The welding of fine-grained steels is a very specific technology because of the requirement for the heat input limit value. Applying temperature cycles results in an intense grain growth in a high-temperature heat-affected zone (HAZ). This has a significant effect on the changing of strength properties and impact values. The intensity of grain coarsening in the HAZ can be predicted based on the experimentally determined activation energy and material constant, both of which define grain growth kinetics. These quantities, together with real measured welding cycles, can be subsequently used during experiments to determine mechanical properties in a high-temperature HAZ. This paper shows a methodical procedure leading to the obtainment of the material quantities mentioned above that define the grain growth, both at fast and slow temperature cycles. These data were used to define the exposure temperature and the soaking time in a vacuum furnace to prepare test samples with grain sizes corresponding to the high-temperature HAZ of welded joints for the testing procedures. Simultaneously, by means of the thermo-mechanical simulator Gleeble 3500, testing samples were prepared which, due to a temperature gradient, created conditions comparable to those in the HAZ. The experiments were both carried out with the possibility of free sample dilatation and under a condition of zero dilation, which happens when the thermal expansion of a material is compensated by plastic deformation. It has been found that shape of the temperature cycle, maximal achieved cycle temperature, cooling rate, and, particularly, the time in which the sample is in the austenite region have significant effects on the resulting change of properties.

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The heat input into the material during welding significantly affects the properties of high-strength steels in the near-weld zone. A zone of hardness decrease forms, which is called the soft zone. The width of the soft zone also depends on the cooling time t8/5. An investigation of the influence of welding parameters on the resulting properties of welded joints can be performed by thermal physical simulation. In this study, the effect of the cooling rate on the mechanical properties of the heat-affected zone of the steel S960MC with a thickness of 3 mm was investigated. Thermal physical simulation was performed on a Gleeble 3500. Three levels of cooling time were used, which were determined from the reference temperature cycle obtained by metal active gas welding (MAG). A tensile test, hardness measurement, impact test with fracture surface evaluation, and microstructural evaluation were performed to investigate the modified specimen thickness. The shortest time t8/5 = 7 s did not provide tensile and yield strength at the minimum required value. The absorbed energy after recalculation to the standard sample size of 10 × 10 mm was above the 27 J limit at −40 °C. The hardness profile also depended on the cooling rate and always had a softening zone.

This paper deals with a research focused on utilization of microparticle and short-fiber filler based on cotton post-harvest line residues in an area of polymeric composites. Two different fractions of the biological filler (FCR—reinforced cotton filler) of 20 and 100 µm and the filler with short fibers of a length of 700 µm were used in the research. The aim of the research was to evaluate mechanical characteristics of composites and adhesive bonds for the purpose of gaining new pieces of knowledge which will be applicable in the area of material engineering and assessing application possibilities of residues coming into being from agricultural products processing. Mechanical properties of the composite material produced by a vacuum infusion and tested at temperatures 20, 40, and 60 °C and adhesive bonds which were exposed to a low-cyclic loading, i.e., 1000 cycles at 30% to 70% from reference value of the maximum strength, were evaluated. Composite systems with the FCR adjusted in 5% water solution of NaOH showed higher strength values on average compared to untreated FCR. Unsuitable size of the FCR led to a deterioration of the strength. The filler in the form of 700 FCR microfibers showed itself in a positive way to composite materials, and the particle in the form of 20 FCR did the same to adhesive bonds. Results of adhesive bond cyclic tests at higher stress values (70%) demonstrated viscoelastic behavior of the adhesive layer.

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