arc welded carbon steel joints

The main problem associated with high thickness carbon steel plate's narrow range or “V” groove welding in conventional welding processes is the sagging of the molten pool due to gravity, which in turn leads to defects formation and deteriorates mechanical properties. This problem could be overcome by the rotating arc gas metal arc welding (RA-GMAW) technique. This investigation aims to evaluate mechanical properties and metallurgical characteristics of high thickness IS2062 Gr-B carbon steel joints welded by RA-GMAW technique. The experimental results show that RA-GMAW joint exhibited higher (598 MPa) tensile strength, higher hardness (220 HV) at weld metal region, and lower impact toughness (137 J) than the unwelded base metal. This is due to the presence of fine acicular ferrite and widmanstatten ferrite matrix mixed with fine lamellar pearlite microstructure in the weld metal region.

Structure-phase states and properties of rail tread surface at long-term operation

Using the methods of modern physical material science the investigations of structure-phase states and properties at different depth from tread surface of differentially quenched rails at extremely long-term operation (passed tonnage 1411 mln t) are carried out. The hardness decrease from 37.1 to 35.8 HRC at the depth 2 and 10 mm and microhardness from 1481 to 1210 MPa, respectively is revealed. The established multiple transformation of tread surface structure concludes in: fracture of lamellar pearlite structure and subgrain structure formation of submicronsizes (100-150 nm); precipitation of carbide phase nanoparticles (30-55 nm)along the boundaries and in the volume ofsubgrains; growth of microdistorsions and α-Fe crystal lattice parameter; growth of scalar and excess dislocation density. The suggestions about the possible reasons of observable regularities are made.

Change in Structural-Phase States and Properties of Lengthy Rails during Extremely Long-Term Operation

The regularities and formation mechanisms of structural-phase states and properties at different depths in the rail heads along the central axis and fillet after differential quenching of 100-meter rails and extremely long operation (with passed tonnage of 1411 million tons gross weight) have been revealed by the methods of the state-of-the-art physical materials science. As revealed, the differential quenching is accompanied by the formation of morphologically multi-aspect structure presented by grains of lamellar perlite, ferrite–carbide mixture, and structure-free ferrite. The steel structure is characterized by the α-Fe lattice parameter, the level of microstresses, the size of coherent-scattering region, the value of interlamellar distance, the scalar and excess dislocation densities. As shown, the extremely long operation of rails is accompanied by the numerous transformations of metal structure of rail head: firstly, a fracture of lamellar pearlite structure and a formation of subgrain structure of submicron (100–150 nm) sizes in the bulk of pearlite colonies; secondly, a precipitation of carbide phase particles of nanometer range along the boundaries and in the bulk of subgrains; thirdly, a microdistortion growth of steel crystal lattice; fourthly, a strain hardening of metal resulting in the increase (by 1.5-fold) in scalar and excess dislocation densities relative to the initial state. A long-term operation of rails is accompanied by the formation of structural constituent gradient consisting in a regular change in the relative content of lamellar pearlite, fractured pearlite, and structure of ferrite–carbide mixture along cross-section of railhead. As the distance to the rail fillet surface decreases, a relative content of metal volume with lamellar pearlite decreases, and that with the structure of fractured pearlite and ferrite–carbide mixture increases. As determined, the characteristic feature of ferrite–carbide mixture structure is a nanosize range of grains, subgrains and carbide-phase particles forming it. The size of grains and subgrains forming the type of structure varies in the limits of 40–70 nm; the size of carbide-phase particles located along the boundaries of grains and subgrains varies in the limits of 8–20 nm. A multiaspect character of steel strengthening is detected that is caused by several factors: firstly, the substructural strengthening due to the formation of fragment subboundaries, whose boundaries are stabilized by the carbide-phase particles; secondly, the strengthening by carbide-phase particles located in the bulk of fragments and on elements of dislocation substructure (dispersion hardening); thirdly, the strengthening caused by the precipitation of carbon atoms on dislocations (formation of Cottrell atmospheres); fourthly, the strengthening being introduced by internal stress fields due to incompatibility of crystal-lattices’ deformation of α-phase structural constituents and carbide-phase particles.

On the Post-Printing Heat Treatment of a Wire Arc Additively Manufactured ER70S Part

Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is known to induce a considerable microstructural inhomogeneity and anisotropy in mechanical properties, which can potentially be minimized by adopting appropriate post-printing heat treatment. In this paper, the effects of two heat treatment cycles, including hardening and normalizing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a WAAM-fabricated low-carbon low-alloy steel (ER70S-6) are studied. The microstructure in the melt pools of the as-printed sample was found to contain a low volume fraction of lamellar pearlite formed along the grain boundaries of polygonal ferrite as the predominant micro-constituents. The grain coarsening in the heat affected zone (HAZ) was also detected at the periphery of each melt pool boundary, leading to a noticeable microstructural inhomogeneity in the as-fabricated sample. In order to modify the nonuniformity of the microstructure, a normalizing treatment was employed to promote a homogenous microstructure with uniform grain size throughout the melt pools and HAZs. Differently, the hardening treatment contributed to the formation of two non-equilibrium micro-constituents, i.e., acicular ferrite and bainite, primarily adjacent to the lamellar pearlite phase. The results of microhardness testing revealed that the normalizing treatment slightly decreases the microhardness of the sample; however, the formation of non-equilibrium phases during hardening process significantly increased the microhardness of the component. Tensile testing of the as-printed part in the building and deposition directions revealed an anisotropic ductility. Although normalizing treatment did not contribute to the tensile strength improvement of the component, it suppressed the observed anisotropy in ductility. On the contrary, the hardening treatment raised the tensile strength, but further intensified the anisotropic behavior of the component.

Improvement of the Method for the High-Carbon Wire Rod Pearlite Grain Grade Identification

The main characteristics of metal long products quality include mechanical properties, depending on the microstructure state. The key indicator for evaluation the micro-structure of high carbon steel can be considered the 1st grain grade lamellar pearlite Bfp. For the currently used pearlite dispersion method, according to GOST 8233-56, it is characterized by the subjectivity of the view fields choice for the microstructure evaluation, that reduces the quality of the obtained results. The study purpose was to improve the method of high-carbon steel wire rod microstructure estimation, to reduce the error magnitude in determining the 1st grain grade lamellar pearlite. The experiments were carried out on samples of high-carbon steel wire rod with a carbon content of 0,58 – 0,77 %. The pearlite dispersion was evaluated in 27 view fields, located on mutually perpendicular diagonals of the sample cross section. The study results showed the possibility of reducing the error in determining the estimated value of the high-carbon steel wire rod microstructure pearlite dispersion. Microstructure evaluation in the five view fields should be carried out, taking into account the weight coefficients, determined by the ratio of the zones length, occupied by pearlite with a certain percentage of the 1st grade grain pearlite to the wire rod radius. The proposed method of the microstructure evaluation increases assessment accuracy, without complication of its implementation process.