THERMO-MECHANICAL PROCESSING

AND FORMING OF STEELS

(MM 626)

Prof B.P. Kashyap

Lecture-6

Acicular ferrite steel: These are very

low carbon steels with sufficient
hardenability to transform on cooling to
a very fine high strength ferrite structure
rather than the ususal polygonal ferrite
structure.
Acicular
ferriteis
amicrostructureofferritethat
is
characterised
by
needle
shapedcrystallitesor
grains
when
viewed in two dimensions. The grains,
actually three dimensional in shape,
have a thin lenticularshape. This

Dual-phase steel(DPS) is a highstrengthsteelthat

has
aferriteandmartensiticmicrostructure.
DPA starts as a low or mediumcarbon
steeland
is
quenched
from
a
temperature above A1but below A3on
acontinuous
cooling
transformationdiagram. This results in
amicrostructureconsisting of a soft
ferrite matrix containing islands of
martensite as the secondary phase
(martensite
increases
the
tensile
strength). The desire to produce high

Typical dual phase steel

composition
C

Mn

Nb

Mo

0.06-0.12

1.4-1.8

0.02-0.05

0-0.06

0.2-0.35

HSLA steels typically contains 0.07-0.12% C, upto

2% Mn and small addition of Nb, V and Ti in
usually maximum 0.1% in various combination.
The material is preferably produced by a
thermomechanical
rolling
process
which
maximizes grain refinement as a basis for
improved mechanical properties.
Fracture appearance transition temperarture is
given by:

Basic heat treatment of

steels

Annealing (furnace cooling)

Normalizing (air cooling)
Spheroidizing
Hardening (quenching)
Tempering
Austempering
Martempering

TTT diagram

Martempering
MARTEMPERING is a term used to describe an interrupted quench from
the austenitizing temperature of certain alloy, cast, tool, and stainless
steels. The purpose is to delay the cooling just above the martensitic
transformation for a length of time to equalize the temperature
throughout the piece. This will minimize the distortion, cracking, and
residual stress. The term martempering is somewhat misleading and is
better described as marquenching. The microstructure after
martempering is essentially primary martensitic that is untempered
and brittle.

Austempering
AUSTEMPERING is the isothermal transformation of a ferrous alloy at a
temperature below that of pearlite formation and above that of
martensite formation. Austempering of steel offers several potential
advantages:
Increased ductility, toughness, and strength at a given hardness
Reduced distortion, which lessens subsequent machining time,
stock removal, sorting, inspection, and scrap
The shortest overall time cycle to through-harden within the
hardness range of 35 to 55 HRC, with resulting savings in energy and
capital investment

GL->S = HL->S - TSL->S

At equilibrium temp.
Te
SL->S = HL->S /Te

Nucleation & growth of a new phase

Critical radius:

r* (1/T)
Hence higher the
undercooling, easier to
form critical radius

Effect of temperature and time on

nucleation

Rate of transformation vs degree of

undercooling

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