Bainitic Steel Research Articles

Reverse Hall–Petch Effect of Nano-Bainite in a High-Carbon Silicon-Containing Steel

High-strength steels are widely used in various mechanical production and construction industries for their low cost, high strength and high toughness. Among these, bainitic steels have better comprehensive performance relative to martensite and ferrite. In this paper, from the point of view of its microscopic fine structure and mechanical properties, the high-carbon silicon-containing steel Fe-0.99C-1.37Si-0.44Mn-1.04Cr-0.03Ni was austenitized at high temperature after a brief isothermal treatment at 280 °C and is briefly reviewed. We have used EBSD, TEM and 3D-APT to observe a unique transformation in which high-carbon silicon-containing steels form nanostructured bainite with nanometer widths. Intriguingly, as the isothermal duration decreases, the beam bainite width becomes increasingly finer. When the beam bainite width falls below 50 nm, there is a sudden shift in defect type from the conventional edge-type dislocations to a defect characterized by the insertion of a semi-atomic surface in the opposite direction, which leads to different degrees of reduction in the micro- and macro-mechanical properties of high-carbon silicon-containing steels from 1754 MPa to 1667 MPa. This sudden change in the sub-structural properties is typical of the reverse Hall–Petch effect.

Selection of parameters of high-speed thermodeformation of Cr–Ni–Mo steel processing on the basis of imitation modeling

The temperature of the end of finishing stage, cooling rate and coil winding temperature are structure-sensitive parameters for bainite-grade steels in the production of plate less than 10 mm thick. Simulation modeling of high-speed thermo-deformation processing of Cr–Ni–Mo bainitic steel samples has been carried out in order to select the most rational technological modes in continuous hot rolling mills. The influence of strain rate and temperature as well as niobium and vanadium microalloying additives on phase transformations has been investigated.

Frequency–Time Domain Analysis Based on Electrochemical Noise of Dual-Phase (DP) and Ferrite–Bainite (FB) Steels in Chloride Solutions for Automotive Applications

The automotive industry uses high-strength (HS), low-alloy (HSLA) steels and advanced high-strength steels (AHSSs) to manufacture front and rear rails and safety posts, as well as the car body, suspension, and chassis components of cars. These steels can be exposed to corrosive environments, such as in countries where de-icing salts are used. This research aims to characterize the corrosion behavior of AHSSs based on electrochemical noise (EN) [dual-phase (DP) and ferrite–bainite (FB)]. At room temperature, the steels were immersed in NaCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2 solutions and were studied by frequency–time domain analysis using wavelet decomposition, Hilbert–Huang analysis, and recurrence plots (RPs) related to the corrosion process and noise impedance (Zn). Optical microscopy (OM) was used to observe the microstructure of the tested samples. The results generally indicated that the main corrosion process is related to uniform corrosion. The corrosion behavior of AHSSs exposed to a NaCl solution could be related to the morphology of the phase constituents that are exposed to solutions with chlorides. The Zn results showed that DP780 presented a higher corrosion resistance with 918 Ω·cm2; meanwhile, FB780 presented 409 Ω·cm2 when exposed to NaCl. Also, the corrosion mechanism of materials begins with a localized corrosion process spreading to all the surfaces, generating a uniform corrosion process after some exposition time.

Textural index for martensitic and bainitic steels to assess influence of hot rolling mode on parent austenite structure before quenching

To assess a state of parent austenite before the steel quenching, a scalar textural index for martensite and bainite is introduced in terms of EBSD orientation data. Deformed and recrystallized states of the parent phase are discriminated by the sign of this index, whereas its magnitude in each of the two reflects the texture sharpness depending on the hot rolling mode. Accordingly, in a virtual case of randomly distributed orientations the considered parameter vanishes. Performance of the proposed approach is demonstrated on medium carbon martensitic steel hot rolled at laboratory conditions and on industrial rolled plates of low carbon bainitic steel.

Evolution of carbides and Charpy toughness in a low alloy bainitic steel during step-up aging process

The low alloy bainitic steel used in reactor pressure vessels deteriorates during thermal service while the macroscopic thermodynamic parameters that cause thermal aging remains unknown. In this work, a thermal aging restructuring scheme was proposed by step-up aging the steel from 350 °C to 490 °C, with a total duration of 7500 hours. Samples from varied thickness of the steel were characterized in terms of carbides evolution and Charpy impact toughness at 20 °C. The carbide size and its fraction were statistically analyzed showing partial coarsening and dissolution during aging, while the carbide fraction was found linearly correlated with the impact energy for the first time. The critical transition temperature parameter of the aging process was found to be 470 °C for the steel. The macroscopic thermodynamic parameters, including the thermal aging time and temperature, facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the material degradation mechanism and provide a basis for long-term safety of equipment.

