Solute carbon and nitrogen in the ferrite after continuous annealing of low carbon low aluminium steels

Abstract

Low Nsol levels not only require reduced N contents (≤ 20 ppm) in steel but also Al/N ratios higher than 5 and C contents higher than 0.025% because of the synergic effect between N and C precipitations; scavenging of Al on nitrogen is far from complete even in steels coiled at 750°C. Low Csol levels are achieved either at very lowC contents (C ≤ 0.003%) or at C contents higher than 0.025%. Due to high Csol, carbon aging is expected in steels coiled at 750°C. Softer, bake hardenable steels with good aging resistance will be obtained in the range 0.025–0.030 % C independently of the coiling temperature. C supersaturation of the ferrite is reduced at higher cooling rates after continuous annealing. Changes in C and N supersaturation according to the steel composition and the continuous annealing process are explained, taking into account the carbides morphology and the annealing conditions.