Acicular Ferrite Research Articles

Effect of Ti addition on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of X80 pipeline steel

In this study, the effects of Ti addition on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of X80 pipeline steel were investigated using tensile impact, electrochemical and neutral salt spray tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that the addition of Ti can promote the formation of acicular ferrite (AF), resulting in significant grain refinement. It can improve the tensile strength, yield strength and impact toughness of X80 pipeline steel, with the highest value of tensile strength at 0.04 wt % Ti content, which is 8% higher than the original; yield strength is 18% higher; and impact work is 9% higher. The best corrosion resistance of the pipeline steel is achieved at a Ti addition of 0.04 wt %, with a reduced corrosion weight loss rate, 28% less than the original. The Tafel curve is shifted forward, the self-corrosion potential Ecorr increases and the corrosion current density Icorr decreases, improving by 10% from the original. The capacitive arc radius and Rct increase, the resistance to corrosion reaction increases. The corrosion products are mainly loose and porous γ-FeOOH and β-FeOOH in the early stage of corrosion, and more α-FeOOH and Fe3O4 are generated in the later stage.

Effect of Weld Design of Transition Layer on Microstructure and Properties of Welded Joints of S32304/Q390C Composites

Due to the large difference in physical and chemical properties between the substrate and the cladding material, the welding of composite materials is much more difficult than that of single materials. In our work, S32304/Q390C composite material was considered as the research object. By adjusting the welding parameters, two kinds of joint geometry were obtained, namely, the transition layer weld lower (joint A) and higher the composite material interface (joint B). We studied the influence of the transition layer weld on the microstructure and properties of welded joints. The microstructure of the transition layer weld, the distribution of elements, the Schmidt factor of the interface between the transition layer and base layer weld, and the tensile strength of the joint were evaluated. The results show that with the increase of welding heat input, the microstructure of the transition layer weld changes from austenite and skeleton ferrite to austenite and lathy ferrite and austenite and acicular ferrite, while ferrite grows towards the weld center, showing a dendritic shape and a local network structure. At the side of the base layer weld of the interface between the transition and the base layer weld, the thickness of the low-carbon-content layer increased from 100 μm to 150 μm. Iron, chromium, and nickel elements on both sides of the interface were diffused, and the thickness of the diffusion layer increased from 3 μm to 10 μm. The tensile strength values of joints A and B were 648 MPa and 668 MPa, respectively, and the Schmidt factor values were 0.446 and 0.454, respectively. Combination with the analysis of the fracture morphology showed that when the transition layer weld was higher than the interface of the composite plate, the joint had better plastic deformation ability and higher tensile strength.

Microstructure and strengthening mechanisms of heavy gauge pipeline steel processed by ultra-fast cooling (UFC) versus laminar cooling (LC)

ABSTRACT In this study, a novel thermo-mechanical controlled processing (TMCP) schedule, based on ultrafast cooling (UFC), was used to fabricate heavy gauge X80 pipeline steels for solving the low qualification drop-weight-tear test (DWTT) properties. The microstructures of the X80 pipeline steels were all composed of quasi-polygonal, acicular ferrite (AF), and granular bainite (GB) produced by Laminar Cooling (LC) and UFC. The grain sizes were finer and the average length of HAG was higher produced by UFC. The main strengthening mechanisms in LC-process steel were grain strengthening and precipitation strengthening, and dislocation strengthening. However, the main strengthening contribution in UFC-process was related to grain strengthening and dislocation strengthening. The decrease in strength induced by reducing Nb, Mo, and Cr contents in UFC steel was compensated by increasing the contribution of grain strengthening. In conclusion, the low-cost X80 pipeline steels can be produced by UFC without degradation of strength and toughness.

