Behavior of V-Ti Elements in Warm-Rolled Transformation-Induced Plasticity Steel with Medium Manganese Content

Abstract

To reveal the law governing V-Ti precipitation behavior in warm-rolled transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steel, two steel samples including 0.072V-0.051Ti steel (Bear-V-Ti steel) and 0.001V-0.001Ti steel (Free-V-Ti steel) are designed. Based on a comparative analysis, the former has an excellent combination of mechanical properties including a total elongation (TE) of 37%, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 935 MPa, and UTS×TE of 34 GPa·% after annealing at a temperature of 650°C. The superior mechanical properties are attributable to particles that precipitate in a composite form of (V-Ti)C/N at 650°C. These particles can refine the grains and improve the tensile strength of Bear-V-Ti steel. However, it should be noted that the two roles of precipitates in steel are size dependent. For sizes between 10–20 nm, the role mainly entails pinning the dislocation. This accounts for the precipitation strength. As the size increases to 20–60 nm, the role mainly involves pinning of the grain boundary, which leads to fine crystal reinforcement. These results provide useful data for the production of medium manganese steel using the warm-rolled process.