SCT2014 (4th International Conference on Steels in Cars and Trucks), 15-19 June 2014, Braunschweig, Germany.

Development of high strength microalloyed steel for powertrain

applications
1 1 2
Philip Clarke , Matthew Green and Richard Dolman
1
Tata Steel, Swinden Technology Centre, Rotherham, UK
2
Tata Steel, Aldwarke, Rotherham, UK

VanardUltra is the latest addition to the Vanard family of microalloyed steels

manufactured by Tata Steel. Vanard Ultra is an optimised version of Vanard1000
offering improved fracture splittability. The strength range of Vanard Ultra can be
tailored to produce the desired properties in a range of connecting rod sizes with
higher yield and tensile strengths offering greater design flexibility.

The higher strength, relative to traditional steels, enable a connecting rod made
from Vanard Ultra to withstand higher stresses in service so that higher power
density is achievable without the need for an increase in size. Alternatively a higher
strength steel can enable the component to be redesigned with a reduced weight.
This has important implications for reducing overall engine mass.

Key words: Connecting rods, Fatigue strength, Forging, Fracture splittability,

Microalloyed steels, Yield strength

1. Introduction

Due to increasingly stringent regulations for environmental performance

automotive manufacturers are currently developing powertrain technologies to
meet the needs of improved fuel economy and reduced (CO2) emissions. Higher
power density is achievable through the use of higher strength steels that can
withstand higher stresses in service without increasing component sizes. Higher
strengths also allow weight
saving through redesigning
connecting rod geometry.
Recent studies have shown
S6
that optimising connecting C70
High strength
rod design by using a high
strength steel combined with
high strength bolts can give
Traditional
weight savings of up to 27%
[1]. Typical yield and tensile
strength ranges for
traditional and new high
strength steels for Fig. 1: Relationship between tensile strength and yield strength
connecting rods are shown
in Fig. 1.

Tata Steel has recently developed Vanard Ultra to meet needs for the next
generation of high strength fracture splittable connecting rods. This is a vanadium
(V) microalloyed, medium carbon (C) air hardenable steel grade. The development
involved the production of a commercial cast from which connecting rods were

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forged. Thermal transformation behaviour, mechanical properties, microstructure,
fracture splittability and fatigue properties were determined.

2. Alloying concepts
Since the 1970s the use of microalloyed ferrite-pearlite steels have found
application in a wide range of hot forged automotive components. Controlled air
cooling from the forging temperature enables precipitation strengthening for
development of high strength thereby eliminating the need for heat treatment [2].
The good machinability, reduced distortion, consistency of properties and reduced
processing costs are additional advantages which make the use of microalloyed
steels attractive to the end user.

The Vanardrange of microalloyed ferrite-pearlite steels (encompassing tensile

strengths from 850-1000 MPa) were developed from 1980 onwards by British Steel
Corporation (a former company name of Tata Steel) for forging and as-rolled bar
products [2]. Vanard steels incorporate V additions for strengthening via
precipitation of V(CN) during cooling after forging. Compositions were designed
around the component size and process route (cooling capability). The toughness
and ductility of the existing Vanard 850-1000 steels are too high to give optimised
fracture splitting performance and are therefore not commonly used for the
production of fracture split connecting rods.

The current industry standard for fracture splittable steel grades is C70S6; an air
cooled pearlitic steel containing 0.7%C. An enhanced machinability fracture
splittable alternative (referred to as C70S6-EM in this paper) has also been
developed by Tata Steel (formerly Corus). A lower level of carbon and increased S
content contribute to significantly improved machinability over that of C70S6 [3]
while maintaining similar mechanical properties. There is therefore a need for a
fracture splittable steel with greater strength than those offered by C70S6 and
C70S6-EM.

During fatigue loading the crack

0.55
initiation process has a large influence
on the fatigue strength. Yaguchi et al.
showed that, in V-added microalloyed 0.50
steels, crack initiation takes place in the
FL/TS ratio

ferrite regions near the boundary

0.45
between ferrite and pearlite [4]. Cracks
then propagate preferentially through
the ferrite, therefore strengthening the 0.40
Low Si (0.15-0.50%)
ferrite can lead to an improvement in
High Si (0.50-0.70%)
fatigue strength [4,5]. This can be
0.35
achieved through either solid solution
0.00 0.10 0.20
strengthening (via the addition of Si,
Mn, etc.) or precipitation strengthening V (wt.%)
(via the addition of V and N which lead
Fig. 2: Effect of V and Si content on FL/TS ratio
to interphase precipitation of fine V(CN)
particles)

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The effect of increasing V and Si content on the fatigue limit (FL) / tensile strength
(TS) ratio of ferrite-pearlite microalloyed steels can be seen in rotating bending
fatigue test data for a range of air cooled forging steels (Fig. 2). V is clearly the
dominant factor in improving the ratio of fatigue limit to tensile strength although Si
increases the fatigue limit in line with the increase in tensile strength. Besides
being a solid solution strengthener P can also improve fracture splittability. The
University of Nottingham (in collaboration with Tata Steel) showed that increasing
P in the range 0.009-0.033% improved the fracture splittability of Vanard 925 [6].

