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By Daniel Stickel

Current political, economic and ecological guidelines demand the increase of power densities of nearly all machinery parts today. In order to further lower the wear rate towards the ultra-mild sliding wear regime an integral approach is needed, which has to regard contact conditions, surface topography, surface chemistry, as well as sub-surface properties. Still there are no simple parameters to classify the performance of tribosystem. In this study the area and volume affected by tribocontacts are calculated by means of a three dimensional elastic-ideal plastic contact model. The surfaces are generated by means of conventional machining procedures and characterized by scanning white light interferometry. The further input data as to normal and friction forces are derived by ultra-mild sliding wear tests under boundary lubrication conditions of carburized steel against carburized steel and 52100 steel against case-hardened spheroidal cast iron. This contribution will depict the distinct influence of the topography on friction and ultra-mild sliding wear of common Fe-base materials and point on the marked importance of highly localized effects, which govern the acting mechanisms.

Jul 31, 2018

By Jean-Philippe Houde

The Blast Furnace Campaign lifetime is highly depending on the wear progress of the hearth lining. This progress is monitored in general through single and double thermocouples at the cold side of the lining. This type of monitoring becomes ineffective as soon as heat resistance will be formed in the refractory lining. Paul Wurth’s monitoring system, consisting of MTP-Sensor and Heat Flux Probes, is able to identify such heat resistances to give a true hearth lining wear. Since last year Paul Wurth is also able to install safely those MTP-Sensor and Heat Flux Probes on running blast furnace without salamander tapping, thanks to a newly developed cooled core drilling device. Blast Furnaces that are equipped with Paul Wurth’s monitoring system have optimized their campaign lifetime as they received right information upon the true wear lining such as detection of heat flux transfer failure, detection and monitoring of brittle layer or detection of hot spot.

Aug 16, 2017

By Gilmar Zacca Batista

The present work is a part of a comprehensive program that aims to evaluate the girth welding procedures for heavy wall API 5L X65 pipes produced for sour service applications. This article describes the results of toughness, strength and sour resistance of girth welds produced with different welding consumables. The methodology applied included girth welds production with GTAW process for root pass using ER70S-6 consumable and FCAW process for filling passes using E71T- 1CJ and E91T1-GM-H4 consumables. Mechanical tests of Charpy, CTOD, tensile, hardness and stress corrosion cracking were also performed. The E71T-1CJ resulted in a girth weld with tensile and yield strength around 7% lower than the pipe. However, according to the papers analyzed at this study, a value up to 10% of undermatching could be acceptable. The CTOD and Charpy tests showed good toughness and weld metal embrittlement was not observed. The hardness and the stress corrosion cracking tests demonstrated that the consumable ER70S-6 is suitable for sour service. All properties evaluated met the requirements specified by the onshore pipeline standards, showing that the consumables ER70S-6, E71T-1CJ and E91T1-GM-H4 are suitable for the welding of heavy wall X65 pipe with sour service and toughness requirements. If an overmatching is required, the E91T1-GMH4 shall be used to assure a strength overmatching and prevent plastic strain concentration at the weld metal. The results provided by this paper can be used for consumable selection and for welding procedure qualification of pipelines construction when heavy wall API 5L X65 are used for sour gas transportation.

Aug 16, 2017

By Francisco Morganti

This report gives in the first part the metallurgical basics for the production of AHSS grades in integrated steel plants starting at the melt shop and ending at the annealing lines of the cold mill. The corresponding process and plant technologies in each production step with its specifics and rules are explained. In the second part by way of example the practical requirements for TRIP 780 steel grade are highlighted like a recipe for process control in the steel plant, hot and cold rolling mill, annealing line and finally skin pass mill. Measuring of mechanical technological properties on samples shows that the specifications according to DIN EN 10268 are fulfilled.

