Determination of the volume fraction of retained austenite in a 300m steel by heat tinting technique

Applying the Heat Tinting Technique the microestrutural characterization of a 300M steel (medium carbon steel) was accomplished. The steel was austenitized for 20 min to 900°C, followed by holding at 400°C (in the bainitic temperature), with maintenance time of the material in the temperature of 1min, 5min and 30min, aiming at the formation of a multiphase structure. Through the metallographic analysis it is verified that, with the use of this technique, it is possible the determination of the volume fraction of the present phases in the 300M steel, especially in the identification and quantification of the retained austenite. Copyright © 2007 SAE International.

A influência da deformação plástica sobre a estabilidade mecânica da Austenita retida em aços 300M

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Caracterização mecânica e microestrutural de um aço de baixo carbono

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF DUAL AND MULTIPHASE STEELS APPLIED TO AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

TRIP (Transformation Induced Plasticity) and DP (Dual-Phase) steels are written in a new series of steels which present excellent mechanical properties. As for microstructure aspect, TRIP steels consist on a ferrite matrix with a second phase dispersion of other constituents, such as bainite, martensite and retained austenite, while dual-phase steels consist on martensite dispersion in a ferrite matrix. In order to identify the different microconstituents present in these materials, microstructure characterization techniques by optical microscopy (using different etchants: LePera, Heat-Tinting and Nital) and scanning electron microscopy were carried out. This being so, microstructures were correlated with mechanical properties of materials, determined by means of tensile tests. It is concluded that steels assisted by TRIP effect have a strength and elongation relation higher than the dual-phase one. With microstructure characterization, it was observed phases present in these materials microstructure.

Técnicas de caracterização microestrutural, por microscopia óptica e microscopia eletrônica de varredura, de aços bifásicos e multifásicos aplicados à indústria automobilística

This project developed microstructural characterization technics of commercial dualphase and multi-phasic (TRIP) steels that were provided by the automotive industry and are currently used as the raw material for the production of automobiles. Inserted in this context, there is the development of the advanced high strength steels in consonance with the ULSABAVC project, which aims the production of safe, economically viable and efficient in terms of fuel consumption vehicles for the 21st century. The micro-structural characterization of biphasic and multiphase steels was done by the identification and quantification of the coexistent phases. In this item, a special attention was given to the technics that were performed using optic microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. An important contribution to this work was the utilization of different alternative chemical reagents (Beraha, Heat-Tinting technics) in addition to the classical ones (Nital and LePera)already used conventionally by the UNESP's Group of Mechanical, Microstructural and Fractografic Characterization of Materials. The revealed microstructures were correlated with the materials' mechanical properties determined through traction tests, such as ultimate tensile strengths, yield strength and stretching important since the material has structural application in the automotive industry. As a result, it was observed the superiority concerning the studied mechanical properties for the biphasic and multiphasic steels when compared to the conventional carbon steels. Besides, it was perceived a large potential for the industrial scale utilization of the Heat Tinting technics in this field, seen its differentiation of the existent phases and easy reproducibility