3. Steel design
The objective of the current work was to produce an air cooled fracture splittable
steel grade with increased yield strength 750 MPa and tensile strength 1050
MPa with improved fatigue strength relative to C70S6. The aim microstructure was
pearlite with <20% grain boundary ferrite to ensure good fracture splittability.

In order to improve yield strength over that of Vanard 1000 the Si, V and N
contents have been increased. P and S levels have also been enhanced to
optimise fracture splitting and machining performance respectively. Mn and
residual element contents are controlled to give the necessary hardenability and
ferrite-pearlite microstructure for a given connecting rod size. The composition of
Vanard Ultra has been designed as a range within which alloy contents can be
optimised for different ranges of section size in order to maximise strength while
avoiding bainite formation during air cooling and is compared against existing
Vanard grades in Table 1.

Grade C Si Mn P S Al V N
Vanard 0.30- 0.15- 1.0- 0.05- 0.008-
<0.03 <0.07 <0.050
(generic) 0.50 0.45 1.5 0.20 0.025
Vanard 0.40- 0.30- 1.0- 0.02- 0.06- 0.15- 0.010-
<0.030
Ultra 0.50 0.80 1.5 0.04 0.08 0.25 0.025
Cr <0.4, Mo <0.1, Ni <0.4, Cu<0.4 for both grades

Table 1: Chemical composition for Vanard steels (main element ranges in wt%)

4. Development programme

4.1 Manufacture of industrial cast

A full scale production cast with a composition based on the element ranges given
in Table 1 was made by Tata Steel using electric arc steelmaking and bloom
casting. Material from the cast product was subsequently processed by hot rolling
into bar of varying diameters from 36 to 57 mm.

4.2 Thermal transformation properties

Testing on a Bhr 805 deformation dilatometer was undertaken to examine the

effect of cooling rate on the thermal transformation behaviour of Vanard Ultra. Test
samples were heated to 1250C and then cooled at rates from 0.5 to 50C/s. The
effect of axial compression (25% at 1 mm/s) at 1150C was incorporated into the
dilatometry test schedules to simulate the effect of deformation during the forging
process. Fig. 3 shows the thermal cycles utilised for dilatometry.

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 900 s
1250C
10C/s
1150C Con rod

/s
6.67C Axial compression cooling curve
Temperature (C)

(25% at 1 mm/s)
800C

5C s
0.5C/s

/
C
/s
0
500C

5
100C min. max.
cooling rate
Time (s)
Fig. 3: Schematic dilatometry cycles Fig. 4: CCT diagram for Vanard Ultra

The resulting continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram is presented in Fig.

4. This shows that for this particular composition, which was optimised for smaller
sizes of connecting rods, bainite can be avoided provided cooling rates after
forging are 1.5C/s or less. The formation of bainite during cooling after forging is
undesirable as it results in lower yield strength and higher toughness [7,8]. Bainite
can also give a significant reduction in machinability. It is therefore essential to
match the composition of Vanard Ultra to component cooling conditions in order to
avoid bainite formation.

4.3 Fatigue properties of polished specimens

An indication of the relative fatigue performance for Vanard Ultra was initially
determined by the push-pull fatigue testing of specimens with a gauge length
longitudinally polished to a surface finish of 0.2 m or better. Test specimens were
machined from material in the form of 22 mm square bar which had been produced
by subjecting as-rolled commercial bar to experimental hot forging. The square bar
was austenitised at 1200C followed by cooling in air to simulate the as-forged and
air cooled condition.

A stress ratio, R (min. load/max. load), of -1 was used for all tests and the run-out
life was defined as 10 million cycles. Tests were conducted at a range of stress
levels to determine S-N curves and the fatigue limit for 50% survival probability was
established. Data for the existing steels C70S6, and C70S6-EM, determined using
the same test conditions,
1.70 are compared against
1.60 run-out
Vanard Ultra in Fig. 5.
1.50
These S-N curves have
Normalised stress,a

1.40
1.30 been normalised against the
1.20 50% fatigue limit for C70S6.
1.10 This shows that the
1.00 developed steel offers an
0.90 C70S6
C70S6-EM improvement in fatigue
0.80
0.70
Vanard Ultra strength of the order of 38%
1.E+05 1.E+06 1.E+07 relative to C70S6 on the
No. of cycles (Nf )
basis of tests on polished
specimens with a stress
Fig. 5: S-N curves: push-pull fatigue tests on polished specimens ratio of -1.

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4.4 Forging
Hot forging of connecting rods was conducted by SDF at their plant in
Kidderminster, UK. The forging line utilised by SDF consists of a number of
individual processes integrated in a fully cellular manufacturing route. The process
comprised the following: induction reheating - pre form manufacture - closed die
forging - trimming - cooling. The surface of each forged connecting rod was then
shot blasted to clean the surface, before subsequent machining and fracture
splitting operations. A number of trials were conducted to assess the consistency
of the product across a range of existing passenger vehicle connecting rods.