Oct 30, 2017

By Túlio Magno Fuzessy de Melo, Luciano Santos Marques, Vicente Tadeu Lopes Buono

The influence of the coiling temperature after hot strip rolling on the microstructure and on the tensile and hole expansion properties of a 800 MPa multiphase steel was investigated. For the temperatures between 150°C and 600°C the microstructure consisted of a ferritic matrix with a dispersion of fine martensite-austenite (MA) and regions of degenerated upper bainite. In all cases the ferrite presented a heterogeneous mixture of polygonal, quasi-polygonal and acicular grains. The yield and tensile strengths showed a tendency of decreasing with the increasing coiling temperature, probably because of the larger fraction of MA particles at lower temperatures and higher fraction of quasi-polygonal ferrite at higher temperatures. The elongation was not significantly affected by the variation of coiling temperature. The average hole expansion ratio showed a maximum of 80% for the material coiled at 400°C and fell below 50% only for the coiling temperature of 150°C, probably due to the larger hardness difference between the ferrite matrix and the MA particles.

Oct 1, 2019

By Gabriel Oliveira Glória

Due to growing concern about the ambient impacts, lignocellulosic fibers are been investigated to replace the synthetic ones in polymer composites The giant bamboo fiber, a relatively unknown lignocellulosic fiber with potential for composite reinforcement, still needs to characterize for possible engineer applications. However the giant bamboo fiber has low adhesion with the polymeric matrix. In order to understand the interaction that occurs between the bamboo fiber and the polymer matrix is necessary to evaluate its physical and chemical characteristics. Therefore, the present work analyzed the giant bamboo fiber by means of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The spectrum revealed main absorption bands typical of giant bamboo fiber specific molecular interactions.

Aug 16, 2017

By Boryong Lee, Heedong Sung, Minho Park, Sunyoung Choi

Recently, the demand for ultra-thin steel plate with high hardness and strength has been increasing in various industries. In order to satisfy this requirement, steel company designs the chemistry with low CEQ and obtains the required characteristics through quenching and tempering process. Especially, these steels are accompanied by low temperature tempering as a necessary process. Unlike ordinary high temperature tempering steels, it is impossible to improve the flatness after low temperature tempering. Therefore, shape control in the quenching process is very important for securing the excellent quality flatness. In order to obtain flatness in the quenching process, uniform cooling inside the plate should be accompanied. However, the quenching process has limitations in estimating the temperature behavior during cooling because the plate temperature is lowered to room temperature. In this study, a thermocouple was installed inside the actual quenching plate to measure the temperature behavior during cooling and to establish the manufacturing conditions of the quenching plate to ensure excellent flatness quality.

Oct 1, 2019

By Mathias Woydt

The tribological and mechanical properties of binderless and metal-bonded niobium carbides (8 or 12 vol.-% of Cobalt, 12 vol.-% of Fe3Al) are presented. Rotating disks made of niobium carbide bearing hard metals were mated against alumina (99.7%) under unlubricated (dry) unidirectional sliding tests (0,1 m/s to 12,0 m/s; 22°C and 400°C) as well as in oscillation tests (f= 20 Hz, ?x= 0,2 mm, 2/50/98% rel. humidity, n= 105/106 cycles). Microstructure and phase compositions were determined as well. The tribological data obtained were benchmarked with different ceramics, cermets, hard metals and thermally sprayed coatings, where NbC bonded with 8% and 12% Co presented above 8 m/s the lowest wear rates so far in such a benchmark. Binderless NbC (HP-NbC1) and the metal bonded NbCs exhibited low wear rates under dry sliding associated with high P?V load carrying capacities. NbC-based hard metal bonded with 12 vol.-% of Fe3Al resulted in a higher hardness level than for 12 vol.-% cobalt. The tribological profile established revealed a strong position of NbC bearing materials under tribological considerations and for closed tribosystems against established reference tribo-couples.

