Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Microalloyed High-Strength Transformation-Induced Plasticity Steels
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Microalloyed High-Strength Transformation-Induced Plasticity Steels
The high strength of transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steels with tensile strength from
800 to 1000 MPa were designed based on grain refinement and precipitation strengthening
through microalloying with Nb, Nb/V, and Nb/Mo in a Fe-0.2C-1.5Si-1.5Mn cold-rolled TRIP
steel. The origins of alloying strengthening for three grades of 860, 950, and 1010 MPa TRIP
steels obtained in this work were revealed by the combination of Thermo-Calc and transmission
electron microscopy (TEM). The addition of Nb in Nb, Nb/V, and Nb/Mo TRIP steels can
effectively refine the austenite grain in the hot-rolled process by the NbC carbides retarding
austenite recrystallization and, in turn, refine final microstructure after intercritical annealing.
The addition of Nb/V can precipitate partially fine and dispersive (Nb,V)C carbides in ferrite
grains instead of coarse NbC carbides; therefore, the precipitation strengthening plays an
important role in the increase of TRIP steel strength. The addition of Nb/Mo cannot only
precipitate fully fine and dispersive (Nb,Mo)C carbides in ferrite grains but also increase the
volume fraction of bainite accompanying the decrease of volume fraction of ferrite, leading to
the drastic increase of both the yield strength and tensile strength.
DOI: 10.1007/s11661-007-9366-4
The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2007
Steel C Mn Si P S Nb Mo V
R-TRIP 0.19 1.46 1.53 0.005 0.004 — — —
Nb 0.17 1.49 1.56 0.006 0.004 0.044 — —
Nb/V 0.17 1.50 1.50 0.006 0.004 0.043 — 0.089
Nb/Mo 0.18 1.50 1.50 0.006 0.005 0.045 0.13 —
III. RESULTS
A. Variation of Microstructures with Alloying Elements
Fig. 1—Schematic diagram of heat-treatment process.
The microstructure of the studied steels mainly
comprises polygonal ferrite (PF), bainite (B), and
retained austenite (Ar). An identification method and
specimens were prepared by mechanical polishing and its detailed description of the microstructure of the
electropolishing in a twin-jet polisher using 4 pct per- R-TRIP steel were given elsewhere.[11,12] The effect of
chloric acid solution. The TEM investigation was alloying elements on the microstructure of the steels is
carried out in a JEM-100CX (JEOL Company, Japan) shown in Figure 2, in which the large gray areas
operated at 100 kV to identify the microstructure and represent PF, and the fine plumbeous areas represent
precipitates. The volume fraction of retained austenite B and Ar in the OM micrographs. It can be seen
was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) with Cu Ka from Figure 2 that the average ferrite grain size of
radiation based on a direct comparison method of Nb-containing TRIP steels including Nb/V and Nb/Mo
comparing with the integrated intensity of the 220c and ones is smaller than that of Nb-free steel, although the
Fig. 2—OM micrographs of steels for (a) R-TRIP, (b) Nb, (c) Nb/V, and (d) Nb/Mo.
Fig. 3—SEM micrographs of Nb/V steel: (a) lower magnification image and (b) larger magnification image.
Fig. 4—TEM micrographs of retained austenite at different sites in R-TRIP steel: (a) bright-field image of intergranular austenite and interferrit-
ic austenite, (b) g111 center dark-field image of intergranular austenite and interferritic austenite, and (c) SAED pattern.
Fig. 6—TEM micrographs of carbides in steel Nb/V: (a) bright-field image and (b)g200 center dark-field image and SAED pattern inserted.
Fig. 7—TEM micrographs of dispersed carbides inside ferrite grains of Nb/Mo steel: (a) bright-field image, (b) g111 center dark-field image, and
(c) SAED pattern.
tensile strength of microalloying steel reaches 863 MPa retained austenite of R-TRIP steel reach 12 and
for Nb alloying, 950 MPa for Nb/V alloying, and 1.13 pct, respectively, corresponding to the highest
1010 MPa for Nb/Mo alloying. The elongations of elongation (30 pct). Although the fAr of Nb, Nb/V,
Nb/V (22 pct) and Nb/Mo (20 pct) steels are lower than and Nb/Mo steel is lower than that of R-TRIP steel,
those of Nb (29 pct) or R-TRIP (30 pct) steels. It also their CAr is still relatively high, i.e., near or above 1 wt
can be seen from Table II that the volume fraction (fAr) pct, and thus the retained austenite will contribute to
of retained austenite and the carbon content (CAr) in the about 8 pct of their elongations by the TRIP effect.[17]