Colloidal Analysis of Particles Extracted from Microalloyed Steels

Different colloidal particle characterization methods are examined for their suitability to determine the particle size distribution of particles extracted from steels. Microalloyed steels are dissolved to extract niobium and titanium carbonitride particles that are important for the mechanical properties of these steels. Such particles have sizes ranging from several nanometers to hundreds of nanometers depending on the precipitation stage during the thermomechanically controlled rolling process. The size distribution of the particles is analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), and hollow fiber flow field-flow fractionation (HF5) and compared to data obtained for reference particles as well as data from electron microscopy, the standard sizing technique used in metallurgy today. AUC and HF5 provide high-quality size distributions, average over large particle numbers that enables statistical analysis, and yield useful insights for alloy design; however, DLS fails due to a lack of resolution. Important aspects in the conversion and comparison of size distributions obtained for broadly distributed particle systems with different measurement principles and the role of surfactants used in sample preparation are discussed.     

Die Isolierung radioaktiv markierter nichtmetallischer Einschlüsse aus Hochlegierten Stählen

Zur Isolierung von Einshlüssen aus hochlegierten Stählen werden die Hauptkomponenten Fe, Ni, Cr und weitere Metalle durch mehrstufig ausgeführte Flüssig-Flüssig-Extraktionen mit verschiedenen Extraktionsmitteln abgetrennt. Die im Eindampfrückstand der wäβrigen Phase nach der Extraktion verbleibenden Einschlüsse können für die meisten Radionuklide ohne nennenswerte Selbstabsorption mit einem Groβflächenzählrohr oder anderen geeignetenZählvorrichtungen ausgemessen werden.     

TEM investigation of the formation mechanism of deformation twins in Fe–Mn–Si–Al TWIP steels

The microstructure of a Fe–Mn–Si–Al twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel exhibiting remarkable work hardening rate under uniaxial tensile deformation was investigated using transmission electron microscopy to uncover the mechanism(s) controlling the nucleation and growth of the mechanically induced twins. The results show that the stair-rod cross-slip deviation mechanism is necessary for the formation of the twins, while large extrinsic stacking faults homogenously distributed within the grains could act as preferential sources for the activation of the deviation process. The influence of such features on the thickness and strength of the twins and the resulting mechanical behaviour is discussed and compared to similar works recently performed on Fe–Mn–C TWIP steels.     

Effect of hardness and composition gradients on Barkhausen emission in case hardened steel

The effect of gradients in hardness, structure and composition in the surface layers on magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN) was investigated in two widely used low alloy steels. One material was case hardened by induction hardening. The other was case carburised. Similar hardness profiles were produced by the two treatments. It was found that the variation in structure and hardness through the case in the induction-hardened steel had a minor effect on the MBN profile. In contrast, the inhomogeneity in the case-carburised material showed up clearly. This took the form of a broadened or two-peak MBN profile. When the surface layer containing the case was removed by etching, the broadened profile was replaced by a profile with a single peak. It is concluded that the shape and position of the MBN profile is significantly affected when a gradient in microstructure is induced by a gradient in carbon content. On the other hand, a gradient in microstructure induced by heat treatment with a constant carbon level has much less affect on the MBN profile for the induction-hardened steel.     

Stacking fault energy of cryogenic austenitic steels

Stacking fault energy and stacking fault nucleation energy are defined in terms of the physical nature of stacking faults and stacking fault energy, and the measuring basis for stacking fault energy. Large quantities of experimental results are processed with the aid of a computer and an expression for calculating stacking fault energy has been obtained as γ³⁰⁰_SF(mJ·m^-2)=γ⁰_SF+1.59Ni-1.34Mn+0.06Mn²-1.75Cr+0.01Cr²+15.21Mo-5.59Si-60.69(C+1.2N)^1/2 + 26.27(C+1.2N)(Cr+Mn+Mo)^1/2+0.61[Ni·(Cr+Mn)]^1/2.     