Jul 31, 2018

By Rodrigo Ribeiro de Andrade, Túlio César Nogueira, Ed Juarez Mendes Taiss, Nilton José Lucinda de Oliveira

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of an eventual slab central macro-segregation in microalloyed steels with low Mn content (0.80%) and high Nb content (0.08 to 0.10%) on the kinetics of recrystallization of austenite during its rolling, on its critical temperatures, that is, of non-recrystallization (Tnr), start Ar3 and finish Ar1 of ferrite transformation and its response to a simulated industrial thermomechanical processing. The determination of the austenite recrystallization kinetics was made through isothermal double compression tests using a dilatometer, while the critical temperatures were determined through hot torsion tests in a Gleeble® 3800. It was found that austenite recrystallization kinetics, Ar3 and Ar1 temperatures did not present significant changes for the samples extracted both at ¼ of the thickness and at the core of the plate, indicating that, as expected, the central segregation in this type of steel was not intense to the point of affecting this phenomenon. The Tnr values determined for the samples extracted in the core of the plate were, on average, 30°C lower than those obtained from specimens extracted at ¼ thickness, which suggests that a significant portion of the carbonitrides present in the core of the slab are eutectic and coarse, not having completely dissolved during the reheating of the specimens. This occurred despite the fact that the austenitization temperature adopted in this treatment theoretically leads to the total dissolution of Nb, as seems to have occurred in the case of specimens extracted at ¼ of thickness, where carbonitrides have a finer size.

Oct 1, 2019

By G. Martino, F. Silva, Emmanuel Marchal

The definition of the chemical specification at multiple steps of the steelmaking process is very common in the industry. Among all elements and compounds, the Sulphur content has a special control over several stages, from the coal blend to the final products. Coke, iron and steelmaking specialists usually agree on a static specification for each intermediate product according to their local operation capacity and production cost. However, local decisions have major impacts on the whole production chain and many global factors should be considered in order to make the best decision. In this study, we will exemplify focusing on Sulphur content concepts and techniques that could be applied to many decisions in an integrated carbon steel plant. The variation of coal and coke prices, the desulphurization cost and time, the processes operating points, the hot metal rate at converters, prices and demands of low and ultra-low Sulphur steel grades are some of the integrated factors that are usually disregarded during the specification process. Mathematical modeling presents itself as a proper option into dealing with all the complexity that emerges from integrating all these processes' trade-offs and decisions. This study presents the results of a mathematical model that encompasses economic, thermal, chemical, and mass balances, physical quality of materials and productivity constraints of all processes of a hypothetical integrated carbon steel plant. It optimizes the iron and steelmaking process on a global and unique objective, dynamically defining targets for product quality to achieve the lowest steel production cost. This study details multiple market-plant scenarios in order to compare economic and operating results of a static vs dynamic specification practice.

Oct 1, 2019

By Michael Windhager, Karl H. Ziehenberger

ULTIMA® are high performance, centrifugal cast, double poured (CC duplex) work rolls. This paper describes the principle of the ULTIMA® roll concept and its wide range of usability. The ULTIMA® concept provides a solution for rod and bar mills to increase performance and output, even under harsh rolling conditions. The main focus is on highly loaded mill stands that require both high wear resistance and resistance against thermal fatigue, like pre-dog bone, dog bone, slitter. Specific case studies of quite different mill configurations and rolled product mix prove the positive impact on production yield, mill and roll shop operations, and profitability in terms of TCO (total cost of ownership).

Oct 1, 2019

By Arnaldo Forgas Júnior

Three techniques for ferrite quantification were applied in a duplex stainless steel UNS S31803 solution treated at three different temperatures, 1000, 1100 and 1200°C, in order to verify their compliance with the results from ThermoCalc® prediction. It is verified that only austenite and ferrite phases are present in the samples and that an increasing in solution treatment temperature led to the increase of the volume fraction of ferrite. It is also observed that quantitative stereology technique shows absolute values closer to ThermoCalc® predictions. On the other hand, measurements by ferritoscope and XRD show significant deviations, probably due to texturing effect imposed by the rolling process.

