#155th ISIJ Meeting

Int.14

Effect of Intercritical Annealing Time

on Transformation during Cooling
in Cold-rolled Dual Phase Steels

2008/3/28
Steel Research Laboratory, JFE Steel Corporation
Yuki Toji, Katsumi Nakajima, Takako Yamashita, Kaneharu Okuda,
Hiroshi Matsuda, Kohei Hasegawa and Yasushi Tanaka

Introduction
Cold-rolled Dual Phase steelsDP steel
excellent balance with high strength and good formability
from manufacturing prospective,

the stability of mechanical properties is important to achieve high accuracy

of car parts

FFerrite
MMartensite

Introduction
To control the mechanical properties,
Precise microstructural control during continuous annealing lines
is necessary
transformation
partitioning of alloying element
transformation
redistribution of
alloying element
dissolution of

A3

A1

ecrystallization of

transformation

ferrite + pearlite

ferrite + martensite
3

Effect of intercritical annealing time on TS

1073K

Toji et al. (IS3-2007)

Air Cooling (A.C.)

Tq=873973K
1150

W.Q.

ta=1001000s

0.13%C-1.4%Si-2%Mn (mass%)

TS / MPa

1100
Annealing time(ta)
1050
1000

1000s
250s
100s
Tempering condition573K600s

950
823

873
923
973
Quench start temperature(Tq) / K

1023

TS decreases with a decrement of annealing time

Difference of the TS between specimens with different
annealing time is larger at a lower Tq

Effect of intercritical annealing time on microstructure

1073K

Toji et al. (IS3-2007)

A.C.

Tq=873973K
W.Q.

54

1150

ta

1100
TS / MPa

Volume fraction of
martensite (VM) / %

ta=1001000s
58

50
1000s
46
250s
42
100s
38
823
873

1050
1000

A.C.
923
Tq / K

973

1023

950
35

40

50
45
VM / %

55

60

Change in VM shows a good agreement with the influence of annealing time on TS

Change in TS with the annealing time is mainly caused by a change in VM
Intercritical annealing time at 1073K affects the mechanical properties of
cold-rolled DP steels through the change of microstructure

Objective of this study

To clarify the effect of the intercritical annealing time on
microstructures of cold-rolled DP steels
(1) transformation during intercritical annealing
(2) Subsequent transformation during cooling

Experimental procedures
Chemical composition

C
0.125

Si
1.40

Mn
1.98

P
0.016

S
0.001

(mass%)
Al
N
Fe
0.032 0.0034 Bal.

Heat-treatment
1073K (+ region)
Air cooling (A.C.)
873973K
Water quenching (W.Q.)
Cold-rolled steel sheet
(1.4mmt, ferrite-pearlite)
ta=01000s
Microstructure SEM the volume fraction of martensite
Elemental analysis EPMA the distribution of alloying elements

Contents

(1) transformation during intercritical annealing

(2) Subsequent transformation during cooling

 transformation during annealing

Before annealing
cold-rolled steel
1073K

P
F
2m

W.Q.

F
M

annealing time
100s

0s

250s

1000s

M
ND

F
RD

10m

60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20

Equilibrium fraction (Thermo-Calc)

58
100s

250s

1000s
1073K

54
VM / %

Volume fraction of / %

Relationship between V and annealing time

W.Q.

annealing time
0

200

400 600 800 1000 1200

Annealing time / s

ta

50
46

1000s
250s

42

A.C.

100s
38
823

873

923
Tq / K

973

1023

Volume fraction of is almost saturated more than 250s

It cant be explained only by the volume fraction of during annealing
Change in the distribution of Mn,Si during annealing was investigated
10

Distribution of Mn,Si before annealing

SEM

Si mapping

Mn mapping

F
P
ND
RD

5m

Before annealing, Si,Mn are distributed almost uniform

11

Partitioning of Mn during annealing

Annealing time at 1073K
100s
250s

1000s

30s

Mn mapping

F
M

SEM-BEIsame area of each mappings

M
F

ND
RD

5m

Mn concentrates into (M) following the nucleation and growth of

12

Partitioning of Si during annealing

Annealing time at 1073K
100s
250s

1000s

30s

Si mapping

F
M

SEM-BEIsame area of each mappings

M
F

ND

RD

Si concentrates into following the nucleation and growth of

5m
13

Change in fraction and Mn distribution during annealing

Equilibrium frac. (Thermo-Calc)

Ta=1073K

2.8

55
2.6

50
Equilibrium conc.
(Thermo-Calc)

45

2.4

40
2.2

35
30
25
20

2.0

Mn content in the steel

0

200

400
600
800
Annealing time / s

1000

Mn concentration in / wt%

Volume fraction of / %

60

1.8
1200

Before 500s, is considered to be in a metastable state

Difference of Mn concentration in affects the transformation
14

Contents

(1) transformation during intercritical annealing

(2) Subsequent transformation during cooling

15

Influence of Mn distribution on transformation during cooling

1073K for 100s or 1000s

Air cooling
873973K

WQ

Volume fraction of / %

1073K
60

973K

923K

873K

ta=1000s (Mn in =2.55%)

2.55%
55
50 ta=100s
(Mn in =2.3%)
2.3%
45
40
Air cooling (10K/s)

35

8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Cooling time

transformation rate is faster

in the specimen with low Mn concentraiton in

16

Conclusion
To clarify the effect of the intercritical annealing time on microstructures of
cold-rolled DP steels, (1) transformation during intercritical annealing,
and (2) Subsequent transformation during cooling were investigated
At the early stage of transformation during annealing at 1073K,
substitutional alloying elements hardly diffuses, and substitutionals
continue to partition even after the volume fraction of reaches to
equilibrium value.
Although the volume fraction of is almost same before cooling,
the transformation kinetics differs depending on the Mn
concentration in . It was found that the specimen with lower Mn
concentration in after annealing shows the faster transformation
behavior.

17