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The effects of thermomechanical processing on the microstructure and hydrogen embrittlement properties of ultrahigh-strength, low-alloy, transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)-aided bainitic ferrite (TBF) steels were investigated to... more
The effects of thermomechanical processing on the microstructure and hydrogen embrittlement properties of ultrahigh-strength, low-alloy, transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)-aided bainitic ferrite (TBF) steels were investigated to apply to automobile forging parts such as engine and drivetrain parts. The hydrogen embrittlement properties were evaluated by conducting conventional tensile tests after hydrogen charging and constant load four-point bending tests with hydrogen charging. The 0.4 mass%C-TBF steel achieved refinement of the microstructure, improved retained austenite characteristics, and strengthening, owing to thermomechanical processing. This might be attributed to dynamic and static recrystallizations during thermomechanical processing in TBF steels. Moreover, the hydrogen embrittlement resistances were improved by the thermomechanical processing in TBF steels. This might be caused by the refinement of the microstructure, an increase in the stability of the retained ...
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Cold stretch-formability and stretch-flangeability of 0.2%C-1.5%Si-5.0%Mn (in mass%) martensite-type medium Mn steel were investigated for automotive applications. High stretch-formability and stretch-flangeability were obtained in the... more
Cold stretch-formability and stretch-flangeability of 0.2%C-1.5%Si-5.0%Mn (in mass%) martensite-type medium Mn steel were investigated for automotive applications. High stretch-formability and stretch-flangeability were obtained in the steel subjected to an isothermal transformation process at temperatures between Ms and Mf − 100 °C. Both formabilities of the steel decreased compared with those of 0.2%C-1.5%Si-1.5Mn and -3Mn steels (equivalent to TRIP-aided martensitic steels), despite a larger or the same uniform and total elongations, especially in the stretch-flangeability. The decreases were mainly caused by the presence of a large amount of martensite/austenite phase, although a large amount of metastable retained austenite made a positive contribution to the formabilities. High Mn content contributed to increasing the stretch-formability.
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This article introduces the microstructural and mechanical properties of low and medium-carbon advanced martensitic steels (AMSs) subjected to heat-treatment, hot- and warm- working, and/or case-hardening processes. The AMSs developed for... more
This article introduces the microstructural and mechanical properties of low and medium-carbon advanced martensitic steels (AMSs) subjected to heat-treatment, hot- and warm- working, and/or case-hardening processes. The AMSs developed for sheet and wire rod products have a tensile strength higher than 1.5 GPa, good cold-formability, superior toughness and fatigue strength, and delayed fracture strength due to a mixture of martensite and retained austenite, compared with the conventional martensitic steels. In addition, the hot- and warm-stamping and forging contribute to enhance the mechanical properties of the AMSs due to grain refining and the improvement of retained austenite characteristics. The case-hardening process (fine particle peening and vacuum carburization) is effective to further increase the fatigue strength.
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Low alloy TRIP-aided steels are being considered as promising materials for autobody applications as they offer an excellent combination of strength and ductility at affordable costs. The high strength thinner gauge sheet steel enables... more
Low alloy TRIP-aided steels are being considered as promising materials for autobody applications as they offer an excellent combination of strength and ductility at affordable costs. The high strength thinner gauge sheet steel enables reduced fuel consumption and emissions by reducing passenger car weight. Better passenger safety is also ensured by the improved crash-worthiness. These steels typically have a microstructure consisting of ferrite, bainite and retained austenite. The presence of retained austenite leads to better mechanical properties that can be attributed to its transformation to martensite on straining. To guarantee high formability, the retained austenite should possess what is called optimal stability which enables it to undergo progressive transformation, which in turn leads to a more continuously increasing strain hardening exponent as the TRIP effect is spread out over a larger strain range. Stability of austenite depends on a number of factors viz. chemical c...
To apply the duplex type low-carbon medium-manganese steel to the hot/warm-forging and -stamping products, the influence of cooling process routes immediately after intercritical annealing such as air-cooling (AC) and isothermal... more
To apply the duplex type low-carbon medium-manganese steel to the hot/warm-forging and -stamping products, the influence of cooling process routes immediately after intercritical annealing such as air-cooling (AC) and isothermal transformation (IT) processes on the impact toughness of 0.2%C-1.5%Si-5%Mn (in mass %) duplex type medium-Mn (D-MMn) steel was investigated. Moreover the microstructural and tensile properties were also investigated. The AC process increased the volume fraction of reverted austenite but decreased the thermal and mechanical stability in the D-MMn steel, compared to the IT process. The AC process increased the tensile strength but decreased the total elongation. The Charpy V-notch impact value and ductile-brittle transition temperature were deteriorated by the AC process, compared to the IT process. This deterioration of the impact toughness was mainly related to the reverted austenite characteristics and fracture mode.
