Texture and microstructure formation during annealing of a 75% cold rolled AHS steel, reheated at a rate of 10°C/s to ~3000°C/s were studied with the purpose to investigate the interaction between the recrystallization and the austenite formation as well as the possibility of grain refinement. It was found that at ultra-high heating rates, the bcc-fcc phase transformation starts before the completion of recrystallization and the deformation texture is partially retained in the samples after annealing. The crystallographic texture observed in the martensitic phase, which is the product of intercritical austenite transformation in as-quenched samples, i.e., after the double α-γ-α' transformation, is similar to the initial cold rolling texture, which is an indication for the texture memory effect. After ultra-fast reheating with average reheating rates of 1000°C/s and higher, a significant grain refinement was observed with an average calculated ferrite grain diameter of ~2 μm. The obtained final ferrite grain size depends significantly on both the reheating temperature and the heating rate. The same effect is observed in 75% cold rolled quenching and partitioning steels for heating rates of 400°C/s, 800°C/s and 1000°C/s. In both cases the combination of fine grains, and weak RD/ND-fiber textures produce an increase of strength and ductility compared to material annealed using a conventional heating rate of ~10°C/s.@en

Microstructure, texture and the tensile properties of a 70% cold rolled advanced high strength steel with microstructure of ferrite and pearlite were studied after reheating with different heating rates and subsequent quenching. Sub-size tensile samples were reheated with rates of 10, 500 and 1000°C/s to temperatures between Ac1 and Ac3 and above Ac3 and subsequently quenched without isothermal soaking and with isothermal soaking of 30 s and 60s. By following the microstructure and texture changes it was found that after reheating with 500°C and 1000°C the recrystallization was suppressed and the alpha-gamma phase transformation starts in a nonrecrystallized or partially recrystallized matrix. Significant grain refinement and increase of both tensile strength and elongation was observed in the samples after ultrafast heating and subsequent quenching without isothermal soaking. The isothermal soaking erased the grain refining effect of the ultrafast heating even if it was as short as 30s.@en

Cold rolled sheets of a low carbon quenching and partitioning (Q&P) steel grade were subjected to heat treatment cycles, which were designed by dilatometric experiments and optimised with respect to the quenching temperature, partitioning temperature and partitioning time. Characterisation of the retained austenite was carried out by electron backscattered diffraction, whereas the carbides were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry. The mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile testing and linked with retained austenite fractions and carbon contents, determined by X-ray diffraction. Conclusions are drawn concerning the influence of the kinetics of partitioning on the microstructure in terms of optimal austenite fraction in the martensitic matrix, its C content and ensuing mechanical properties.@en

Steel with a nominal composition of 0.25C-1.5Si-3Mn-0.023Al (mass %) was subjected to Quenching and Partitioning (Q&P) with varying parameters (quenching temperature, partitioning temperature and partitioning time) resulting in formation of multi-phase microstructure, which was thoroughly studied using X-ray (XRD) and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). Mechanical properties of the Q&P steel were measured by tensile tests. Plastic deformation of Q&P steel at micro-scale was investigated by in situ tensile testing and digital image correlation analysis. The effect of Q&P parameters on the microstructure (phase composition, size and volume fraction of micro constituents, texture and carbon content in retained austenite) is discussed. After analyzing the mechanical properties, plastic deformation at the micro-scale and the microstructure, it is shown that the strain partitioning between phases strongly depends on the microstructure of the Q&P steel, which, in turn, can be tuned via manipulation with Q&P parameters.

@en