Influence of B and Ti on hot ductility of high Al and high Al, Nb containing TWIP steels

Abstract

The addition of ∼0·002%B and ∼0·04%Ti as microalloying additions to improve the poor hot ductility and high risk of cracking on continuous casting of high Al containing twinning induced plasticity (TWIP) steels has been examined. Tensile specimens were either cast in situ or heated to 1250°C before cooling at 60 K min−1 to test temperatures in the range 700–1100°C and strained to failure at 3×10−3 s−1. For tensile specimens reheated to 1250°C, the presence of B with sufficient Ti to combine with all the N improved ductility over the temperature range of 700–950°C, the reduction in area (RA) values being >40%. For the higher strength more complex high Al, TWIP steels having Nb present, there was no improvement in ductility with a similar B and Ti addition, when the average cooling rate after melting to the test temperature was 60 K min−1. Reducing the cooling rate to 12 K min−1 resulted in the RA values being close to the minimum required to avoid transverse cracking throughout the temperature range 800–1000°C. Using these additions of B and Ti, transverse cracking was found not to be a problem when continuously casting these high Al containing TWIP steels.