Effects of Hot Rolling Process Parameters on the Microstructure and Properties of Line Pipe Steels

摘要

Taking advantage of developments in the physical and process metallurgy of line pipe steels, pipeline engineers are now able to design and operate pipelines at high pressures and in cold conditions to transmit gas and oil over many thousands of miles. However, increasing economic pressures, along with the intensifying safety and environmental imperatives, are continuously pointing commercial requirements toward higher grade line pipe steels beyond those presently available. While demanding higher grade steel products to further increase operating pressure, pipeline engineers are also expecting improved fracture toughness for the current steel products. Although a number of investigations~(5-10) have been carried out in the steel industry to modify composition control and process parameters to meet the changing needs of the industry, many of these studies have not explored the microstructural evolution during steel processing. Further product development in this field will depend on improving the understanding of the process-microstructure-property relationships pertaining to these steels.