Effect of rare earth cerium and impurity tin on the hot ductility of a Cr-Mo low alloy steel

Abstract

The specimens of 1Cr-0.5Mo low alloy steel, undoped, Sn-doped and Ce+Sn-doped, were austenitized at 1300 °C and then cooled down to different temperatures in the range of 700–1050 °C, followed by tensile tests with the aid of a Gleeble machine. The reduction of area (RA) obtained from the test was employed to evaluate the hot ductility of the steel. The tested specimens were characterized using different techniques. Minor Sn could considerably reduce the RA values of the steel in the whole temperature range, and the hot ductility curve could be widened and deepened. Nevertheless, minor Ce could improve the hot ductility of the Ce+Sn-doped steel by fully suppressing the Sn-induced hot ductility deterioration. FEGSTEM microanalysis showed that the Sn or Ce and Sn atoms segregated to austenite grain boundaries in the Sn-doped or Ce+Sn doped specimens. The detrimental effect of Sn on the hot ductility could be attributed mainly to the segregation of Sn as it could decrease the grain boundary cohesion and in turn enhanced the grain boundary sliding and cracking. However, this detrimental effect of Sn could be counteracted by the segregation of Ce which could increase the grain boundary cohesion and in turn restrained the grain boundary sliding and cracking. Accordingly, a minor addition of rare earth Ce could be an effective method of suppressing the detrimental effect of impurity elements on the hot ductility of a Cr-Mo low alloy steel.