Improvements in welding continuous cooling transformation diagram of high-strength low-alloy steel weld

The welding continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram concerning microstructure evolution in a fine zone of the weld joint provides essential data for microstructure control in practice. In this study, a welding CCT diagram was improved to be elaborate by using the expanded lever rule. Processes for obtaining pieces of phase information are explained in detail. Improvements are: (i) phase areas are clearly presented, (ii) phase volume percentages are given, and (iii) overlapped phase areas are revealed. To meet high-strength requirement, a heat input of 21 kJ cm−1 was referenced from the welding CCT diagram, for achieving acicular ferrite and lath-like martensite. Transformed phase volume fractions are estimated and high strength and good toughness are obtained due to the elaborate phase information.

Effect of Zr addition on toughness in the simulated heat-affected zone of high-titanium low-alloy steels

ABSTRACT The effect of Zr addition on the impact energy at −20°C, the microstructure, and inclusions of high-titanium low-alloy steels in the simulated heat-affected zone was investigated. The impact energy of the steel without Zr addition was 25.7 J and increased to 242.9 J for the steel with the addition of 80 ppm Zr. When the heat input was 300 kJ cm−1, the impact energy of the steel without Zr addition was 17.5 J and increased to 140.9 J for the steel with 80 ppm Zr, the nucleation potential of AFs increased from 24.4 /mm2 to 76.7 /mm−2, and the average nucleation potential of inclusions decreased from 2.02 to 1.67. The grain refinement by the formation of acicular ferrites stemmed from the increase of 1–3 μm Al-Ti-Zr-O inclusions was responsible for the toughness improvement in CGHAZ of the Zr-bearing steel.

Investigating the effects of double-pass TIG welding on the mechanical and microstructural properties of AISI 1008 steel

ABSTRACT Most premature failures of double-pass weldments are associated with limited knowledge of the mechanical and microstructural evolution following the welding process. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effect of double-pass tungsten inert gas welding on the mechanical and microstructural properties of type AISI 1008 mild steel joints. Double-pass TIG welding in butt joint configuration was adopted to weld the plates maintaining a 2.5 mm root gap in between plates. The double-pass tungsten inert gas welded AISI 1008 joints showed improved ultimate tensile strengths in contrast to the unwelded counterpart, with the least joint efficiency of 82.67 % (weld W3). An increase in the heat input led to a corresponding increase in the weld metal hardness, whereas the hardness of the heat-affected zones increased first and then decreased. The internal geometry of the welds reveals an increase in the bead width, height of reinforcement, width of the heat-affected zone, and weld metal area as the heat input increases. Lastly, the microstructural evolutions of the weld metal zones were primarily dominated by widmanstatten ferrite, acicular ferrite, and pearlite structures, accounting for the enhanced tensile strength and hardness of the joints. Meanwhile, the heat-affected zones were characterised by coarse columnar dendrite structures resulting in lower hardness values. This study gives an insight into the mechanical and microstructural properties of the industry’s most frequently used steel grade, which has not been given much attention in past studies. The research finding enriches the welding theory of A1SI 1008 steel for industrial and academic benefits.

Effect of Al or Ti addition on the ferrite formation in ultra-low oxygen weld metal of low carbon steel

Effect of Al or Ti addition on the ferrite formation in ultra-low oxygen (about a few tens ppm) weld metal of low carbon steels were investigated. A bead-on-plate welding experiments were performed with a Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding system. The double nozzle was attached to the welding torch used, Ar was passed along the outer nozzle and He is added along the inner nozzle. Optical micrographs showed that primary ferrite appeared along prior austenite grain boundaries and that as the temperature is decreased ferrite side plates were grew into grain interior. Their formation positions were approached to the welding end as the decreasing Al and increasing Ti content. This change in ferrite formation position attributed on the ferrite formation temperature, which was assumed to increase as the decreasing Al and increasing Ti content. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis of inclusions showed that Al and Ti were mainly associated with 0, it was obvious that the inclusions in the steels were Al- and Ti- oxide inclusions. Al-oxide inclusions were not favourable acicular ferrite nucleation sites and the inclusions contributing to acicular ferrite formation were Ti-oxide ones. The number density of acicular ferrite was small. This indicated that acicular ferrite formation was suppressed because the number density of inclusions was low under the ultra-low oxygen welding condition.

