Hot deformation behavior of low carbon advanced high strength steel (AHSS) microalloyed with boron

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis research work deals the influence of boron content on the high temperature deformation behavior of a low carbon advanced high strength steel (AHSS). For this purpose high temperature tensile and compression tests are carried out at different temperatures and constant true strain rates by using an Instron testing machine equipped with a radiant cylindrical furnace. Tensile tests are carried out at different temperatures (650, 750, 800, 900 and 1000°C) at a constant true strain rate of 0.001 s-1. Uniaxial hot compression tests are also performed over a wide range of temperatures (950, 1000, 1050 and 1100°C) and constant true strain rates (10-3, 10-2 and 10-1 s-1). In general, experimental results of hot tensile tests show an improvement of the hot ductility of the AHSS microalloyed with boron, although poor ductility at low temperatures (650 and 750°C). The fracture surfaces of the AHSS tested at temperatures showing the higher ductility (800, 900 and 1000°C) indicate that the fracture mode is a result of ductile failure, whereas in the region of poor ductility the fracture mode is of the ductile-brittle type failure. On the other hand, experimental results of hot compression tests show that both peak stress and peak strain tend to decrease in the AHSS microalloyed with boron, which indicates that boron generates a sort of solid solution softening effect in similar a way to other interstitial alloying elements in steel. Likewise, hot flow curves of the AHSS microalloyed with boron show an acceleration of the onset of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and a delay of the recrystallization kinetics. Results are discussed in terms of boron segregation towards austenitic grain boundaries and second phase particles precipitation during plastic deformation and cooling.