No abstract

No abstract

The influence of the strain sequence during slab hot rolling (also known as “roughing”) on the evolution of austenite in plain carbon, C-Mn-V and C-Mn-Nb-Ti-V steels was investigated. Reheating and roughing simulations were conducted in a Bähr deformation dilatometer using a constant austenitising temperature, constant soaking time and various heating rates and roughing strain sequences. Stress analysis was used to quantify the austenite softening behaviour and the prior austenite grain size was measured from quenched specimens. The austenite grains of the plain carbon steel were coarser than those of both microalloyed steels, with the C-Mn-Nb-Ti-V grade being the finest due to effective pinning of the grain boundaries. Pass strains greater than 0.2 were sufficient for initiation of dynamic recrystallisation (DRX) for the C-Mn and C-Mn-V steels and led to uniform austenite microstructure with austenite grain sizes less than 40µm after the roughing stage.

No abstract

Thermomechanical (TM) rolling schedules have been developed using mathematical modelling, physical simulation and industrial trials to produce C-Mn steel plate with yield strengths of 400MPa and good impact toughness without the need of expensive micro-alloying additions or accelerated cooling. The process relies on careful selection of delay times to accumulate sufficient retained strain during austenite conditioning for enhanced nucleation of ferrite. An integrated heat transfer-austenite processing model was used to predict the final microstructure and mechanical properties. The extent of strain accumulation and progress of recrystallisation during rolling were confirmed by laboratory simulation. Based on these results, carefully controlled industrial TM rolling trials were performed on C-Mn steels. Adequate grain refinement and properties are achieved through suppression of recrystallisation and strain accumulation in the low austenite temperature region after a sufficient delay period prior to finishing.