The Efficiency of Thermite-Assisted Underwater Wet Flux-Cored Arc Welding Process: Electrical Dependence, Microstructural Changes, and Mechanical Properties

Alumino-thermic additions to the flux-cored wire can be utilized to enhance welding heat input, improve welding productivity, and minimize the dependency on power sources in the air environment. In this article, the influence of Al/Fe2O3 thermite on electrical dependency, microstructural characteristics, and mechanical performance during the underwater wet welding of Q235 steel was investigated. The results revealed that adding exothermic flux enhanced the underwater wet welding appearance. The basicity of the slag steadily decreased from 1.77 to 0.73 because of the formation of Al2O3. Thermite increased the quantity and diameter of inclusions in the underwater wet weld metal. The excessive addition of Al/Fe2O3 thermite resulted in agglomerated inclusions in the weld metal. Significant microstructural changes from grain boundary ferrite to acicular ferrite were mainly caused by the de-oxidation products of the thermite process. When thermite was added to the flux-cored wire, the ultimate tensile strength first increased and then decreased, while the microhardness of the underwater wet welds showed an obviously increasing trend. The addition of exothermic flux additions to the flux-cored wire can help generate chemical heat and increase the energy required to melt the wire. This study established a link between thermite addition and joint performance, paving the way for the development and application of thermite-assisted self-shielded flux-cored wire.

Effect of Heat Input on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Deposited Metal of E120C-K4 High Strength Steel Flux-Cored Wire.

The effect of different heat inputs of 1.45 kJ/mm, 1.78 kJ/mm and 2.31 kJ/mm on the microstructure and mechanical properties of deposited metals of the self-developed AWS A5.28 E120C-K4 high strength steel flux-cored wire was studied by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and mechanical property test. With the increase in heat input, the results showed that the microstructure of deposited metals became coarse. Acicular ferrite increased at first and then decreased, granular bainite increased and degenerated upper bainite and martensite decreased slightly. Under the low heat input of 1.45 kJ/mm, the cooling rate was fast and the element diffusion was uneven, which caused composition segregation and easy to form large size inclusions SiO2-TiC-CeAlO3 with weak binding to the matrix. Under the middle heat input of 1.78 kJ/mm, the composite rare earth inclusions in dimples were mainly TiC-CeAlO3. The dimples were small and uniformly distributed, and the dimple fracture mainly depended on the wall-breaking connection between medium-sized dimples rather than an intermediate media. Under the high heat input of 2.31 kJ/mm, SiO2 was easy to adhere to high melting point Al2O3 oxides to form irregular composite inclusions. Such irregular inclusions do not need to absorb too much energy to form necking. Finally, the integrated effects of microstructure and inclusions resulted in the optimum mechanical properties of deposited metals with a heat input of 1.78 kJ/mm, which was a tensile strength of 793 MPa and an average impact toughness at -40 °C of 56 J.

Effect of Coiling Temperature on Microstructure and Properties of Titanium Strengthened Weathering Building Steel

For weathering steel used in building, it is necessary not only to ensure weather resistance, but also to improve the strength and yield ratio. This study investigates the strengthening effect of Ti microalloying on the tested steel by conducting continuous cooling transformation tests of undercooled austenite and comparative tests of microstructure and performance at different coiling temperatures, with 0.07 wt.% Ti added to the weathering building test steel. The results show that, with an increase in cooling rate (0.1~50 °C/s), the room temperature microstructure of different cooling rates gradually transitions as follows: F + P, F + P + B, F + B and B + M; in addition, the hardness increases. Polygonal ferrite and pearlite were obtained by coiling at 650 °C; quasi-polygonal ferrite, acicular ferrite, pearlite and a small amount of bainite were obtained by coiling at 600 °C; and bainite was obtained by coiling at 550 °C. With a decrease in coiling temperature, the strength of the test steel increased, the yield ratio increased, the elongation after fracture decreased and the elongation at the yield point decreased. Compared with those observed at 650 °C, the nano precipitation phases observed in the sample at 600 °C were smaller in size, higher in number and higher in dislocation density. The combined action of second-phase precipitation strengthening and dislocation strengthening increased the strength and yield ratio of the test steel. This study will be helpful in guiding the improvement of strength grades for weathering steel used in building and industrial production.

