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Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steels - Volume II

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Metals and Alloys".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2023) | Viewed by 9911

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Prof. Dr. Adam Grajcar

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Department of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: advanced high-strength steels; high-strength low-alloyed steels; heat treatment; thermomechanical processing; hot rolling; hot-working phenomena; physical simulation; deformation of metals
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Dear Colleagues,

Modern steels are most often produced using complex heat treatment and/or thermomechanical processes combining plastic deformation and multi-step thermal cycles. The control of hot-working and/or cold-processing parameters and successive cooling/heating is crucial for proper phase transformations and austenite decomposition into complex microstructures containing different combinations of ferrite, pearlite, bainite, martensite, and retained austenite. These operations are applied to plain carbon steels, low-alloyed steels, and high-alloyed steels. Steel is used in almost all industries, from low-carbon sheet steels for automotive applications through structural steels for bridges, buildings, linepipes, ships, pressure vessels, etc., to engineering steels, stainless steels, specialty steels, and tool steels. The development of steel is directly related to continuous progress in modern structural characterization techniques, which makes it possible to better understand microstructure–processing–property relationships that often occur at the nano-scale level.

This Special Issue aims to cover recent progress and new developments in the relationships between the microstructure and mechanical properties of conventional and advanced steel products. All aspects related to steel production, heat treatment, thermomechanical processing, physical and numerical simulation, and structural characterization are covered. Review articles that describe the current state of the art are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Adam Grajcar
Guest Editor

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Keywords

structural steel
tool steel
mechanical properties
thermomechanical processing
physical simulation
heat treatment
plastic deformation
microstructural characterization of steel
HSLA and AHSS
multiphase steel
stainless steel

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 42905 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Newly Designed High-Strength Tool Steel with High Wear and Corrosion Resistance

by Josephine Zeisig, Viktoriia Shtefan, Lars Giebeler, Uta Kühn, Annett Gebert and Julia Kristin Hufenbach

Materials 2023, 16(5), 1941; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051941 - 26 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2250

Abstract

In this study, a newly developed high-strength cast Fe81Cr15V3C1 (wt%) steel with a high resistance against dry abrasion and chloride-induced pitting corrosion is presented. The alloy was synthesized through a special casting process that yielded high solidification rates. The resulting fine, multiphase microstructure is composed of martensite, retained austenite and a network of complex carbides. This led to a very high compressive strength (>3800 MPa) and tensile strength (>1200 MPa) in the as-cast state. Furthermore, a significantly higher abrasive wear resistance in comparison to the conventional X90CrMoV18 tool steel was determined for the novel alloy under very harsh wear conditions (SiC, α-Al₂O₃). Regarding the tooling application, corrosion tests were conducted in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. Potentiodynamic polarization curves demonstrated a similar behavior during the long-term testing of Fe81Cr15V3C1 and the X90CrMoV18 reference tool steel, though both steels revealed a different nature of corrosion degradation. The novel steel is less susceptible to local degradation, especially pitting, due to the formation of several phases that led to the development of a less dangerous form of destruction: galvanic corrosion. In conclusion, this novel cast steel offers a cost- and resource-efficient alternative to conventionally wrought cold-work steels, which are usually required for high-performance tools under highly abrasive as well as corrosive conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steels - Volume II)

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17 pages, 4969 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Kinetics of Carbon Enrichment in Austenite during Partitioning Stage Studied via In-Situ Synchrotron XRD

by Farnoosh Forouzan, Roohallah Surki Aliabad, Ali Hedayati, Nazanin Hosseini, Emad Maawad, Núria Blasco and Esa Vuorinen

Materials 2023, 16(4), 1557; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041557 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1463

Abstract

The present study reveals the microstructural evolution and corresponding mechanisms occurring during different stages of quenching and partitioning (Q&P) conducted on 0.6C-1.5Si steel using in-situ High Energy X-Ray Diffraction (HEXRD) and high-resolution dilatometry methods. The results support that the symmetry of ferrite is not cubic when first formed since it is fully supersaturated with carbon at the early stages of partitioning. Moreover, by increasing partitioning temperature, the dominant carbon source for austenite enrichment changes from ongoing bainitic ferrite transformation during the partitioning stage to initial martensite formed in the quenching stage. At low partitioning temperatures, a bimodal distribution of low- and high-carbon austenite, 0.6 and 1.9 wt.% carbon, is detected. At higher temperatures, a better distribution of carbon occurs, approaching full homogenization. An initial martensite content of around 11.5 wt.% after partitioning at 280 °C via bainitic ferrite transformation results in higher carbon enrichment of austenite and increased retained austenite amount by approximately 4% in comparison with partitioning at 500 °C. In comparison with austempering heat treatment with no prior martensite, the presence of initial martensite in the Q&P microstructure accelerates the subsequent low-temperature bainitic transformation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steels - Volume II)

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20 pages, 20857 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tool Wear Issues in Hot Forging of Steel

by Janusz Krawczyk, Aneta Łukaszek-Sołek, Tomasz Śleboda, Łukasz Lisiecki, Michał Bembenek, Jacek Cieślik, Tomasz Góral and Jan Pawlik

Materials 2023, 16(2), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020471 - 04 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1478

