The effect of high temperature deformation on the hot ductility of niobium-microalloyed steel.

摘要

Low hot ductility at the straightening stage of the steel continuous casting process, where the surface temperature ranges from 600 to 1200°C, is associated with transverse cracking on the billet surface. This is attributed to various microalloying elements, which are essential for the mechanical characteristics of the final products. Thermomechanical processing is a new approach to alleviate this problem. In this work, two grades of Nb-containing steel, one modified with B, were examined. In order to simulate the key parameters of continuous casting, specimens were melted in situ and subjected to thermal conditions similar to that occurring in a continuous casting mill. They were also deformed at different stages of the thermal schedule. Finally, the hot ductility was evaluated at the end of the thermal schedule, corresponding to the straightening stage in continuous casting at which the hot ductility problem occurs in the continuous casting process.; The results showed that the presence of B is noticeably beneficial to the hot ductility. Failure mode analysis was performed and the mechanism of fracture was elaborated. As well, the potential mechanisms under which B can improve the hot ductility were proposed.; Deformation during solidification (i.e. in the liquid + solid two phase region) led to a significant loss of hot ductility in both steels. By contrast, deformation in the delta-ferrite region, after solidification, was either detrimental or beneficial depending on the deformation start temperature.; The hot ductility was considerably improved in the steel without B when deformation was applied during the delta → gamma transformation. The effect of such deformation on the other steel grade was not significant. Examination of the microstructure revealed that such improvement is related to a grain refinement in austenite. Therefore, the effect of deformation parameters was studied in detail and the optimum condition leading to the greatest improvement in the hot ductility was determined.; Finally, some solutions to the industrial problem in the continuous casting process were proposed.