Data-driven predictions of retained austenite content and yield strength and elucidation of the sliding wear performance of carbide-free bainitic steels

Carbide-free bainitic (CFB) steels have drawn much attention due to their high strength and toughness. The present work aims to build machine learning (ML) based surrogate models to predict retained austenite (RA) content and yield strength (YS) of isothermal transformed CFB steels and study the sliding wear performance. The input data for ML prediction were related to compositions, heat treatment process, and phases. The Random Forest regression and Gaussian process regression were respectively selected to build the predictive models for RA content and YS. Result shows that the predicted RA content agrees well with the experimentally determined ones in steel with high stability of untransformed austenite. For YS prediction, the present surrogate model can predict YS of CFB steels even without additional microstructural information such as dislocation and effective substructure size. Steels with different YS and RA content were designed to study the sliding wear performance. Result shows that the dominant wear mechanism of the tested steels is abrasive wear and the weight loss is inversely proportional to hardness when the load and wear distance are constant. Increasing YS and RA content can increase the initial hardness and work hardening ability at the worn surface, thereby enhancing wear resistance.

Influencing TRIP threshold and variant pairing through minor cold and cryo-rolling in bainitic steel

An attempt has been made to compare the effects of small reduction cold and cryo-rolling on the microstructural evolution and stability of retained austenite in a 3rd generation advanced high-strength bainitic steel. The steel was heat treated and isothermally held at 300 °C for 2 h above Ms temperature to obtain bainitic microstructure. The heat-treated steel was subsequently subjected to cold-rolling and cryo-rolling (10 % reduction in thickness). The substructure of bainite consists of packets, blocks, and sub-blocks. Both the crystallite size and micro-strain of bainitic ferrite shows a decreasing trend after rolling compared to the undeformed condition. However, cryo-rolling induces higher micro-strain in retained austenite, which enhances its mechanical stability requiring higher stress to trigger the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) effect, thus contributing to increased overall strength. Crystallographic variant analysis showed an increase in the boundary density and frequency of specific V1-V3(V5) (high angle block boundaries) and V1-V4 (sub-block boundaries) variant pairs after cryo-rolling following the K-S orientation relationship. While the heat-treated, undeformed state exhibited all the variants without preference for any particular variant pair. The results suggest that the mechanical properties of the steel after minor cryo-rolling are significantly influenced by crystallographic variant pairing and microstrain. Additionally, minor cryo-rolling proved to be superior to cold rolling in bainitic steel as it increased the threshold strain required for the TRIP effect during rolling.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical performance of friction stir spot welded ultrafine carbide-free bainitic steel: Role of dwell time

This study focuses on unraveling the role of dwell time on microstructural evolution, mechanical performance, and failure characteristics of friction stir spot welded ultrafine carbide-free bainitic steel. Results clarify that the microstructures of the different weld zones exhibit a receptive behavior to extended dwell time, by which not only coarser martensite is acquired within the stir zone (SZ), thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ), and fine-grain heat affected zone (FGHAZ) but also sub-critical heat affected zone (SCHAZ) experiences a more pronounced tempering. Applying a dwell time of 3 s is sufficient to make an ample bonding width containing refined martensite, being effective in retarding the crack propagation, and in turn, delivering a joint with the highest load-bearing capacity. However, enlarging the bonding width at dwell times beyond 3 s fails to provide higher peak loads owing to the formation of coarse martensite within the SZ. The failure modes of the welds are classified into two distinct modes: interfacial and partial pullout. The reduced upper sheet thickness (∼685 μm) paves the way for crack propagation along the thickness direction, allowing for partial pullout failure to occur.

High-silicon spring steel transformation to carbide-free bainitic (CFB) steel: a mechanical and tribological approach under rolling/sliding conditions

The present study concentrates on the development of carbide-free bainite steel and explores its tribological and mechanical characteristics using a newly devised disk-on-disk tribometer. The microstructure of the treated samples was examined through heat treatment at various holding temperatures (300, 350, and 400 °C) and durations (10, 20, and 30 min), along with isothermal transformation. The wear rate demonstrated significant sensitivity to holding duration, transformation temperature, phase fraction, and the stability of retained austenite. The microstructural analysis encompassed atomic force microscopy (AFM), FE-SEM, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The study extensively investigated the robust correlation among mechanical properties, microstructure, wear behavior, and the presence of retained austenite (RA) and bainite volume fraction. The findings indicate that carbide-free bainite steel holds promise for replacing conventional railway wheel track steel in the steel industry. The structural property correlations have developed of high silicon steel, hardness reduced with increasing temperature and isothermal preserving time; resulting in a gradual increase in the wear rate of CFB steel. The salt bath soaking temperature of 350 °C with a period of 30 min was found to be the preeminent wear properties condition for CBF steel.

