The effect of accelerated cooling on the structure of pipe steels for thermomechanical controlled processing

Abstract

Scanning electron microscopy with orientation analysis by the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) method is used to study microstructures and textures formed in low-carbon low-alloy pipe steel after thermomechanical controlled processing (TMCP) and subsequent quenching with cooling rates of 50 to 700 °/s. It has been established that, in the range of industrial rates of cooling between 50 and 350 °/s from austenitic regions, the γ→α transformation starts at temperatures of 700-670 °C and proceeds by the shear mechanism. As a result, a bainite structure of different dispersity with martensitic inclusions is predominantly formed.