Abstract
The microstructure of a Grade 100 microalloyed steel was examined in terms of the iron matrix phases and microalloy precipitates using electron microscopy. Since microalloyed pipeline and structural steels are currently graded according to their yield strength, the different microstructural factors that affect the yield strength of the steel were assessed and their contributions to the strength were estimated. The microstructural factors include grain size, precipitate size and volume fraction, solid solution content and dislocation density. Accurate grain size measurements were only possible through high resolution electron microscopy imaging that made it possible to resolve grain/sub-grain boundaries of micron and sub-micron sized grains/subgrains. It was found that the increased strength was mainly due to the formation of bainitic structures with fine grain/sub-grain sizes. The contribution from other strengthening sources such as precipitates, dislocations and atoms in solid solution was significantly less.
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