Abstract

Steel forging tools are subjected to a number of tribological wear mechanisms depending on the geometry and surface of the tool and the flow of the material. Thus, there is no single general tribological wear mechanism, and only the predominant wear mechanisms in this case can be indicated. The problem has been known for years, but due to its complexity research on it is still relevant. In this study, the various wear mechanisms of hot work tools are analyzed on the basis of original research. Moreover, the influence of the micro- and macrostructure of the material and of its mechanical, physical, and technological characteristics on susceptibility to a given type of wear is considered. Adhesive wear, wear caused by plastic deformation, mechanical fatigue, thermal fatigue, the influence of hardness, heat treatment, and impact strength on tool wear and the mechanisms causing this wear are discussed in addition to tribological wear mechanisms such as abrasive wear. The influence of thermomechanical history and the characteristics of the tool material, including structural anisotropy, on the wear of these tools is indicated. The analysis of wear mechanisms performed will enable more precise definition of the principles of tool material selection and tool material condition for the hot forging of steel. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steels - Volume II)

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19 pages, 7175 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Numerical Fatigue Life Analysis of a Conformal HPDC Mould Core Additively Manufactured from Maraging Steel

by Jarosław Piekło, Aldona Garbacz-Klempka and Andriy Burbelko

Materials 2023, 16(1), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010365 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1280

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a stress analysis and fatigue life calculation of an HPDC mould core. The calculations were performed using Abaqus and fe-safe software. The numerical model of a core cooled by a conformal channel was based on an existing and working counterpart made of additively manufactured high-strength 1.2709 maraging steel. This study shows that the conformal channel results in a lower average core temperature as compared to the temperature of the same core shape cooled by the conventional method. The course of the stress changes during the mould cycle was also determined. It was found that stresses on the core surface caused the cyclic compression and tension of the material. The necessary strength tests of 1.2709 steel produced by selective laser melting (SLM) within a temperature range of 25 to 550 °C, which were necessary to define the fatigue coefficients by the Seeger approximation method, were also carried out in this study, along with metallographic tests of the fractures of the specimens. Based on the multiaxial fatigue criterion and using the maximum principal deformation hypothesis, the fatigue life of the core and channel surfaces was determined. Based on the calculations, it was shown that crack initiation on the channel surface can occur earlier than on the outer surface of the core. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steels - Volume II)

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14 pages, 10772 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of Antibacterial Properties of Corrosion-Resistant 316L Steel Alloyed with 0.2 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% Ag

by Mikhail A. Kaplan, Artem D. Gorbenko, Alexander Y. Ivannikov, Bakhyt B. Kartabaeva, Sergey V. Konushkin, Konstantin Y. Demin, Alexander S. Baikin, Konstantin V. Sergienko, Elena O. Nasakina, Igor O. Bannykh, Irina V. Gorudko, Alexey G. Kolmakov, Alexander V. Simakin, Sergey V. Gudkov, Alexey P. Glinushkin and Mikhail A. Sevostyanov

Materials 2023, 16(1), 319; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010319 - 29 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1312

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of melted ingots, plates rolled from them, and the resulting spherical powder made of corrosion-resistant 316L steel with the addition of 0.2 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% Ag. The study of antibacterial properties, microstructure, and distribution of silver concentrations, as well as qualitative analysis of silver content was carried out. The optimal mode of homogenization annealing of the ingot was 1050 °C for 9 h, which leads to the formation of an austenitic structure. It is shown that the addition of a small amount of silver does not affect the formation of the austenitic structure and silver is distributed evenly throughout the volume of the ingot. The austenitic structure also prevails in the plates after rolling. Silver is distributed evenly throughout the entire volume of the plate. It is noted that the addition of 0.2 wt.% Ag does not affect the strength, elongation, and microhardness of steel, and the addition of 0.5 wt.% Ag does not significantly reduce the strength of steel, however, all samples meet the mechanical characteristics according to the ASTM A240 standard. The qualitative chemical composition of samples made of corrosion-resistant steels was confirmed by X-ray fluorescence analysis methods. By the method of energy-dispersion analysis, the presence of a uniform distribution of silver over the entire volume of the powder particle was determined. The particles have a spherical shape with a minimum number of defects. The study of the antibacterial activity of plates and powder shows the presence of a clear antibacterial effect (bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas campestris, Erwinia carotovora, Pseudomonas marginalis, Clavibacter michiganensis) in samples No. 2 and No. 3 with the addition of 0.2 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% Ag. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steels - Volume II)

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25 pages, 13810 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Finite Element Modeling of Hot Rolling of 1075 Carbon Steel Process with Variable Cross Section

by Karina Montemayor-de la Garza, Patricia del Carmen Zambrano-Robledo, Oscar Jesus Zapata-Hernandez and Luis Adolfo Leduc-Lezama

Materials 2023, 16(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010002 - 20 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1458

Abstract

Currently, it is common to use steel poles for applications in livestock and agriculture. In this work, finite element analysis of five hot rolling passes for the manufacture of farm poles using 1075 carbon steels from recycled railway material was developed. The steel industry in Mexico imports products from other countries or from companies specialized in metallurgy at an excessive cost. To be more competitive and save costs, companies seek the reutilization of existing resources such as the railway 1075 steel, which has good mechanical properties. SFTC DEFORM-3D software was used to model five hot rolling passes considering a variable cross section railway profile. The effect of rolling speed and temperature were considered to analyze flow behavior. Rolling loads were also determined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Steels - Volume II)

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