Orientation relationship in Eurofer martensitic steels

Both TEM and SEM/EBSD orientation measurements are carried out on a Eurofer97 martensitic steel. The influence of the prior austenitic grain size is studied using dedicated heat treatments. The intra laths misorientation is estimated by TEM. SEM/EBSD orientation mapping enable to study the actual orientation relationship (OR) between the parent austenitic phase and the martensitic phase. Neither the Nishiyama–Wasserman nor the Kurdjumov–Sachs OR is able to account for both the misorientation angle distributions, the pole figure and the misorientation axes measured. The mixed OR recently proposed by Gourgues et al. (Electron backscattering diffraction study of acicular ferrite, bainite, and martensite steel microstructures, Mater. Sci. Tech. 16 (2000), pp. 26–40.) and Sonderegger et al. (Martensite laths in creep resistant martensitic 9–12%Cr steels – Calculation and measurement of misorientations, Mater. Characterization (2006), in Press.) seems to be able to account for most of these results. Based on this OR, a new angular criterion is proposed to detect blocks of laths.     

First-principles study of He trapping in η-Fe_2C

The distribution of He in η-Fe_2C has been studied by first-principles calculations.The formation energies of interstitial He and substitutional He(replacing Fe) are 3.76 eV and 3.49 eV,respectively,which are remarkably smaller than those in bcc Fe,indicating that He is more soluble in η-Fe_2C than in bcc Fe.The binding potencies of both a substitutionalinterstitial He pair(1.28 eV) and a substitutional-substitutional He pair(0.76 eV) are significantly weaker than those in bcc Fe.The binding energy between the two He atoms in an interstitial-interstitial He pair(0.31 eV) is the same as that in bcc Fe,but the diffusion barrier of interstitial He(0.35 eV) is much larger than that in bcc Fe,suggesting that it is more difficult for the interstitial He atom to agglomerate in η-Fe_2C than in bcc Fe.Thus,self-trapping of He in η-Fe_2C is less powerful than that in bcc Fe.As a consequence,small and dense η-Fe_2C particles in ferritic steels might serve as scattered trapping centers for He,slow down He bubble growth at the initial stage,and make the steel more swelling resistant.     

共线DP-LIBS低碳合金钢中碳元素定量分析

碳元素是决定合金钢性能的重要元素之一。为了提高低碳合金钢中碳元素的检测灵敏度,在氩气氛围中利用共线双脉冲激光诱导击穿光谱(DP-LIBS)合金钢样品中的碳元素进行了检测。首先,使用高速相机采集双脉冲实验条件下的等离子体图像,研究等离子体形貌随脉冲间隔时间变化的演化规律,结合双脉冲条件下获得的光谱信息,确立碳元素的最佳脉冲间隔时间为1 900 ns。其次,研究了氩气吹扫条件和氩气气室条件对碳元素光谱信号强度的影响。氩气气室能够有效屏蔽空气中二氧化碳的影响,从而提高合金钢中碳元素分析的准确性。最后,采用内标法对合金钢样品中的碳元素进行定量分析。与单脉冲得到的结果相比,双脉冲实验条件下,碳元素定标曲线的R2由0.983提升至0.991,检测限由206 μg·g-1提高至110 μg·g-1,共线DP-LIBS技术使合金钢中碳元素检测限提高了1.87倍。恰当的脉冲间隔时间能够有效的提高共线DP-LIBS光谱特性和设备的检测灵敏度,同时双脉冲的二次激发效果可以进一步有效的减弱实验条件波动带来的影响,使定标模型具有更好的线性相关性。     

New developments of advanced high-strength steels for automotive applications

Automotive industry asks for higher resistant steels to lighten parts and improve crash resistance. Keeping a good ductility while increasing tensile strength requires the development of new grades in which hardening mechanisms counteract the drop in elongation when enhancing mechanical resistance. This is mainly achieved with multiphase steels and completing dislocation hardening by twinning and martensite transformation during straining. This has led to high-strength steel families, some of them being already used in body in white (Dual Phase (DP) and TRIP steels). Others, still in development, will soon emerge on the market (Quenched and Partitioned (Q&P), medium-Mn steels or TWIP).     

Influence of chemistry and hot rolling conditions on high permeability non-grain oriented silicon steel

This paper discusses the influence of chemical composition on the final electromagnetic properties in higher permeability material. Furthermore, the effect of the hot rolling practice and the end of austenite transformation temperature range on the hot band microstructure is described. The magnetic polarization J₅₀₀₀ better than 1.7 T, using hot rolling conditions 40 mm transfer bar thickness, finish mill entry temperature 1000 °C, and finishing temperature 800–840 °C and after decarburization heat treatment and grain growth treatment, was obtained.