MODEL FOR PREDICTION OF HARDENABILITY DURING STEEL PROCESSING

摘要

The hardening process of modern steel places new demands on accurate hardenability predictions in connection with hot rolling and reheating processes. The complex matter of particle precipitation and microstructure development during processing necessitates an accurate kinetic hardenability model. The benefit is reduced costs for material development as well as production costs with improved properties of the final products. The present work aims to develop a hardenability model, which integrates the phenomena of grain growth and particle dissolution during reheating with hardenability calculations. The particle dissolution sub-model determines the effective amount of the alloying elements that are in solution in the austenite to improve the hardenability of the steel. The grain growth model calculates the development of grain sizes from an initial chosen distribution and the Zener pinning effect. The hardenability model calculates Ideal Diameter (DO, Jominy distance to 50% martensite and surface hardness after quenching.