Synchrotron X-ray radiation study of retained austenite stability and the effect on fatigue behavior of bainitic railway steels

The effect of retained austenite stability on the fatigue performance was studied in bainitic rail steel subjected to different heat treatments, including normalizing at 900 °C and normalizing at 900 °C combined with tempering at 320 °C. The normalized steel had yield strength of 851 MPa, tensile strength of 1131 MPa, uniform elongation 7.0 %, and total elongation 17.5 %. Tempering the steel at 320 °C resulted in similar strength and plasticity compared to the normalized condition. However, the fatigue performance of steel was improved significantly after tempering. The ultimate fatigue stress (endurance limit) after 1 × 107 cycles was 671 MPa, which was 38 MPa greater than the normalized steel. Microstructural analysis revealed similarities between normalized and tempered matrices at crystallographic interfaces and grain boundaries. Synchrotron X-ray radiation indicated that the initial retained austenite content was ∼15.5 % in both normalized and tempered conditions. However, at tensile stress of 800 MPa, the amount of retained austenite transformed in the normalized steel was ∼4 %, which was twice that of the tempered steel. The enhancement of retained austenite stability was an important aspect in improving the fatigue performance. The analysis of interphase spacing showed that the strain in the normalized matrix synchronized with the retained austenite, and the stress was concentrated in the retained austenite, which promoted transformation of retained austenite. The matrix of tempered steel was strained first, which prevented stress concentration in the retained austenite and rendered the retained austenite stable.

Exploring variations in toughness contributions across different types of high-angle grain boundaries in bainitic steels

Exploring variations in toughness contributions across different types of high-angle grain boundaries in bainitic steels

Recent Progress in Laser Powder Bed Fusions Processes of Advanced High-Strength Steels

This review is focused on the perspectives of the application of Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSSs) in the field of additive technologies directed at the laser powder bed fusion/selective laser melting processes. In principle, AHSSs require significant attention due to their promising mechanical properties for usage in the automotive industry towards reducing the weight of vehicles. Although additive manufacturing represents a promising perspective towards expanding the industrialization of AHSSs in a wider area of their applications, they have not been sufficiently investigated concerning their usage in LPBF/SLM processes. AM techniques enable the fabrication of complex machine parts, including those with a cellular structure, which can contribute to further reducing the weight of vehicles or structures. Maraging steels have recently attracted the attention of researchers, and today are a common grade of steel produced by LPBF techniques. The other group of AHSSs are high-Mn steels with an austenitic matrix characterized by the TRIP and TWIP effects. Less published research has been conducted on medium-Mn steels, which require additional intercritical annealing and preheating during printing. Moreover, the advanced bainitic steels and low-density, high-strength steels represent a new window for further research into the use of the LPBF processes for their fabrication.

Thermodynamic prediction and experimental verification of phase transformation kinetics in 3Mn steel with Ti and V microadditions

AbstractIn this work, the phase transformation kinetics and precipitation processes were studied using thermodynamic calculations and a dilatometric method to determine the optimal chemical composition of medium-Mn steel and its initial parameters of heat treatment. The investigated steel is intended for forgings with the microstructure composed of bainitic matrix and retained austenite (RA). An influence of Al and Si on the Ms temperature was characterized to obtain the best chemical composition in terms of RA stabilization. Theoretical continuous cooling transformation (CCT) and time–temperature transformation (TTT) diagrams were determined and compared with dilatometric results. Microstructural observations were compared with the dilatometric results. The hardenability of steel was high due to increased Mn and Mo additions. A very small fraction of cementite is expected in the microstructure due to Al and Si additions. The shortest time to start and finish the bainitic transformation was noted for the isothermal heat treatment at 420 °C. The completion of the bainitic transformation took about 25 min and is acceptable from the industrial point of view. The obtained results constitute a good basis for designing thermomechanical processing routes of bainitic steels with RA.

Automated Workflow for Phase‐Field Simulations: Unveiling the Impact of Heat‐Treatment Parameters on Bainitic Microstructure in Steel

Bainitic steels are extensively utilized across various sectors, such as the automotive and railway industries, owing to their impressive mechanical properties, including strength, hardness, and fatigue resistance. However, the pursuit of achieving the desired optimal mechanical properties presents considerable challenges due to the intricate bainitic microstructures consisting of multiple phases. To tackle these challenges, an automated workflow is used for extracting 2D and 3D microstructural features. The proposed method allows for a detailed examination of the correlations between microstructure characteristics and the processing parameters, specifically the holding temperature during transformation. In these findings, it is revealed that as the holding temperature decreases, there is a notable reduction in microstructural element size and carbon partitioning. Some of the observations are microstructural features such as area, perimeter, and thickness of the bainitic ferrite grains under two different holding temperatures. Phase‐field simulations results show that the microstructures at lower holding temperatures have finer grains. The distributions of grain areas and perimeters are uniform, with smaller grains dominating at low and high isothermal holding temperatures. While the grain thickness measurements from simulations and experiments at high temperature are qualitatively aligned, data from low temperatures show discrepancies.