A Parameterized Leblond-Devaux Equation for Predicting Phase Evolution during Welding E36 and E36Nb Marine Steels.

High heat input welding can improve welding efficiency, but the impact toughness of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) deteriorates significantly. Thermal evolution in HAZ during welding is the key factor affecting welded joints' microstructures and mechanical properties. In this study, the Leblond-Devaux equation for predicting phase evolution during the welding of marine steels was parameterized. In experiments, E36 and E36Nb samples were cooled down at different rates from 0.5 to 75 °C/s; the obtained thermal and phase evolution data were used to construct continuous cooling transformation diagrams, which were used to derive the temperature-dependent parameters in the Leblond-Devaux equation. The equation was then used to predict phase evolution during the welding of E36 and E36Nb; the quantitative experimental phase fractions of the coarse grain zone were compared with simulated results to verify the prediction results, which are in good agreement. When heat input is 100 kJ/cm, phases in the HAZ of E36Nb are primarily granular bainite, whereas for E36, the phases are mainly bainite with acicular ferrite. When heat input increases to 250 kJ/cm, ferrite and pearlite form in both steels. The predictions agree with experimental observations.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of High-Strength, Low-Alloy Steel Thin-Wall Fabricated with Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing

High-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steel has attracted much attention in the manufacturing industry because of its good combination of high strength and toughness, low cost, and good formability. Wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) technology can realize the rapid prototyping of HSLA steel parts. This study investigated a 26-layer HSLA steel component fabricated with the WAAM technique. The microstructure of the deposited wall of ER120S-G is mainly acicular ferrite, and there are longitudinal, preferentially growing dendrites along the deposition direction. With the deposition height accumulation, the top sample’s interlayer temperature increases and the amount of acicular ferrite in the microstructure decreases, while the amount of quasi-polygonal ferrite, Widmanstatten ferrite increases. The changes in microhardness were consistent with the corresponding microstructure gradients: the microhardness of the top sample showed a decreasing trend along the deposition direction, while the microhardness of the middle sample was uniform and stable. The present work shows that the mechanical properties of HSLA steel parts deposited using WAAM technology have good strength and toughness. The microstructure gradient of the sample along the deposition direction did not lead to a significant difference in the tensile strength of the sample at different heights. On the contrary, the ductility of the longitudinal sample is slightly lower than that of the transverse sample, indicating some anisotropy in the deposited sample, which is related to the directional growth of grains along the direction of heat flow. From the current work, the thin wall of HSLA steel prepared with the WAAM process has good mechanical properties, which indicates that it is feasible to replace the traditional processing method with the WAAM process to rapidly manufacture an HSLA steel structure meeting the performance requirements.

Microanalysis of TiN phases formed in inclusions of electrogas weld metal

This study has been conducted to confirm the formation of TiN phase in the electrogas (EG) weld metal and, if it formed, to identify the nucleation potency of TiN for acicular ferrite. To facilitate this, a high-nitrogen EG weld meal deposited using a very high heat input was chosen. Inclusion analyses were mostly carried out in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and analytical transmission electron microscope (TEM) equipped with energy dispersive analyzer (EDS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). It was confirmed that the inclusions were nearly fully covered by TiO layer alloyed with a small amount of nitrogen, this TiO layer being partly coated with TiN phases having two different types of morphology: layer-type or patch-type. The layer-type was identified to be nearly pure TiN, being formed with a thickness of 10 nm on the outer surface of thick TiO layer. The patch-type appeared to be formed on the TiN/TiO layer and was characterized by its fine lamellar mixture of TiN and (Al,Mn)-oxide. As all these phases formed on the inclusion surface, they were suspected to influence the nucleation potency of inclusions but the relative potency of these phases to TiO layer was not clearly understood.

