A complete microstructural characterization and phase transformation analysis has been performed for several Nb and Nb-Mo microalloyed low-carbon steels using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and dilatometry tests. Compression thermomechanical schedules were designed resulting in the undeformed and deformed austenite structures before final transformation. The effects of microalloying additions and accumulated deformation were analyzed after CCT diagram development and microstructural quantification. The resulting microstructures ranged from polygonal ferrite and pearlite at slow cooling ranges, to a combination of quasipolygonal ferrite and granular ferrite for intermediate cooling rates, and finally, to bainitic ferrite with martensite for fast cooling rates. The addition of Mo promotes a shift in the CCT diagrams to lower transformation start temperatures. When the amount of Nb is increased, CCT diagrams show little variations for transformations from the undeformed austenite and higher initial transformation temperatures in the transformations from the deformed austenite. This different behavior is due to the effect of niobium on strain accumulation in austenite and its subsequent acceleration of transformation kinetics. This article shows the complex interactions between chemical composition, deformation, and the phases formed, as well as their effect on microstructural unit sizes and homogeneity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S.G. Jansto: New Developments on Metallurgy and Applications of High Strength Steels Conf. Buenos Aires, 2008, TMS, Warrendale, PA, pp. 1313–26.
N.A. McPherson: Ironmaking and Steelmaking, 2009, vol. 36, pp. 193–200.
E.J. Czyryca, D.P. Kihl, and R. DeNale: AMPTIAC Q., 2003, vol. 7, pp. 63–70.
D. Bhattacharya: 6th Int. Conf. on High Strength Low Alloy Steels, HSLA’2011, Beijing, China, 2011, CD-Rom.
C.I. Garcia, K. Cho, M. Hua and A.J. DeArdo: Mater. Sci. Forum, 2010, vols. 638-642, pp. 124-29.
F.G. Caballero and C. García-Mateo: Phase Transformations in Steels, E. Pereloma and D.V. Edmonds, eds., Woodhead Publishing, Philadelphia, PA, 2002, vol. 2, pp. 271–94.
C.I. Garcia: Int. Conf. Microalloying ‘95, ISS, Warrendale, PA, 1995, pp. 365–75.
G. Krauss and S.W. Thompson: ISIJ Int., 1995, vol. 35, pp. 937–45.
H. Mohrbacher: International Seminar on Applications of Mo in steels, Beijing, China, 2010, pp. 75–96.
M.G. Akben, I. Weiss, and J.J. Jonas: Acta Metall., 1981, vol. 29, pp. 111–21.
O. Kwon and A.J. DeArdo: Acta Metall. Mater., 1991, vol. 39, pp. 529–38.
X. Sun and Q. Yong: International Seminar on Applications of Mo in steels, Beijing, China, 2010, pp. 61–74.
B.L. Bramfitt and J.G. Speer: Metall. Trans. A, 1990, vol. 21A, pp. 817–29.
T. Araki, I. Kozasu, H. Tankechi, K. Shibata, M. Enomoto, and H. Tamehiro, eds., Atlas for Bainitic Microstructures, ISIJ, Tokyo, 1992, vol. 1.
H.I. Aaronson and H.A. Domian: Trans. AIME, 1966, vol. 236, pp. 781–96.
M. Hillert: Solid–Solid Phase Transformations, H.I. Aaronson, D.E. Laughlin, R.F. Sekerka, and C.M. Wayman, eds., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 1982, pp. 789–806.
D.E. Coates: Metall. Trans., 1973, vol. 4, pp. 2313–25.
T.B. Massalski: Phase Transformations, ASM, Metals Park, OH, 1970, pp. 433–95.
M. Hillert: Metall. Trans. A, 1984, vol. 15A, pp. 411–19.
H.J. Lee, G. Spanos, G.J. Shiflet, and H.I. Aaronson: Acta Metall., 1988, vol. 36, pp. 1129–40.
H.K.D.H. Bhadeshia and J.W. Christian: Metall. Trans. A, 1990, vol. 21A, pp. 767-97.
J. Cawley, C.F. Harris, and E.A. Wilson: New Aspects of Microstructures in Modern Low Carbon High Strength Steels Symp., ISIJ, Tokyo, 1994, pp. 11–14.
K. Shibata and K. Asakura: New Aspects of Microstructures in Modern Low Carbon High Strength Steels Symp., ISIJ, Tokyo, 1994, pp. 31–34.
H.K.D.H. Bhadeshia: Bainite in Steels, Transformations, Microstructure and Properties, 2nd ed., The Institute of Materials, London, 2001, pp. 277–79.
S. Zajac, V. Schwinn, and K.H. Tacke: Mater. Sci. Forum, 2005, vols. 500–501, pp. 387–94.
N. Takayama, G. Miyamoto, N. Kamikawa, H. Nako, T. Maki, and T. Furuhara: Mater. Sci. Forum, 2010, vols. 638–642, pp. 3080–85.
P.A. Manohar, T.R. Chandra, and C.R. Killmore: ISIJ Int. 1996, vol. 36, pp. 1486–93.