Mechanistic role of vanadium microalloying in improving corrosion resistance of low carbon bainitic steel

We here investigated the effect of vanadium microalloying on the microstructure, mechanical properties, especially corrosion performances of low carbon bainitic steels. The corrosion behaviors of the steels with different vanadium contents in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution were evaluated by electrochemical tests (including polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic measurements) and alternating immersion test (including weight loss and rust layer observation). Results show that the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of low carbon bainitic steels can be synergistically improved with vanadium microalloying. With help of the electron backscatter diffraction characterization and scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy, we first discovered that although the number of micro-galvanic couples increases because of grain refinement, the Volta potential gradient between the matrix and grain boundaries are decreased with vanadium microalloying, which can promote the formation of compact protective rust layers and improve the corrosion resistance of vanadium micro-alloyed low carbon bainitic steels.

Fatigue crack growth rate under mixed-mode loading conditions (I+III) of a carbide-free bainitic steel designed for rail applications

Carbide-free bainitic steel was designed for railway infrastructure application, focusing on high-speed and heavy-loaded freight tracks. Considering the complex state of stresses occurring on the rails running surface, mode III plays a significant role in the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks of rails during service. Thus, the Fatigue Crack Growth Rate (FCGR) under mixed-mode loading conditions (I+III) was evaluated. It was revealed, that fatigue lifetime increases with loading angle modes. In the area of fatigue fracture, transgranular cracking mechanisms dominated. For the stable fatigue crack growth, a trend was observed related to the decrease in the fraction of intergranular fracture with the increasing loading angle modes (α). Secondary cracks indicated privileged cracking directions related to the crystallographic structure of bainite. The influence of the mechanical stability of retained austenite during mixed-mode FCGR requires further in-depth research. These studies contribute to understanding the factors influencing the reliability of railway tracks in terms of designing new materials and modeling the rate of crack growth to precise assessment of the life cycle of rails.

Influence of prior austenite grain size on martensite/austenite constituents in low-carbon bainitic steel

We elucidated here the influence of prior austenite grain (PAG) size on bainitic transformation products from the perspective of kinetics. The refinement of PAGs provided more sites for grain boundary nucleation and accelerated bainitic transformation kinetics. M/A constituents were also refined in refined PAGs with a higher carbon concentration, contributing to higher stability and even formation of retained austenite. The smaller M/A constituents exhibit stronger variant selection and localized strain.

Influence of Using SiC and Al2O3 Ceramic Front Layer on Ballistic Performance of a Bainitic Steel: A Comparative Study

Influence of Using SiC and Al2O3 Ceramic Front Layer on Ballistic Performance of a Bainitic Steel: A Comparative Study

Effect of initial microstructure on microstructure and properties of bainitic steels achieved by rapid heat treatment

Rapid heat treatment is essential in manufacturing advanced high-strength steels. The initial microstructure significantly influences the steel's microstructure and properties after rapid heat treatment. The present study investigated how the initial microstructure affected phase transformation, microstructure, and properties of bainite in high-carbon low-alloy steel during rapid heat treatment. Under rapid heating, ultrafine bainite (UB) sample with homogeneous composition exhibits the lowest austenitization temperature, while globular pearlite (GP) sample with poor composition homogeneity has a higher austenitization temperature. After rapid heat treatment, the compositional distribution of the initial microstructure was partially retained in the final sample. The increase of alloying elements inhibits the nucleation of bainitic ferrite, making it easier for bainitic ferrite to grow at low-alloy positions. Finally, a large amount of retained austenite is obtained in the alloying element-rich area. The difference in microstructure results in samples with different initial microstructures having similar strengths but differing plasticities. In samples with an initial lamellar pearlite (LP) microstructure, there was a substantial amount of thicker, filmy retained austenite, with an average thickness of 96.8 nm. This led to a small increase in Kernel Average Misorientation (KAM) with strain during the tensile process. This improvement in coordinated deformation during straining indicates that the sample has achieved excellent performance, with a tensile strength of 1483 MPa and a uniform elongation of 23 %. When the initial microstructure was GP, the sample contained a large amount of crumbly retained austenite with a low aspect ratio. This structure poorly coordinated deformation with higher strain, resulting in numerous microcracks.

Microstructure–property correlation and strain partitioning behavior in medium-carbon carbide-free bainitic steel

Microstructure–property correlation and strain partitioning behavior in medium-carbon carbide-free bainitic steel