Aug 16, 2017

By Andrelio Marcos Ribeiro, Lucio Ribeiro Camisao, Antonio Carlos Ataíde, Alan de Sousa Pereira, Renato Siqueira Campos

The annealing and pickling line n. 1, responsible for the production of stainless steel 3xx, 4xx and 430a in thicknesses from 4 to 0.4 mm, has two vertical strip accumulators. These are intended not to let the material exceed the determined time in the furnace and in the pickling, and consequently do not cause defects like burning and excessive pickling. Strip accumulator n. 1 avoids the line from stopping during welding execution of the coils in the welding machine. In sequence, the strip accumulator n. 2 avoids the line from stopping at the end cutting of the tips, and in the coils removal from the pickling. The strip accumulators have a roller table that during the strip accumulation moves vertically downwards while its counterweight moves vertically upwards, and do the inverse movement when the material is released. On December 12th 2018, the failure occurred in the strip accumulator n. 1, where it was verified that the shaft of one of the pulleys had been fractured by high-cycle mechanical fatigue, which was characterized by alternating bending. With the fracture of the shaft, occurred the unevenness of the counterweight that damaged the guides. Failure analysis of this occurrence was based on the PDCA methodology, when was verified a weld between the shaft and the pulley. The analysis of the microstructure transformation in the molten zone, in the heat affected zone and in the base metal was carried out in an optical microscope, and no abnormality was observed. It was also carried out the end test by penetrating liquid, finding an inadequate weld in its geometry, as well as longitudinal trunks along the center of the weld bead. However, after a huge investigation of the causes, it was found that the failure was triggered by an inadequate design of the pulley shaft. It was also verified that the shaft had an open measure, inadequate for the operational context. After the analysis, action plans were drawn up based on the FMEA methodology to inhibit the failure recurrence.

Oct 7, 2019

By Elizaveta Cheremisina

In steelmaking process lime serves as flux. Rapid lime assimilation and slag formation of the desired composition have a significant effect on the refining reactions. It is important to know the rate limiting step of lime dissolution to control and improve the converter process. Kinetics of pure CaO and industrial lime dissolution in model slag has been studied in the range of temperatures 1300 –1600°C. Lime samples were prepared in cylinder form and immersed in the melt for predetermined time. Considering the total mass balance of CaO in the slag and linear dimensions of lime samples, mass transfer coefficients were derived. Diffusion coefficients were calculated under conditions of non-stationary diffusion. The derived activation energy of less than 200 kJ/mol indicates that diffusion is the limiting step in the process of lime-dissolution in slag.

Oct 30, 2017

By Wan-sub Kim, Joon-Tae Lee, Seongkyu See, Yong-Kyu Park

Softening heat treatment of CHQ alloy steel (Cr-Mo Steel) is a bottleneck process that requires 90% or more of the entire manufacturing process. In order to reduce the property deviation between edge and center and remove the low-temperature structure problems, CHQ products is heat treated by customers. This technology comes from the idea to solve the problem by applying the concept of “In-line isothermal transformation through initial quenching + heat source addition. Consider the stability of field operations, durability from high ambient temperature and fall of scale, Instantaneous heating and cooling control was required for the conversion of slow cooling and rapid cooling products. An electric heating system was applied to the underside of Stelmor air-cooling nozzle. Using the Scan Pyrometer, the feedback control was performed and fine temperature control was performed through the thermocouple by zone. Through the this technology, it is possible to develop and expand products that can be shortened or omitted by the heat treatment process of customers.

Oct 1, 2019

By Dyego Monteiro de Souza

This study compares the wear resistance of specimens lubricated with biofluids or mineral oil. Tribological studies were performed by ball-cratering test. In these tests were used as lubricants epoxidized soybean oil, castor oil and mineral oil. The specimens used were untreated and nitrided AISI 4140, while a steel ball AISI 52100 was used as a counterbody. In order to analyze the results obtained, the worn volume was calculated and the characterization of the crater, after the test, was made using optical microscopy and SEM. Wettability was also measured for the different surface condition and lubricants. As expected both specimens showed a smaller volume worn when lubricated with mineral oil due to inherent properties of this type of lubricant. Among the vegetable oils studied, the castor oil showed a better performance in the lubrication of the specimens untreated while on the nitrided specimen have shown less wear when lubricated with epoxidized soybean oil, indicating a difference in the efficiency of oils, as lubricants, depending on the surface conditions of the mechanical components.

