Fulvio Siciliano

Modeling of the Resistance to Hot Deformation and the Effects of Microalloying in High-Al Steels under Industrial Conditions

The hot strip rolling of advanced microalloyed high strength steels still represents a new task to many mills due to the lack of data on the hot deformation resistance. With the aid of processing data from the Ispat-Inland hot strip mill, the “measured mean flow stresses” are calculated from the mill force using the Sims analysis and taking into account roll flattening, slip ratio and the redundant strain. A modification of the Misaka mean flow stress equation is proposed for C – Mn – Si – Al steels microalloyed with up to 0.02 % Nb. The effects of alloying and microalloying are then estimated. A new fitting parameter shows excellent agreement with the mean flow stress data from industrial processing of advanced high strength microalloyed steels. However, during the second half of the rolling schedule (lower temperature region), indications of austeniteto- ferrite transformation were found.

Modeling of the Microstructural Evolution and Mean Flow Stress during Thin Slab Casting/Direct Rolling of Niobium Microalloyed Steels

Mill logs obtained from the Hylsa CSPTM (thin slab casting/direct rolling – TSC/DR) mill were examined so that the mean flow stresses at each pass were calculated using the Sims equation modified to take into account the forward slip ratio, the redundant strain and the work roll flattening. The mean flow stresses were then compared to predicted values obtained from a model. The microstructures during the CSP process were predicted by a mathematical model which was initially derived for conventional slab/roughing mill/hot strip mill (HSM) processing route. The adapted model takes into account the deformation of the as-cast structure in the finishing CSP mill, by using particular microstructural equations to calculate the softening kinetics and grain sizes. The main metallurgical features such as the occurrence of Nb(C,N) precipitation, the softening mechanism which takes place (static or metadynamic recrystallization) as well as the strain accumulation between passes were calculated. The mean-flow-stress results obtained from the calculations are in good agreement with the mill data. The present analysis indicates that it is possible to produce fine-grained microalloyed steels with homogeneous microstructure in thin slab casting/direct rolling processing.

FE-SEM Study of Fine Nb Precipitates in Carbon Extraction Replicas

Precipitation strengthening is an important parameter controlling the mechanical properties of low carbon steels. These precipitates are very fine and are normally analyzed using either thin foils or carbon extraction replicas under a transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In this work, field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) was applied successfully in the characterization of niobium (Nb) carbo-nitride (C,N) precipitates using carbon extraction replicas. FE-SEM observation of high strength linepipe steel replicas before and after aging at 400°C for 1 hr confirmed the presence of Nb(C,N) precipitates in ferrite. The FE-SEM could analyze small particles (below 50 nm) embedded in the steel but the analysis had to be carried out at low voltages to maximize spatial resolution resulting in a poor signal. However, carbon extraction replicas in the FE-SEM can be analyzed using high voltages, since the interaction volume effect is no longer a problem.

Modeling the critical strain for the initiation of dynamic recrystallization during the hot strip rolling of niobium microalloyed steels

The critical strain for the onset of dynamic recrystallization is an important parameter employed in the mathematical modeling of microstructure development and of rolling load. The aim of this study was to derive an equation that expresses the critical strain as a function of a previously developed peak strain equation. Mill logs from four different hot strip mills were used for this purpose, and over 100 logs were analyzed. The Nb compositional range examined in this study was 0.008 to 0.058 Nb, which represents most of the conventional range of Nb levels. The results show that the critical strain/peak strain ratio decreases with an increase in Nb concentration. Decreasing the Mn and increasing the Si levels have similar but smaller effects than that of Nb addition.

Hot Torsion Tests - A Reliable Rolling Simulation Method for C-Mn Steels

Torsion tests have been proven to be a successful method to simulate the hot rolling of steels. Simulation work performed at a laboratory scale together with the analysis of the resulting mean-flow-stress behavior, leads to important metallurgical information to be considered during full-scale rolling processes. In this work, two different hot deformation schedules of C-Mn steels have been performed on a Gleeble simulation system in hot torsion mode. In addition to the torsion tests, the mean-flow-stresses of industrial rolling data were analyzed. Industrial hot deformation schedules simulated using hot torsion and the mean-flow-stress values were plotted versus the inverse of absolute temperature in the same graph. All points match the same behavior showing that torsion testing is a reliable hot working simulation method.

Influence of Deformation and Coiling Temperature on Mechanical Properties of a High Strength Pipeline Steel

One of the components required to successfully produce high strength pipeline steel is to optimize precipitation strengthening. Some high strength pipeline grades rely on increased levels of Nb; in these grades, it is important to ensure that all the Nb is effectively employed. It is generally accepted that choice of coiling temperature is critical in maximizing the Nb precipitation in ferrite. Additional control of this precipitation may be attained by deformation at these coiling temperatures, an approach termed ‘cool deformation’. In this work, steel specimens were heated to temperature of 1200°C and held at temperature for 20 minutes to ensure significant dissolution of Nb precipitates. Some specimens were aged at 400°C for times ranging from 10 minutes to 10 hours followed by air-cooling. Others were subjected to deformation at 400°C (‘cool deformation’) prior to aging. It was found that the cool deformation improves the mechanical properties by microstructure; both yield and tensile strengths are significantly higher than that of the aged only specimens. By using low voltage imaging on a field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), precipitates were observed and identified. The effects of the thermal and cool deformation schedules on the precipitate characteristics are described in this paper.

Dynamic Transformation and Retransformation During the Simulated Plate Rolling of an X70 Pipeline Steel

The controlled rolling of pipeline steels involves pancaking the austenite and then subjecting it to accelerated cooling. However, the formation of ferrite during rolling decreases the amount of austenite available for microstructure control. Here the formation of ferrite during rolling is simulated using a five-pass rolling schedule applied by means of torsion testing. The first and last pass temperatures were 920 and 860 °C with 15° of cooling between passes. All of the rolling was carried out above the Ae3 temperature of 845 °C that applies to this steel. Interpass times of 10 and 30 s were employed, which corresponded to cooling rates of 1.5 and 0.5 °C/s, respectively. Samples were quenched before and after the first, third, and fifth passes in order to determine the amount of dynamic ferrite produced in a given pass. The amounts of dynamic ferrite formed and retained increased with pass number. The amounts of ferrite that retransformed increased with pass number. The simulations indicate that ferrite is unavoidably produced during plate rolling and that the microstructures present at the initiation of accelerated cooling do not consist solely of austenite.