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Abstract
In this study, the efficacy of an innovative ultra-fast sintering technique called electro-sinter-forging (ESF) was evaluated in the densification of Fe-Cr-C steel. Although ESF proved to be effective in densifying several different metallic materials and composites, it has not yet been applied to powder metallurgy Fe-Cr-C steels. Pre-alloyed Astaloy CrM powders have been ad-mixed with either graphite or graphene and then processed by ESF. By properly tuning the process parameters, final densities higher than 99% were obtained. Mechanical properties such as hardness and transverse rupture strength (TRS) were tested on samples produced by employing different process parameters and then submitted to different post-treatments (machining, heat treatment). A final transverse rupture strength up to 1340 ± 147 MPa was achieved after heat treatment, corresponding to a hardness of 852 ± 41 HV. The experimental characterization highlighted that porosity is the main factor affecting the samples’ mechanical resistance, correlating linearly with the transverse rupture strength. Conversely, it is not possible to establish a similar interdependency between hardness and mechanical resistance, since porosity has a higher effect on the final properties.
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Abstract
Unified equations for the relationships among dislocation density, carbon content and grain size in ferritic, martensitic and dual-phase steels are presented. Advanced high-strength steels have been developed to meet targets of improved strength and formability in the automotive industry, where combined properties are achieved by tailoring complex microstructures. Specifically, in dual-phase (DP) steels, martensite with high strength and poor ductility reinforces steel, whereas ferrite with high ductility and low strength maintains steel’s formability. To further optimise DP steel’s performance, detailed understanding is required of how carbon content and initial microstructure affect deformation and damage in multi-phase alloys. Therefore, we derive modified versions of the Kocks–Mecking model describing the evolution of the dislocation density. The coefficient controlling dislocation generation is obtained by estimating the strain increments produced by dislocations pinning at other dislocations, solute atoms and grain boundaries; such increments are obtained by comparing the energy required to form dislocation dipoles, Cottrell atmospheres and pile-ups at grain boundaries, respectively, against the energy required for a dislocation to form and glide. Further analysis is made on how thermal activation affects the efficiency of different obstacles to pin dislocations to obtain the dislocation recovery rate. The results are validated against ferritic, martensitic and dual-phase steels showing good accuracy. The outputs are then employed to suggest optimal carbon and grain size combinations in ferrite and martensite to achieve highest uniform elongation in single- and dual-phase steels. The models are also combined with finite-element simulations to understand the effect of microstructure and composition on plastic localisation at the ferrite/martensite interface to design microstructures in dual-phase steels for improved ductility.
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