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The Basics of Ferrous Metallurgy

102 Articles

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.

Characteristics of Alloying Elements in Steel Manufacturing

This comprehensive analysis examines the fundamental characteristics and applications of key alloying elements in steel production, including manganese, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten, silicon, copper, cobalt, and boron. These elements significantly influence steel properties such as tensile strength, hardness, ductility, corrosion resistance, and heat treatment response.

Clean Steel: Part One

Steel cleanliness represents a critical factor in determining steel quality, with increasing industry demand for cleaner steels annually. Clean steel is characterized by exceptionally low content of impurity elements including phosphorus, sulfur, total oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and sometimes carbon, along with minimal non-metallic inclusions.

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 are undesirable components present in all steels that significantly impact steel properties and quality. Controlling these inclusions is fundamental to the concept of "clean steel" production and plays a crucial role in maintaining steel's competitive advantage over newer materials. This article examines the classification, formation mechanisms, and effects of non-metallic inclusions on steel properties.

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.