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Ultrahigh-strength ferrous steels, related to the strain-induced martensite transformation (or transformation-induced plasticity: TRIP) of metastable retained austenite, such as TRIP-aided bainite/martensite steels, quenching and... more
Ultrahigh-strength ferrous steels, related to the strain-induced martensite transformation (or transformation-induced plasticity: TRIP) of metastable retained austenite, such as TRIP-aided bainite/martensite steels, quenching and partitioning steels, nanostructured bainitic steels (or carbide free bainitic steels) and medium manganese steels, are currently receiving a great deal of attention from both academic and industry sectors, due to their excellent formability and mechanical properties [...]
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To develop ultra high-strength cold stamping steels for automobile frame parts, the effects of alloying elements on hydrogen embrittlement properties of ultra high-strength low alloy transformation induced plasticity (TRIP)-aided steels... more
To develop ultra high-strength cold stamping steels for automobile frame parts, the effects of alloying elements on hydrogen embrittlement properties of ultra high-strength low alloy transformation induced plasticity (TRIP)-aided steels with a martensite matrix (TM steels) were investigated using the four-point bending test and conventional strain rate tensile test (CSRT). Hydrogen embrittlement properties of the TM steels were improved by the alloying addition. Particularly, 1.0 mass% chromium added TM steel indicated excellent hydrogen embrittlement resistance. This effect was attributed to (1) the decrease in the diffusible hydrogen concentration at the uniform and fine prior austenite grain and packet, block, and lath boundaries; (2) the suppression of hydrogen trapping at martensite matrix/cementite interfaces owing to the suppression of precipitation of cementite at the coarse martensite lath matrix; and (3) the suppression of the hydrogen diffusion to the crack initiation sit...
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ABSTRACT Fatigue properties of a transformation-induced plasticity-aided martensitic steel subjected to vacuum carburisation under carbon potentials ranging from 0.70 to 0.80 mass% and subsequent fine-particle peening were investigated... more
ABSTRACT Fatigue properties of a transformation-induced plasticity-aided martensitic steel subjected to vacuum carburisation under carbon potentials ranging from 0.70 to 0.80 mass% and subsequent fine-particle peening were investigated for the fabrication of precision transmission gears. The fatigue limits of smooth specimens increased by 34–41% with increasing carbon potential, compared with that of heat-treated and fine-particle peened steel. The notched fatigue limits increased to a lesser degree except in case of carbon potential of 0.70 mass%. The increased smooth fatigue limits were associated with the high Vickers hardness and compressive residual stress via severe plastic deformation and the strain-induced martensitic transformation during fine-particle peening, as well as a 50% reduction of retained austenite fraction during fatigue deformation.
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This paper presents the microstructural and mechanical properties of low and medium carbon advanced high-strength forging steels developed based on the third generation advanced high-strength sheet steels, in conjunction with those of... more
This paper presents the microstructural and mechanical properties of low and medium carbon advanced high-strength forging steels developed based on the third generation advanced high-strength sheet steels, in conjunction with those of conventional high-strength forging steels. Hot-forging followed by an isothermal transformation process considerably improved the mechanical properties of the forging steels. The improvement mechanisms of the mechanical properties were summarized by relating to the matrix structure, the strain-induced transformation of metastable retained austenite and/or a mixture of martensite and austenite.
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In this study, the effects of Cr and Mo additions on mechanical properties of hot-forged medium carbon TRIP-aided bainitic ferrite (TBF) steel were investigated. If 0.5%Cr was added to the base steel with a chemical composition of 0.4%C,... more
In this study, the effects of Cr and Mo additions on mechanical properties of hot-forged medium carbon TRIP-aided bainitic ferrite (TBF) steel were investigated. If 0.5%Cr was added to the base steel with a chemical composition of 0.4%C, 1.5%Si, 1.5%Mn, 0.5%Al, and 0.05%Nb in mass%, the developed steel achieved the best combination of strength and total elongation. The best combination of strength and impact toughness was attained by multiple additions of 0.5%Cr and 0.2%Mo to the base steel. The excellent combination of strength and impact toughness substantially exceeded those of quenched and tempered JIS-SCM420 and 440 steels, although it was as high as those of 0.2%C TBF steels with 1.0%Cr and 0.2%Mo. The good impact toughness was mainly caused by uniform fine bainitic ferrite matrix structure and a large amount of metastable retained austenite.