Microstructure and Impact Toughness of Acicular Ferrite in Low Alloy Steel Weld Joints from Results of Multiple Impact Bending Tests

Microstructure and Impact Toughness of Acicular Ferrite in Low Alloy Steel Weld Joints from Results of Multiple Impact Bending Tests

Microstructure Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Flash Butt Welded 590 MPa V-N Microalloyed Heavy-Duty Truck Wheel Steel

This study reports the welded joint of a novel 590 MPa V-N microalloyed wheel steel on microstructure and mechanical properties after flash butt welding. The welding parameters were flash current 48°/582.0 A, upsetting current 44°/516.6 A, and workpiece clearance 1.5 mm. The evolution of microstructure in the welded joint occurred as follows: welding seam (ferrite side plate + acicular ferrite +martensite)→coarse-grained zone (acicular ferrite + granular bainite)→fine-grained zone (fine-grained ferrite + M/A island)→base metal (equiaxed ferrite + pearlite). The standard impact energy value of welding seam, coarse grain zone, fine grain zone, and base metal at −40 °C was 116, 128, 144, and 88 J, respectively. The mechanical property of the joint was excellent. The microstructure, the number of grain boundaries, and the dislocation density directly affected the strength and hardness of the joint. The increase of large angle grain boundaries and the decrease of effective grain size were beneficial to the improvement of toughness. The hot-rolled 590 MPa V-N microalloyed wheel steel had superior weldability.

SSAW 용접기법이 강재의 용접부 미세조직에 미치는 영향

This study investigated the effects of self-shielded arc welding on the microstructures of welded parts in laminar-cooled-thermo-mechanical-controlled-process (LC-TMCP), titanium nitride (TiN), and B grade steels. The microstructure of the fusion zone was the same in all three samples, consisting of ferrite (grain boundary ferrite (GBF)+acicular ferrite+ferrite side plate) and pearlite phases, and the LC-TMCP and TiN steels had a higher volume fraction of ferrite and smaller grain sizes than those of the B grade steel. In all three samples, the microstructure near the fusion line consisted of ferrite and pearlite phases with a small amount of bainite, and the grain sizes of the LC-TMCP and TiN steels were smaller than those of the B grade steel. In addition, the TiN steel was smaller than the TMCP steel, and the volume fraction of ferrite (GBF, etc.) was the highest in the B grade steel and lowest in the TiN steel. The microstructure of the heat-affected zone included a phase in which a small amount of bainite was present in the ferrite and pearlite phases near the fusion line (1 mm) in all three samples. However, the shape was different from that of the base material, and the grain size was the largest in the B grade steel and smallest in the TiN steel. The volume fraction of ferrite (GBF, etc.) was the highest in the B grade steel and lowest in the TiN steel. All three samples had the same shape as the base metal phase at 5 mm from the fusion line. However, grain was growth.

Strengthening Granulating and Sintering Performance of Refractory Iron Concentrate by Pre-Pelletizing

May Concentrate Iron ore, as a refractory iron concentrate, deteriorates the permeability of the sintered layer during the sintering process due to its fine particle size and poor granulating performance. Therefore, it cannot be widely used in iron ore sintering. In this study, the strengthening granulation of May Concentrate Iron ore using pre-pelletizing to expand its utilization ratio was proposed. The experiments of conventional granulation, pre-pelletizing granulation and sinter pot test were carried out. Increasing May Concentrate Iron ore (a refractory iron concentrate) proportion was detrimental to conventional granulation, reducing the quasi-particle particle size and strength. May Concentrate Iron granulating and sintering performances were improved by pre-pelletizing. The quasi-particle average size at 36% May Concentrate Iron proportion jumped to 4.92 mm of pre-pelletizing granulation from 3.22 mm of conventional granulation. Meanwhile, the permeability index rose to 0.33 from 0.11, while the falling and drying pulverization ratio fell to 7.05% and 6.11% from 22.59% and 15.88%, respectively. The consolidation mode of matrix materials was liquid phase consolidation, while that of May Concentrate Iron pellets was solid phase consolidation, forming the structure of the pellets embedded in the matrix materials. Furthermore, the partial alkalinity of the matrix materials was increased because of the separation of May Concentrate Iron, generating a large amount of acicular calcium ferrite with better consolidation strength than conventional granulation sintering.

