Effects of Tempering Temperature on Microstructure and Low-Temperature Toughness of 1000 MPa Grade NiCrMoV Low Carbon Alloyed Steel

doi:10.11900/0412.1961.2021.00147

Acta Metall Sin

2022, Vol. 58

Issue (12): 1557-1569 DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2021.00147

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Effects of Tempering Temperature on Microstructure and Low-Temperature Toughness of 1000 MPa Grade NiCrMoV Low Carbon Alloyed Steel

ZHOU Cheng¹, ZHAO Tan²(

), YE Qibin³(

), TIAN Yong¹, WANG Zhaodong¹, GAO Xiuhua¹

^1.State Key Laboratory of Rolling and Automation, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
^2.State Key Laboratory of Metal Material for Marine Equipment and Application, Ansteel Group Corporation, Anshan 114009, China
^3.Institute of Research of Iron and Steel, Sha-Steel, Zhangjiagang 215625, China

Cite this article:

ZHOU Cheng, ZHAO Tan, YE Qibin, TIAN Yong, WANG Zhaodong, GAO Xiuhua. Effects of Tempering Temperature on Microstructure and Low-Temperature Toughness of 1000 MPa Grade NiCrMoV Low Carbon Alloyed Steel. Acta Metall Sin, 2022, 58(12): 1557-1569.

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Abstract

The low carbon alloyed steel has been widely used in the shipbuilding and offshore structures owing to its high strength and toughness at low temperatures. To optimize the microstructure and mechanical properties of low carbon alloyed steel as well as investigate the relationship between them, this study focuses on the microstructure evolution and corresponding mechanical properties of a 1000 MPa grade NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel during tempering in the range of 450-650^oC. Microstructures of lath martensite and autotempered martensite were obtained after hot rolling followed by direct water cooling to room temperature. The evolution of lath martensite and retained austenite on tempering was characterized using SEM and TEM. The distribution of the retained austenite was investigated using EBSD. The result shows that when the tempering temperature of the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel is increased from 450^oC to 550^oC, the lath martensite recovers and the martensite-austenite component gradually decomposes. The retained austenite with 4.8% volume fraction was obtained after tempering at 600^oC. The NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel obtained intercritical ferrite and fresh martensite when tempered at 650^oC. The reverse transformation process of austenite was analyzed through a dilatometer curve. The partition behavior of alloying elements C, Ni, and Mn during intercritical tempering was analyzed kinetically through DICTRA simulation. An appropriate fraction of thermally stable retained austenite obtained at 600^oC was attributed to the extent of partitioning of C, Ni, and Mn into the reversed austenite, which contributed to the best balance of strength-ductility-toughness properties. After direct quenching and tempering at 600^oC, high yield strength of 1030 MPa with a high ductility of 18%, low yield to tensile ratio of 0.93, and excellent low-temperature toughness of 160 J at -80^oC were obtained.

Key words: low carbon alloyed steel tempering temperature low-temperature toughness microstructure

Received: 07 April 2021

ZTFLH:

TG142.1

Fund: Major Research and Development Project of Liaoning Province(2020JH1/10100001);State Key Laboratory of Metal Material for Marine Equipment and Application

About author: ZHAO Tan, senior engineer, Tel: (0412)6721020, E-mail: ansteel_zhaotan@163.com
YE Qibin, senior engineer, Tel: (0512)58953958, E-mail: yeqb-iris@shasteel.cn;

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	Cheng ZHOU
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	Qibin YE
	Yong TIAN
	Zhaodong WANG
	Xiuhua GAO

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https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2021.00147 OR https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/Y2022/V58/I12/1557

Fig.1 Schematic of hot rolling and heat treatment process of NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel (A_c1 and A_c3 are defined as the start and finish temperatures of martensite to austenite transformation during the heating process, respectively)

Fig.2 SEM images of the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel under direct quenching (DQ) (a) and tempered at 450^oC (b), 500^oC (c), 550^oC (d), 600^oC (e), and 650^oC (f) (M-A: martensite-austenite)

Fig.3 TEM images of the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel tempered at 450^oC (a), 500^oC (b), 550^oC (c), 600^oC (d, e), and 650^oC (f) (Inset in Fig.3e shows the selected area election diffraction (SAED) pattern of retained austenite)

Fig.4 XRD spectra (a) and volume fraction of retained austenite (b) in the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel tempered at different temperatures

Fig.5 EBSD images of retained austenite of the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel tempered at 600^oC (a) and 650^oC (b)

Fig.6 Tensile properties of the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel under DQ and tempered at different temperatures
(a) tensile stress-strain curves (b) work hardening curves
(c) strength (YS—yield strength, UTS—ultimate tensile strength)
(d) yield to tensile ratio (e) total elongation

Fig.7 Impact energies of the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel tempered at different temperatures (a) and yield strength comparisons with other^[6,8,17-19] low carbon alloyed steels (b)

Fig.8 SEM images of impact fracture morphologies of the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel impact specimens tempered at 450^oC (a), 500^oC (b), 550^oC (c), 600^oC (d), and 650^oC (e)

Fig.9 Dilatometer curves of the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel during tempering at 600 and 650^oC
(a) dilatation-temperature curve (M_s—start temperature of martensite transformation)
(b) dilatation-time curve
(c) relative change in dilatation curves

Fig.10 Alloying element partitioning process of the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel in two-phase region tempering by DICTRA simulation
(a) dimensional model of partitioning process
(b) evolution of reversed austenite volume fraction (NPLE—negligible partition local equilibrium, PLE—partition local equilibrium)
(c) C distribution
(d) Ni distribution
(e) Mn distribution

Fig.11 TEM image (a) and corresponding EDS result (b) of precipitates of the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel tempered at 500^oC

Fig.12 XRD spectra of the NiCrMoV low carbon alloyed steel tempered at 600^oC before and after impact test

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