The influence of primary cooling and rebound temperature at C–Mn slab corner surfaces during continuous casting on ferrite film transformation and AlN precipitation was investigated. Laboratory simulations included primary cooling to minimum temperature, Tmin, rebounding to various maximum temperatures, Tmax, followed by secondary cooling. The negative effect of a low Tmin on hot ductility could not be readily reversed, even at relatively high temperatures. Quantitative metallography was employed to study the evolution of the microstructure during rebounding and secondary cooling. Following primary cooling to temperatures just above the Ar3, thin films of allotriomorphic ferrite formed on the austenite grain boundaries. These films did not completely transform to austenite during the rebound at 3 °C/s up to temperatures as high as 1130 °C and persisted during slow secondary cooling up to the simulated straightening operation. Whilst dilatometry did not indicate the presence of ferrite after high rebound temperatures, metallography provided clear evidence of its existence, albeit in very small quantities. Coincident with the ferrite at these high temperatures was the predicted (TC-PRISMA) grain boundary precipitation of AlN in bcc iron during the rebound from a Tmin of 730 °C. Importantly no thin ferrite films were observed, and AlN precipitation was not predicted to occur when Tmin was restricted to 830 °C. Cooling below this temperature promotes austenite grain boundary ferrite films and AlN precipitation, which both increase the risk of corner cracking in C–Mn steels.

The roughing conditions required to avoid local heterogeneous regions in the final microstructure of high temperature processing (HTP) Nb linepipe steels have been investigated for quasi-compact strip production (CSP) conditions. The influence of strain sequence, rolling temperatures and Mn content on recrystallisation and carbonitride precipitation before and after roughing were studied using laboratory simulation, mathematical modelling and transmission electron microscopy. The roughing conditions necessary to avoid the formation of local heterogeneous regions have been established for HTP steels with an initial grain size of 850 μm. Low Mn Nb-Ti steels experience more sluggish recrystallisation kinetics and are more vulnerable to forming local heterogeneous regions during roughing. To prevent local heterogeneous regions if finishing commences at 900°C, sufficient effective strain is necessary to produce a bulk softened fraction of at least 0.55 in each of the first two roughing passes. If finishing commences at 1 000°C, slow air cooling from roughing provides additional time for recrystallisation to go to completion and so prevent the occurrence of local heterogeneous regions. Maintaining the strand temperature as high as possible prior to the commencement of roughing encourages recrystallisation. A roughing start temperature of 1 100°C, as opposed to 1 075°C, significantly reduces the risk of forming local heterogeneous regions. For the conditions tested, no correlation between softening fraction and carbonitride precipitate characteristics was found. Thus, the influence of Nb on austenite recrystallisation is expected to be due to either solute drag or solute clustering.