ENHANCING THE CRYOGENIC IMPACT TOUGHNESS OF FERRITIC STEEL BY MULTI-TYPE AND FINE-MICROSTRUCTURE DESIGN

Based on pure melting, multi-type and fine-microstructure design, a ferritic steel with an outstanding combination of cryogenic impact toughness and strength was fabricated. The microstructure was characterized by means of optical microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The steels with different final cooling temperatures of 663 °C and 560 °C show ferrite and perlite microstructure, and ferrite grain size can be refined from 3.15 µm to 2.67 µm by lowering the final cooling temperature from 663 °C to 560 °C. Moreover, a higher volume fraction of acicular ferrite and polygonal ferrite can be obtained for a lower final cooling temperature of 560 °C. Hence, the cryogenic impact toughness can be enhanced, and the brittle failure can be suppressed, even at –110 °C, showing a higher impact toughness compared with other ferritic steels.

Improvement of the welded joints properties of P460NH steel with AC-assisted GTAW arc

Aiming at the problems of small grain size and difficult welding of P460 NH steel, an efficient and high-quality welding method of AC assisted arc welding is proposed. In this AC-assisted arc welding process, the alternating current was added to the filling wire to form an additional electromagnetic field. The alternating electromagnetic force generated by the interaction of the main arc and other electromagnetic fields can stir the molten pool during the welding process. The feasibility of improving the grain size and mechanical properties of microstructures with AC power in 0-30A was confirmed. The experiment proved that the arc oscillation caused by the alternating electromagnetic force can alleviate the root stay of the traditional GTAW process. When the AC strength doesn't exceed 20A, the average grain size decreases while the content of acicular ferrite and granular bainite increases. The average grain size is 3.258 μm refined to 2.960 μm. Moreover, the tensile strength and hardness of welded joints first increase with the addition of current and then decrease with the rise of current to 30A. Finally, the mechanism of AC on microstructure and solidification of molten pool was discussed.

Effect of Process Parameters on Arc Shape, Macroscopic Features, and Microhardness in Pulsed GMA–Additive Manufacturing

Gas metal arc welding-based additive manufacturing (GMA–AM) is a promising, low-cost approach to fabricate large-scale and complex geometry components using layer-by-layer deposition of metals. However, the low forming accuracy of GMA–AM still limits its one-off industrial application due to the strong and nonlinear interactions between arc–droplet transfer and molten pool. To fully understand the influential mechanism of this inherent interaction in the GMA–AM process to precisely control the part accuracy, the arc–droplet transfer behavior in the GMA–AM process with different current waveforms was firstly studied experimentally. The phenomena of the arc swing and the differing droplet transfer with the increase in deposited height were interpreted. The thermal force status of the molten pool and its balance boundary conditions were also theoretically analyzed. Finally, the microstructure and the hardness of the AM parts with different cooling times were tested and analyzed. The experimental results demonstrate that using the spray droplet transfer mode can generate a stable AM process under direct current application conditions, but it easily ends the AM process at the third or fourth layer deposition owing to excessive heat input. A more highly accurate deposition morphology can be obtained in one droplet per pulse mode under pulsed current application conditions, which also indicates that the AM process with a constant current welding supply is stabler and easily produces better deposition than the process with a constant voltage welding supply. With the increase in cooling time, the microstructure evolved from fine ferrite to equiaxed ferrite and to columnar ferrite combined with acicular ferrite with a lower proportion of pearlite in the vertical direction of the part, and the average hardness changed to ~168 HV (bottom), ~175 HV (middle), and ~250 HV (top). The analysis indicates that the heat accumulation of the molten pool is a critical factor that affects the deposition accuracy. To this end, a novel strategy that uses the heat accumulation to compensate for the energy formed in the molten pool is proposed to further reduce the arc heat input and weaken the heat accumulation, and its feasibility is discussed.