Mechanical Properties of a High Si and Mn Steel Heat Treated by Two-Step Quenching and Partitioning

Abstract

Steels with high strength and good ductility can be produced by using the quenching and partitioning (Q&P) process. These materials can be used as the third generation of advanced high-strength steels in automotive industry due to their high toughness and energy absorption capacity. In view of high importance of this problem, our attention is focused on the evaluation of the mechanical properties of a high Si and Mn low-alloy steel in the course of two-step Q&P process. To do this, the cycles with different partitioning times varying from 10 to 1000 sec were applied and the mechanical properties in terms of strength and elongation were measured and discussed. The final results of the present work show that the considerable ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and the products of strength and elongation, such as 850 MPa, 15.46% and 11.45 GPa%, can be provided in samples treated via the Q&P process.