Abstract
High current electropulsing was applied to a low-carbon steel in the solid state. The relationship between grain size and experimental conditions was revealed. It was found that the ultrafine-grained (UFG) microstructure could be formed when electric current density, heating rate, and cooling rate all were high. The UFG samples prepared by applying electropulsing were free of porosity and contamination, and had no large microstrain. Also, their tensile strength was dramatically enhanced over that of their coarse-grained counterparts, without a decrease in ductility. The mechanism for grain refinement and formation of the UFG microstructure was discussed. It is proposed that the effect of a decrease in thermodynamic barrier and enhancement of nucleation rate in a current-carrying system cannot be neglected.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
H. Gleiter, Prog. Mater. Sci. 33, 231 (1989).
K. Lu, Mater. Sci. Eng. R16, 161 (1996).
C. Suryanarayana, Int. Mater. Rev. 40, 41 (1995).
Y.Z. Zhou, J.D. Guo, Y.Y. Shan, B.Q. Wang, and G.H. He, Chin. J. Mater. Res. 16, 243 (2002).
W. Zhang, M.L. Sui, K.Y. Hu, D.X. Li, X.N. Guo, G.H. He, and B.L. Zhou, J. Mater. Res. 15, 2065 (2000).
V.H. Wever and W. Seith, Z. Elektrochem. 59, 942 (1955).
C. Bosvieux and J. Friedel, J. Phys. Chem. Solids 23, 123 (1962).
P.S. Ho and T. Kwok, Rep. Prog. Phys. 52, 301 (1989).
A.F. Sprecher, S.L. Mannan, and H. Conrad, Acta Metall. 34, 1145 (1986).
K. Okazaki, M. Kagawa, and H. Conrad, Scripta Metall. 12, 1063 (1978).
H. Conrad and A.F. Sprecher, in Dislocations in Solids, edited by F.R.N. Nabarro (Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1989), p. 497.
A.K. Misra, Metall. Trans. 16A, 1354 (1985).
J.P. Barnak, A.F. Sprecher, and H. Conrad, Scripta Metall. 32, 879 (1995).
J.M. Li, S.L. Li, J. Li, and H.T. Liu, Scripta Metall. 31, 1691 (1994).
Z.H. Lai, H. Conrad, Y.S. Chao, S.Q. Wang, and J. Sun, Scripta Metall. 23, 305 (1989).
H. Mizubayashi and S. Okuda, Phys. Rev. B 40, 8057 (1989).
R. Takemoto, M. Nagata, and H. Mizubayashi, Acta Mater. 44, 2787 (1996).
Y.Z. Zhou, R.S. Qin, S.H. Xiao, G.H. He, and B.L. Zhou, J. Mater. Res. 15, 1056 (2000).
Y.Z. Zhou, Y. Zeng, G.H. He, and B.L. Zhou, J. Mater. Res. 16, 17 (2001).
H.B. Huntington and A.R. Drone, J. Phys. Chem. Solids 20, 76 (1961).
F.R.N. Nabarro, Theory of Crystal Dislocations (Clarendon Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, 1967), p. 529.
Y. Dolinsky and T. Elperin, J. Appl. Phys. 73, 5283 (1993).
Y. Dolinsky and T. Elperin, Phys. Rev. B 47, 14778 (1993).
Y. Dolinsky and T. Elperin, Phys. Rev. B 52, 54 (1994).
R.S. Qin and B.L. Zhou, Int. J. Non-Equilib. Proc. 11, 77 (1998).
R.S. Qin and B.L. Zhou, Chin. J. Mater. Res. 11, 69 (1997).
R.S. Qin, H.C. Yan, G.H. He, and B.L. Zhou, Chin. J. Mater. Res. 9, 219 (1995).
M.C. Zhao, Y.Y. Shan, J.B. Qu, K. Yang, L. Zheng, and S. Gao, Acta Metall. Sinica 37, 179 (2001).
Y.Z. Zhou, W. Zhang, M.L. Sui, D.L. Li, G.H. He, and J.D. Guo, J. Mater. Res. 17, 921 (2002).
Metals Handbook, 10th ed., edited by ASM International Handbook Committee (ASM International, Metals Park, OH, 1990), p. 1124.
D.A. Porter and K.E. Easterling, Phase Transformation in Metals and Alloys (Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, Berkshire, United Kingdom, 1984), pp. 186–260.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhou, Y., Zhang, W., Wang, B. et al. Grain refinement and formation of ultrafine-grained microstructure in a low-carbon steel under electropulsing. Journal of Materials Research 17, 2105–2111 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2002.0311
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2002.0311