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The effects of fine particle peening conditions on the rotational bending fatigue strength of a vacuum-carburized transformation-induced plasticity-aided martensitic steel with a chemical composition of 0.20 pct C, 1.49 pct Si, 1.50 pct... more
The effects of fine particle peening conditions on the rotational bending fatigue strength of a vacuum-carburized transformation-induced plasticity-aided martensitic steel with a chemical composition of 0.20 pct C, 1.49 pct Si, 1.50 pct Mn, 0.99 pct Cr, 0.02 pct Mo, and 0.05 pct Nb were investigated for the fabrication of automotive drivetrain parts. The maximum fatigue limit, resulting from high hardness and compressive residual stress in the surface-hardened layer caused by the severe plastic deformation and the strain-induced martensite transformation of the retained austenite during fine particle peening, was obtained by fine particle peening at an arc height of 0.21 mm (N). The high fatigue limit was also a result of the increased martensite fraction and the active plastic relaxation via the strain-induced martensite transformation during fatigue deformation, as well as preferential crack initiation on the surface or at the subsurface.
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The impact properties of 0.2 pct C-1.5 pct Si-(1.5 to 5) pct Mn transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)-aided steels with an annealed martensite matrix which had been subjected to isothermal transformation after inter-critical annealing... more
The impact properties of 0.2 pct C-1.5 pct Si-(1.5 to 5) pct Mn transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)-aided steels with an annealed martensite matrix which had been subjected to isothermal transformation after inter-critical annealing were investigated for potential automotive applications. The impact properties are related to the retained austenite characteristics of the steels. The products of tensile strength (TS) and Charpy impact absorbed value (CIAV) were the same for the 1.5 and 5 pct Mn steels, although the ductile–brittle transition temperature was higher for the latter. The impact properties of the 3 pct Mn steel were worse than these two steels. The high TS × CIAV value for the 5 pct Mn steel at 293 K (25 °C) was mainly caused by the TRIP effect of a larger amount of retained austenite (36 vol pct) and the hardened matrix structure; low retained austenite stability and/or a hard martensite–austenite phase reduced this value. The higher ductile–brittle transition temperature of the 5 pct Mn steel was associated with Mn segregation, a large amount of unstable retained austenite on prior austenitic grain boundaries, and decreased cleavage fracture stress owing to the high Mn content.
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The warm stretch formability and flangeability of 0.2 pct C-1.5 pct Si-5 pct Mn transformation-induced plasticity-aided sheet steel with annealed martensite matrix were investigated for automotive applications. Both formabilities were... more
The warm stretch formability and flangeability of 0.2 pct C-1.5 pct Si-5 pct Mn transformation-induced plasticity-aided sheet steel with annealed martensite matrix were investigated for automotive applications. Both formabilities were enhanced by warm forming at peak temperatures of 423 K to 573 K and 423 K to 523 K (150 °C to 300 °C and 150 °C to 250 °C), respectively. The superior warm formabilities were mainly due to the stabilization of a large amount of retained austenite by warm forming and the consequent considerably suppressed void growth at the interface between the matrix and transformed martensite, despite there being large hole punching damage for the stretch flangeability. High peak temperatures for stretch formability and flangeability were associated with apparently increased MS of the retained austenite resulting from the increased mean normal stress on stretch forming and hole expansion.
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Low cycle fatigue hardening/softening behavior of a 0.2 pct C–1.5 pct Si–1.5 pct Mn–1.0 pct Cr–0.2 pct Mo–0.05 pct Nb transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)-aided steel consisting of a wide lath martensite structure matrix and a narrow... more
Low cycle fatigue hardening/softening behavior of a 0.2 pct C–1.5 pct Si–1.5 pct Mn–1.0 pct Cr–0.2 pct Mo–0.05 pct Nb transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)-aided steel consisting of a wide lath martensite structure matrix and a narrow lath martensite–metastable retained austenite mixture was investigated. The steel exhibited notable fatigue hardening in the same way as TRIP-aided bainitic ferrite steel, although conventional martensitic steel such as SCM420 steel with the same tensile strength exhibited fatigue softening. The considerable fatigue hardening of this steel is believed to be associated mainly with the compressive internal stress that results from a difference in flow stress between the matrix and the martensite–austenite-like phase, with a small contribution from the strain-induced transformation and dislocation hardenings.