Jul 31, 2018

By Adriano Gonçalves dos Reis

In the development of the structural materials for the advanced applications, as in the aerospace industry, there is a constant strive to increase both strength and toughness. Maraging steels are iron-nickel alloys designed to combine both properties that are achieved through the age-hardening of low carbon martensite. This alloy have a metastable martensitic structure that can revert to austenite when heated in temperatures close to the aging temperature, and this effect can be enhanced with the temperature increasing and time of treatment. Therefore, the study of creep behavior in elevated temperatures has technological importance to the development of this material. In this work the creep behavior of a maraging 300 steel solution annealed is evaluated by carrying out creep tests at 650ºC and in a stress of 200, 300 and 500 MPa. Creep parameters, such as steady state creep rate (?????), final creep time (tf), and stress exponent from secondary creep (n) are determined, considering that they are important to evaluate the creep resistance of the material.

Aug 7, 2018

By Thomas Höfler, Michael Auinger, Bernhard Linder

Gas-fired pusher furnaces are commonly used to heat steel slabs before hot rolling. Temperatures well above 1000 °C combined with an oxidizing atmosphere containing H2O, CO2 and O2 result in rapid oxidation of most steel grades. The resulting oxide scale and the chemistry of the metal-scale-interface are major determining factors for the occurrence of hot rolling defects. To better understand these phenomena, lab-scale trials were performed with two different steel grades in an electric tube furnace in the temperature range 1000-1250 °C, using an atmosphere of about 20 % H2O, 7 % CO2 and 3 % O2. Humidification of the gas was achieved by evaporation, using a custom thermostat with standard laboratory glassware. The resulting samples were prepared metallographically, using cold mounting under vacuum with taper section angles, and analyzed using light microscopy and SEM/EDS. The scale structure of the Si alloyed steel was highly dependent on the oxidation temperature due to the formation of eutectic liquid phases of FeO, Fe2SiO4 and FeAl2O4. Below the eutectic temperature, the scale of the Si steel appeared to be made up of three distinct areas: The external scale consisting solely of Fe oxides, the internal scale containing Fe2SiO4 and FeAl2O4, and an internal oxidation zone with SiO2 and Al2O3 in a mostly plain Fe matrix. Comparisons of the experimental results with simulations of the internal oxidation showed good qualitative agreement.

Oct 1, 2019

By Rogério Felício dos Santos

Nitriding of metallic materials using electric discharges generated during electric discharge machining (EDM) is a recently developed technique. The aim of this paper was to correlate mechanical properties of a nitrided layer produced in AISI 4140 steel by EDM nitriding with the type and amount of nitrides. A conventional die-sinking EDM equipment and electrolytic copper electrodes were used to generate the electric discharges. The electrolyte was a solution of urea in deionized water. Knoop microhardness profiles assessed the variation of hardness along the nitrided layer, whereas the elastic modulus of this layer was measured using nanoindentation tests. Optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the nitrided surface. The results showed the formation of a nitrided layer containing iron nitrides with average thickness of around 25 µm. The amount of nitrides reduced from the surface towards the centre and these results correlated well with microhardness profiles obtained.

Jul 31, 2018

By Eduardo Dominguez Trindade

Lubricant oils are subjected to reciprocating movement in the piston ring/cylinder tribocouple of automotive engines. In this kind of movement, the relative speed oscillates between zero and a maximum, and therefore the lubrication regime goes from boundary to hydrodynamic. Tribotests are widely used in laboratories to hint at the friction developed in these systems. In the present work, a SRV tribometer was used to evaluate the friction behaviour of lubricant oils under reciprocating movement up to 60 Hz. A high acquisition rate allowed the analysis of data inside each reciprocating cycle. Both a pure base oil and a fully formulated lubricant were used. Changes in the contact pressure, viscosity and speed were seen to influence friction, which was correlated to the relative thickness predicted by Hamrock-Dowson equation. While some observed characteristics were typical consequences of the Stribeck curve, other effects were also observed, such as the occurrence of seizure at high reciprocating frequency. A lower boundary coefficient of friction due to additive package in the formulated oil was also observed. The results allow a better understanding of friction in reciprocating cycles and can be used to evaluate the performance of oils and surfaces in laboratory prior to engine testing.

Jul 31, 2018