Phase Transformation and Softening Mechanisms of Metals and Alloys during Thermomechanical Processing

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Metal Casting, Forming and Heat Treatment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2025 | Viewed by 5217

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão - IFMA, Sao Luis 65030-005, MA, Brazil
Interests: dynamic transformation; phase transformation; development of new alloys; thermomechanical process;mechanical properties and deformation behavior of materials; physical metallurgy

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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
Interests: thermomechanical processing; development of novel alloys; mechanical properties and deformation behavior of materials; phase transformation in metal alloys; static and dynamic materials testing; high-strain rate deformation; static and dynamic recrystallization; materials characterization; texture and anisotropy of materials; thermodynamics of materials; additive manufacturing of metallic materials
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Guest Editor
Dynamic Systems Inc., Poestenkill, NY 12140, USA
Interests: thermomechanical processing; steels; recrystallization; mathematical modeling; microalloying

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dynamic and/or static softening is known to occur during the thermomechanical processing of metals and alloys. Some of these phenomena include recovery, recrystallization and phase transformation, which have been of great interest to academia and industry for decades. It is well known that understanding and controlling the softening behavior during the manufacturing of metals and alloys will lead to optimization of the final product mechanical properties. Additionally, these softening mechanisms can be modelled to guarantee improved properties for specific applications and the development of new materials. Regardless of significant research and progress in this field, the limit of our ability to improve material properties and the variety of different applications is far from being reached.

This Special Issue of Metals invites experts to submit papers related to experimental research, simulation and modelling of the various softening mechanisms. All steel families, alloys of titanium, magnesium, aluminum, nickel-based, high-entropy and additive-manufactured alloys are the primary target materials, although other alloy systems will also be considered. 

Prof. Dr. Samuel F. Rodrigues
Dr Clodualdo Aranas
Dr. Fulvio Siciliano
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • phase transformation
  • thermomechanical processing
  • static and dynamic recovery
  • static and dynamic recrystallization
  • materials characterization
  • physical metallurgy

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 23660 KiB  
Article
In Situ Microstructural Evolution and Precipitate Analysis of High-Nickel Shipbuilding Steel Using High-Temperature Confocal Laser-Scanning Microscopy
by Guojin Sun, Shengzhi Zhu, Zhenggui Li and Qi Wang
Metals 2024, 14(9), 1085; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14091085 - 22 Sep 2024
Viewed by 695
Abstract
This study investigates the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of high-nickel shipbuilding steel during thermal processing using high-temperature confocal laser-scanning microscopy (HTCLSM). An in situ observation of the heating and holding processes reveals critical insights into phase transformations, grain-growth behavior, and the formation [...] Read more.
This study investigates the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of high-nickel shipbuilding steel during thermal processing using high-temperature confocal laser-scanning microscopy (HTCLSM). An in situ observation of the heating and holding processes reveals critical insights into phase transformations, grain-growth behavior, and the formation of precipitates. The experimental results demonstrate that austenitization begins at approximately 700 °C, with significant grain-boundary nucleation. At 900 °C, the formation of black precipitates was observed, and their persistence up to temperatures exceeding 1000 °C was confirmed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses identified these precipitates as chromium carbides (Cr7C3), which significantly contribute to the material’s strength. A comprehensive analysis using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the presence and distribution of Cr7C3 within the grains and along grain boundaries. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the microstructural dynamics in high-nickel steels, guiding the optimization of heat-treatment processes to enhance mechanical properties for maritime applications. Full article
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20 pages, 5679 KiB  
Article
Microstructural and Texture Evolution of Pearlite-Drawn Wires for Flexible Marine Pipelines: Investigating the Effect of Heat Treatments on Mechanical Properties
by Pedro H. Pinheiro, Mohammad Masoumi, Luís Flávio G. Herculano, João Victor B. Xavier, Samille Kricia B. de Lima, Eden S. Silva, Gedeon S. Reis, Samuel F. Rodrigues and Hamilton F. Gomes de Abreu
Metals 2023, 13(4), 805; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13040805 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1863
Abstract
Flexible pipelines connect offshore platforms to subsea production systems due to their high flexibility, applicability, and recycling. Flexible armor layers in flexible pipelines are constructed using the parallel helical wrapping of several rectangular wires. The complex stress modes to which pipelines are subjected [...] Read more.
Flexible pipelines connect offshore platforms to subsea production systems due to their high flexibility, applicability, and recycling. Flexible armor layers in flexible pipelines are constructed using the parallel helical wrapping of several rectangular wires. The complex stress modes to which pipelines are subjected provide complex failure modes that are mostly unpredictable, requiring expensive pipeline integrity verification methods. This work investigates texture and microstructure evolution in pearlite-drawn wires due to different heat treatments. The material was subjected to annealing and isothermal heat treatments to obtain changes in its microstructure and texture. The changes were characterized using SEM, XRD, and EBSD techniques. Samples were subjected to tensile testing to evaluate their mechanical properties. This work revealed that annealing and isothermal treatments mainly modify the material microstructure, whereas annealing provides a material with grains with ease of deformation. In contrast, isothermal treatment provides grain growth with high internal energy and more deformation resistance. Annealing increases the intensity of all texture components, while isothermal treatment reduces intensity. These findings provide insights into the relationship between material properties and heat treatments, which can be used to optimize the design and performance of flexible pipelines, thereby reducing the need for expensive integrity verification methods. Full article
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17 pages, 23237 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Ferrite Formation and Evolution above the Ae3 Temperature during Plate Rolling Simulation of an API X80 Steel
by Francisco Romário de S. Machado, João C. Ferreira, Maria Veronica G. Rodrigues, Marcos Natan da S. Lima, Rodrigo de C. Paes Loureiro, Fulvio Siciliano, Eden S. Silva, Gedeon S. Reis, Regina C. de Sousa, Clodualdo Aranas, Jr., Hamilton F. Gomes de Abreu and Samuel Filgueiras Rodrigues
Metals 2022, 12(8), 1239; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12081239 - 22 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1822
Abstract
Thermo-mechanically controlled rolling is a technique used to produce steel strips and plates. One of the steels widely used in the production of heavy plates for application in oil and gas pipelines is API X80. The hot rolling process of this family of [...] Read more.
Thermo-mechanically controlled rolling is a technique used to produce steel strips and plates. One of the steels widely used in the production of heavy plates for application in oil and gas pipelines is API X80. The hot rolling process of this family of steels consists of applying deformation passes at high temperatures, mainly above Ae3, inside the austenite phase field. It has been shown that during deformation, the phenomenon of dynamic transformation (DT) of austenite into ferrite leads to lower hot deformation resistance within the stable austenite region. In this investigation, hot torsion simulations of an industrial rolling process under continuous cooling conditions were used to monitor the formation of ferrite by DT. Stress–strain flow curves and equivalent mean flow stresses followed by sample characterization via optical and electron microscopy showed the inevitable formation of ferrite above the Ae3. The employed 10-pass deformation schedule was divided into 5 roughing and 5 finishing passes, thereby promoting an increased volume fraction of ferrite and decreased critical strain for the onset of DT and dynamic recrystallization (DRX). A microstructural analysis confirmed the formation of ferrite from the first roughing strain until the last finishing pass. The volume fraction of DT ferrite increased due to strain accumulation, an increased number of deformation passes and as the temperature approached the Ae3, leading to a characteristic torsion texture at the end of the simulation. Full article
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