Electron Microscope studies of the microstructures in as-quenched and aged HSLA-100 production steels and correlation with mechanical properties

Abstract

Because of their excellent weldability, high strength low alloy (HSLA) ultra low carbon bainitic (ULCB) steels are finding increasing applications in ship and submarine construction. In order to achieve the required strength and toughness in ULCB HSLA steels it is necessary to control chemical composition and thermo-mechanical processing very carefully so that the desired microstructure and mechanical properties can be achieved. For instance HSLA 100 ULCB steel (nominal yield strength 100 ksi) used by the U.S. Navy in shipbuilding applications can derive its strength and toughness from the following sources:- (1) solid solution strengthening (2) small prior austenite grain size derived from niobium carbonitride precipitation at austenite grain boundaries (3) dislocation substructure and (4) from copper precipitates (in aged alloys). The object of the present work is to correlate the microstructure and mechanical properties of production batches of HSLA 100 in the quenched and aged conditions. Because many of the salient features of these microstructures are submicron in size it was found necessary to use SEM and TEM.