The Effect of Different Annealing Strategies on the Microstructure Development and Mechanical Response of Austempered Steels
This study focuses on the effect of non-conventional annealing strategies on the microstructure and related mechanical properties of austempered steels. Multistep thermo-cycling (TC) and ultrafast heating (UFH) annealing were carried out and compared with the outcome obtained from a conventionally a...
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doaj-dab9c729b06943dcadd54806528228142021-07-23T13:54:02ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012021-06-01111041104110.3390/met11071041The Effect of Different Annealing Strategies on the Microstructure Development and Mechanical Response of Austempered SteelsEliseo Hernandez-Duran0Luca Corallo1Tanya Ros-Yanez2Felipe Castro-Cerda3Roumen H. Petrov4Research Group Materials Science and Technology, Department of Electromechanical, Systems & Metal Engineering, Ghent University, Tech Lane Science Park Campus A 46, 9052 Ghent, BelgiumResearch Group Materials Science and Technology, Department of Electromechanical, Systems & Metal Engineering, Ghent University, Tech Lane Science Park Campus A 46, 9052 Ghent, BelgiumCLEVELAND-CLIFFS INC, Research & Innovation Center, 6180 Research Way, Middletown, OH 45005, USADepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft, The NetherlandsResearch Group Materials Science and Technology, Department of Electromechanical, Systems & Metal Engineering, Ghent University, Tech Lane Science Park Campus A 46, 9052 Ghent, BelgiumThis study focuses on the effect of non-conventional annealing strategies on the microstructure and related mechanical properties of austempered steels. Multistep thermo-cycling (TC) and ultrafast heating (UFH) annealing were carried out and compared with the outcome obtained from a conventionally annealed (CA) 0.3C-2Mn-1.5Si steel. After the annealing path, steel samples were fast cooled and isothermally treated at 400 °C employing the same parameters. It was found that TC and UFH strategies produce an equivalent level of microstructural refinement. Nevertheless, the obtained microstructure via TC has not led to an improvement in the mechanical properties in comparison with the CA steel. On the other hand, the steel grade produced via a combination of ultrafast heating annealing and austempering exhibits enhanced ductility without decreasing the strength level with respect to TC and CA, giving the best strength–ductility balance among the studied steels. The outstanding mechanical response exhibited by the UFH steel is related to the formation of heterogeneous distribution of ferrite, bainite and retained austenite in proportions 0.09–0.78–0.14. The microstructural formation after UFH is discussed in terms of chemical heterogeneities in the parent austenite.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/11/7/1041austemperingultrafast heating annealingthermo-cycling annealing |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Eliseo Hernandez-Duran Luca Corallo Tanya Ros-Yanez Felipe Castro-Cerda Roumen H. Petrov |
spellingShingle |
Eliseo Hernandez-Duran Luca Corallo Tanya Ros-Yanez Felipe Castro-Cerda Roumen H. Petrov The Effect of Different Annealing Strategies on the Microstructure Development and Mechanical Response of Austempered Steels Metals austempering ultrafast heating annealing thermo-cycling annealing |
author_facet |
Eliseo Hernandez-Duran Luca Corallo Tanya Ros-Yanez Felipe Castro-Cerda Roumen H. Petrov |
author_sort |
Eliseo Hernandez-Duran |
title |
The Effect of Different Annealing Strategies on the Microstructure Development and Mechanical Response of Austempered Steels |
title_short |
The Effect of Different Annealing Strategies on the Microstructure Development and Mechanical Response of Austempered Steels |
title_full |
The Effect of Different Annealing Strategies on the Microstructure Development and Mechanical Response of Austempered Steels |
title_fullStr |
The Effect of Different Annealing Strategies on the Microstructure Development and Mechanical Response of Austempered Steels |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Effect of Different Annealing Strategies on the Microstructure Development and Mechanical Response of Austempered Steels |
title_sort |
effect of different annealing strategies on the microstructure development and mechanical response of austempered steels |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Metals |
issn |
2075-4701 |
publishDate |
2021-06-01 |
description |
This study focuses on the effect of non-conventional annealing strategies on the microstructure and related mechanical properties of austempered steels. Multistep thermo-cycling (TC) and ultrafast heating (UFH) annealing were carried out and compared with the outcome obtained from a conventionally annealed (CA) 0.3C-2Mn-1.5Si steel. After the annealing path, steel samples were fast cooled and isothermally treated at 400 °C employing the same parameters. It was found that TC and UFH strategies produce an equivalent level of microstructural refinement. Nevertheless, the obtained microstructure via TC has not led to an improvement in the mechanical properties in comparison with the CA steel. On the other hand, the steel grade produced via a combination of ultrafast heating annealing and austempering exhibits enhanced ductility without decreasing the strength level with respect to TC and CA, giving the best strength–ductility balance among the studied steels. The outstanding mechanical response exhibited by the UFH steel is related to the formation of heterogeneous distribution of ferrite, bainite and retained austenite in proportions 0.09–0.78–0.14. The microstructural formation after UFH is discussed in terms of chemical heterogeneities in the parent austenite. |
topic |
austempering ultrafast heating annealing thermo-cycling annealing |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/11/7/1041 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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