ENHANCING MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF INTERSTITIAL

FREE STEEL BY VARIOUS HEAT TREATMENT PROCESSES

MRINMOY SINHA
14921006
Ph.D RESEARCH SCHOLAR
DEPT. OF METTALURGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGG.
SUPERVISOR: Dr. SADHAN GHOSH

BRIEF OUTLINE
OBJECTIVE: To increase the mechanical properties i.e. Strength, Toughness and Hardness
with less changes in Ductility/Formability by various heat treatment processes on IF Steel.
LITERATURE SURVEY
EXPERIMENTAL:

High temperature simulation.

Thermo-Calc simulation.

RESULTS:
Experimental Analysis

Microscopic observation.

Grain size calculation.

MOTIVATION OF THE WORK

KEY FEATURES: INTERSTITIAL FREE (IF) STEELS
Contains less amount of interstitial elements (C30 ppm & N40 ppm)
No yield point phenomenon.
Ductile & soft.
Excellent deep drawability.
APPLICATIONS:
Automobile car body due to superior formability.
White goods industry (TV, Fridge etc).
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
To enhance mechanical properties i.e. Strength and Hardness.
Grain refinement by heat treatment.
Microstructural analysis of grains and phases.

PROCESSING OF STEELS

*For IF Steels:
Typically TS360 Mpa &
YS200 MPa.

* HSLA and Ultra low carbon steels, Panya Buahombura, School of Metallurgical Engg., Suranaree

OVERVIEW OF IF STEEL
Ultra low carbon content.
C0.005%
Low Hardness and Tensile
Strength.
Superior formability and high
deep drawability.
Dominance of Ferrite grains
in microstructural content.

Relationship between carbon content,

microstructure
and
mechanical
properties of plain carbon steels in
normalized condition. Typical uses of
these steels are also included.

* Materials Science and Metallurgy, 4th ed,. Pollack, Prentice-Hall, 1998.

LITERATURE REPORT TO
INCREASE STRENGTH
GRAIN REFINEMENT: Strength can be increased but temporal.

After recrystallization annealing post deformation, strength starts falling due to very high cold
stored energy in the steel matrix.
* Fukuda et al., Japan society of tech., vol.13 (1972) 841.

LITERATURE REPORT TO
INCREASE STRENGTH
SOLID SOLUTION STRENGTHENING: Not much effective by Mn, Si additions as it
deteriorates galvanizing properties and painting.

P - Plastic strain ratio and yield stress

increases but it causes cold work
embrittlement
Si - Forms SiO2 on the surface that have a
detrimental effect on coating adhesion
Mn - Reduces both plastic strain ratio and
elongation.

* Tither et al., Iron and Steel Institute of Japan, Tokyo, 1994, pp. 293-324.

LITERATURE REPORT TO
INCREASE STRENGTH
PRECIPITATION STRENGTHENING: Cu, Ti & Nb addition and subsequent ageing
treatment.

Process is not commercially viable as addition of Cu (low melting point) in

molten steel causes evaporation.
Maintaining coherent size precipitate is difficult during ageing treatment of
industrial processing.
Gladman et al., Proc. Conf. Microalloying75, Ed. Korchynsky, M., Union Carbide, New York, 1977.
R.Rana et.al., Age hardening analysis of a hot rolled copper-alloyed interstitial free steel, Materials

LITERATURE REPORT TO
INCREASE STRENGTH
TRANSFORMATION STRENGTHENING: Formation of fine equiaxed grains by
transformation mechanism associated with austenite Ferrite transformation.
Isothermal holding at
Heat Treatment in Gleeble 3800

900C for 3 min

(1) Annealing
(2) Normalizing
(3) Water quenching
As-cast sample

(3)

(2) (1) Length (15 mm) x dia (10 mm)

Different heat treatment methods lead to formation of various microstructures like

ferrite, bainite and martensite which have unique mechanical properties.
Grain size can also be affected by changing the soaking time at high temperatures.

THERMO-CALC SIMULATION

volume fraction of precipitates

Evaluating the heat treatment parameters using Thermo-Calc SGTE database

results helps in approximating the test conditions.
0.30

0.25

at 900 0C:

Laves phase (Fe2Nb,Fe2Ti)

Ti4C2S2

0.008
0.006

M3P

Volume fraction of:

- 0.09%
- 0.91%

MnS

0.004
0.002
0.000

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

T C

Optimum condition: Fine austenite grain size around 900C with reducing
isothermal holding time seems to enhance the mechanical properties.

THERMAL ANALYSIS DSC

108Cel
19 ug/min

20

105.0

2.000
0

104.0
1.000

-20

3.41 mJ /mg 102.0

-1.000

100Cel
99.61 %

100

101.0
-80

1012Cel
99.78 %

26Cel
99.99 %
200Cel
99.38 %

-3.000

-40

-60
924Cel
-0.878uV

-2.000

TG %

D T A uV

0.000

400Cel
99.25 %
300Cel
99.31 %

200

300

500Cel
99.28 %
400

800Cel
99.52 %

600Cel
99.33 %

500
600
Temp Cel

-100
900Cel
99.66 %

700Cel
99.41 %

700

100.0

99.0
-120

800

900

1000

Thermo-Calc data is validated with DSC plot.

D T G u g/m in

103.0

OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
ANALYSIS
AS-RECEIVED SAMPLE MICROSTRUCTURE ANALYSIS:

Grain size: 115.86 m (Calculated by linear intercept method).

High ductility due to larger ferrite grain

Hardness: 89.38 VHN (HV10)

Optical microstructure of as-received sample, reportedly ferrite grain at room temperature.

HARDNESS VARIATION AFTER

HEAT TREATMENT
173.42
154.89

HV10 (VHN)

137.68

89.38

Hardness is double in water quenched samples.

SUMMARY
In literature it shows that strength increases, but at the cost of ductility.
Heat treatment is done to increase the strength and hardness, and to reduce the
cost.
Grain refinement and microstructural evolution found during heat treatment.
Hardness value was doubled in water quenched sample.

FUTURE SCOPE OF WORK

Understanding this work at higher temperature (930C), whether ferrite
completely transforms into austenite.
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to distinguish passible bainite or
martensite phases.
Stress vs strain plot before and after transformation.
Fracture analysis.

REFERENCES
1.

S.J Shankar, Materials for automobiles (2011).

2.

R Rana, W Bleck, S. B. Singh, O. N. Mohanty, Mater. Lett. 61 (2007) 2919.

3.

G Tither , C.I. Garcia, M Hua, A.J. DeArdo, in Proceedine of the International Forum for Phvsical Metallurw
of IF Steels, Iron and Steel Institute of Japan, Tokyo, Japan, 1994, pp. 293-324.

4.

J. W. Lee, H. M. Baek, S. K. Hwang, Materials & Design 55 (2014) P. 898-904.

5.

Cao et. al, J. Mater. Sci. 46 (2011) 6203.

6.

K Banerjee, Physical Metallurgy and Drawability of Extra Deep Drawing and Interstitial Free Steels,
Recrystallization, (2012), Prof. Krzysztof Sztwiertnia (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-0122-2, InTech.

7.

W.F Hosford & W.A Backholen (1964). Fundamentals of deformation processing, Syracuse, Press, New
York. P. 259.

8.

W.T Lankford, S.C Snyder & J.A Bauscher (1950). Trans.AS1/I, Vol. 42, P.1197-1232.

Thank you