The Basics of Ferrous Metallurgy

Carbide Free Bainitic (CFB) Steels: Part Two

Development of third generation, advanced high strength steels (AHSS) is well underway and is focused on advancements to provide even more superior strength-ductility ratios than in the currently available materials such as dual phase or TRIP steels.
One of the key features of carbide free bainitic steels is the numerous processing options such as drawing potential that are possible because of the increase in wear resistance and surface hardness that directly linked to the microstructural characteristics.

Characteristic of alloying elements

Clean Steel: Part One

Steel cleanliness is an important factor of steel quality and the demand for cleaner steels increases every year. The so-called clean steel generally is the steel in which the content of impurity elements, such as phosphorus, sulphur, total oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen (including carbon sometimes) and inclusions are very low. The improvement of steel cleanliness has therefore become a more and more important subject in the development of ferrous metallurgical technology, and also an important task for the iron and steel producers.

Clean Steel: Part Three

This article, the third in a series on clean steel, examines how non-metallic oxide inclusions significantly impact steel quality. These inclusions degrade mechanical properties, reduce ductility, and increase failure risks in finished products. The article explores inclusion formation mechanisms, focusing on calcium treatment to modify alumina inclusions into liquid calcium aluminates. This modification improves continuous casting processes, reduces nozzle blockage, and enhances various mechanical properties.

Clean Steel: Part Two

Non-metallic inclusions, which are undesirable components of all steels, play an important role with respect to their effect on the steel properties. Controlling inclusions in steel is closely connected with the concept of "clean steel".
The improvement in steel properties by control of non-metallic inclusions plays an important part in defending the applications of steel against newer competitive materials.

CMnAlSi TRIP Steels: Part One

Continued material development in the automotive has given rise to a new generation of HSLA grades which are characterized by excellent strength and high ductility levels.
Studies of microstructure changes in high strength CMnAlSi steel after austenitization show that it is not possible to obtain a fully austenitic region with the addition of Al or Si higher than about 1.5% and actually these two elements strongly stabilize ferrite.