N. Isasti, D. Jorge-Badiola, M.L. Taheri, B. López and P. Uranga: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2011, vol. 42A, pp. 3729-42.
W.-B. Lee, S.-G. Hong, C.-G. Park, and S.-H. Park: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2002, vol. 33A, pp. 1689–98.
T. Hanamura, F. Yin, and K. Nagai: ISIJ Int., 2004, vol. 44, pp. 610–17.
C. Garcia de Andres, F.G. Caballero, C. Capdevila, and L.F. Alvarez: Mater. Charact., 2002, vol. 48, pp. 101-11.
R. Petrov, L. Kestens, and Y. Houbaert: Mater. Charact., 2004, vol. 53, pp. 51–61.
ABAQUS Reference Manuals: Dassault Systèmes, Providence, RI, 2009.
ISO 13067:2011(E), Microbeam analysis—Electron backscatter diffraction—Measurement of average grain size, p. 7.
A. Iza-Mendia, and I. Gutiérrez: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2013, vol. A561, pp. 40–51.
G.I. Rees, J. Perdrix, T. Maurickx, and H.K.D.H. Bhadeshia: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 1995, vol. A194, pp. 179-86.
R.T. De Hoff and F. N. Rhines: Quantitative Metallography, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1968.
D.N. Hanlon, J. Sietsma, and S. van der Zwaag: ISIJ Int, 2001, vol. 41, pp. 1028–36.
Y. van Leeuwen and J. Sietsma: Mater. Sci. Forum, 2007, vols. 539–543, pp. 4572–77.
R. Bengochea, B. López, and I. Gutiérrez: Mater. Sci. Forum, 1998, vols. 284–286, pp. 201–08.
C. Calvo, I.-H. Jung, A.M. Elwazri, D. Bai, and S. Yue: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2009, vol. 520, pp. 90–96.
J.L. Lanzagorta, D. Jorge-Badiola, and I. Gutierrez: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2010, vol. 527, pp. 934–40.
R.Y. Zhang and J.D. Boyd: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2010, vol. 41A, pp. 1448-59.
M. Militzer, E.B. Hawbolt, and T.R. Meadowcroft, Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2000, vol. 31A, pp. 1247–59.
A.K. Lis and J. Lis: Mater. Sci. Forum, 2007, vol. 539-543, pp. 4620-4625.
M. Olasolo, P. Uranga, J.M. Rodriguez-Ibabe, and B. Lopez: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2011, vol. 528, pp. 2559-69.
B. Pereda, J. M. Rodriguez-Ibabe and B. López: ISIJ Int., 2008, vol. 48, pp. 1457–1466.
P. Cizek, B.P. Wynne, C.H.J. Davies, B.C. Muddle, and P.D.Hodgson: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2002, vol. 33A, pp. 1331–49.
S. Zaefferer, P. Romano, and F. Friedel: J. Microscopy, 2008, Vol. 230, pp. 499–508.
E.P. Kwon, S. Fujieda, K. Shinoda, and S. Suzuki: Mat. Sci. and Eng. A, 2011, vol. 528, pp. 5007–17.
F. Gerdemann, M. Fischer, W. Bleck, and J.G. Speer: New Developments on Metallurgy and Applications of High Strength Steels Conf., Buenos Aires, 2008, TMS, Warrendale, PA, pp. 93–103.
A.W. Wilson and G. Spanos: Mater. Charact., 2001, vol. 46, pp. 407–18.
H. Kitahara, R. Ueji, N. Tsuji, and Y. Minamino: Acta Mater., 2006, vol. 54, pp. 1279–1288.
W. Wang, W. Yan, L. Zhu, P. Hu, Y. Shan, and K. Yang: Mater. Design, 2009, vol. 30, pp. 3436–43.
M.J. Merwin, C.T. Becker, and D.R. Giansante: Materials Science and Technology 2009 Conference, 2009, Pittsburgh, PA, pp. 956–68.
A. From and R. Sandström: Mater. Charact., 1999, vol. 42, pp. 111–22.
I. Tamura: Int. Conf. Thermec ‘88, ISIJ, Tokyo, 1988, pp. 1–10.
T. Tanaka: Int. Conf. Microalloying 95, M. Korchynsky, A.J. DeArdo, P. Repas, and G. Tither, eds., Pittsburgh, ISS, Warrendale, PA, 1995, pp. 165–81.
R. Bengochea, B. Lopez, and I. Gutierrez: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 1998, vol. 29A, pp. 417–26.
T. Furuhara, N. Takayama, and G. Miyamoto: Mater. Sci. Forum, 2010, vols. 638-642, pp. 3044-49.
Acknowledgments
The financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MAT2009-09250 and MAT2012-31056) and Basque Government (PI2011-17) is acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Manuscript submitted January 15, 2013.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Isasti, N., Jorge-Badiola, D., Taheri, M.L. et al. Phase Transformation Study in Nb-Mo Microalloyed Steels Using Dilatometry and EBSD Quantification. Metall Mater Trans A 44, 3552–3563 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-013-1738-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-013-1738-3