4.5 Optical microstructure

The optical microstructure at the big end (bolt hole
position) of the forged connecting rod made from
Vanard Ultra is shown in Fig. 6. The structures are
consistent with those of other differently sized
connecting rods made from the same steel. A
uniform structure of pearlite with grain boundary
ferrite and intragranular ferrite was obtained. The
relative proportions of pearlite to grain boundary
Fig. 6: Big end microstructure ferrite are approximately 80:20. Lower
transformation temperature phases, bainite and/or
martensite, were not present demonstrating that the alloy content was correctly
optimised to the cooling conditions.

4.6 Mechanical properties

Tensile properties for Vanard Ultra (in the I-beam of two differently sized
connecting rods) together with those for C70S6, and C70S6-EM, are compared in
Table 2. The yield ( 800 MPa) and tensile ( 1050 MPa) strength levels that were
achieved by Vanard Ultra exceeded the original development targets. Tensile and
yield strength levels for Vanard Ultra are around 200 to 300 MPa higher than those
of C70S6 or C70S6-EM. The ranges for strength arise as a result of the different
sized connecting rods manufactured as part of the forging trials and hence
represent tensile properties for connecting rods within the size range utilised for
engine displacements up to 2 litres. The faster post-forging cooling rates obtained
in smaller size rods tends to favour higher yield / tensile strength ratios as a result
of grain refinement and finer precipitation of V(CN).

Tensile Rp0.2 / Rm
Type
Rp0.2 (MPa) Rm (MPa) El. (%) RA (%) (typical)
C70S6 530-650 850-1000 12 15 0.60-0.65
C70S6-EM 550-670 850-1000 12 18 0.62-0.67
Vanard Ultra 800-900 1050-1200 14 25 0.75-0.80
Table 2: Tensile properties at room temperature

4.7 Fatigue properties of connecting rod

Push-pull fatigue testing on the forged Vanard Ultra connecting rods was
undertaken to establish fatigue data in a typical service condition. Fatigue
performance is influenced by surface finish and residual stress therefore the
fatigue strength is expected to differ from that obtained on polished specimens.

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 Several rods made from C70S6 processed during the same trial as Vanard Ultra
were also tested in order to provide a benchmark. The outside surface of each rod
after forging was cleaned by routine shot blasting.

Push-pull fatigue testing was carried out using a servo-

hydraulic test machine at an R value of -2.5 with a run-out
life of 10 million cycles which are parameters commonly
used for testing passenger vehicle connecting rods [9].
The applied stress was calculated from the applied loads
using the minimum cross section of the I-beam. The
frequency for testing was within the range of 2 to 6 Hz. A
picture of the clamping arrangement utilised is shown in
Fig. 7. Surface residual stresses can have a significant
influence on fatigue strength. In order to verify that
residual stresses were similar for both materials, residual
stress measurements were carried out at 28 different
Fig. 7: Con-rod positions on the surface of the I-beam using a Stresstech
clamping arrangement
XSTRESS X3000 X-ray stress analyser. The mean
residual stress for Vanard Ultra was -383 MPa compared
to a mean of -381 MPa for C70S6. The relative fatigue performance of the two
steels has therefore not been influenced by differences in residual stress.

1.80 The S-N data obtained are

1.70 presented in Fig. 8. The
1.60
run-out data have been treated in
a similar way to the
Normalised stress,a

1.50
1.40 polished fatigue test
1.30 specimens in order to
1.20 highlight the relative
1.10 improvement in fatigue
1.00 C70S6
strength observed in the
0.90 Vanard Ultra
new steel. The endurance
0.80
limit at 50% survival
1.E+04 1.E+05 1.E+06 1.E+07 probability was calculated
for C70S6 and then all of
No. of cycles (Nf ) the stresses divided by the
Fig. 8: S-N fatigue curves for push-pull testing on connecting rods C70S6 endurance limit to
give a relative measure of
fatigue strength for this particular forged rod manufactured in Vanard Ultra.

The increase in strength observed using Vanard Ultra is of the order of 32%, which
is similar to the 38% increase observed during testing of polished samples.
Changing the stress ratio from -1 to -2.5 and changing the surface condition from
polished to forged and shot blast cleaned has had little impact on the relative
performance of the two steels.

Following completion of push-pull fatigue tests the fracture faces on a number of

broken connecting rods were subjected to electron microscopic examination using
a FEI Quanta 600 FEG-SEM. The purpose of this exercise was to identify possible
initiation sites for fracture and any features present (such as inclusions) which

447
could contribute towards failure as a result of fatigue testing. Optical and SEM
photomicrographs showing a typical example of fracture face and initiation site for
a failed connecting rod made from Vanard Ultra are shown in Fig. 9.

All failures initiated from the outer surface

of the I-beam (often at corner locations).
No inclusions were present at the initiation
sites, however surface imperfections were
often observed in the region of initiation.
The difference in surface quality is the
Initiation site likely reason for the difference in absolute
Fig. 9: Fatigue initiation site fatigue strength between the polished
samples and forged rods, however for a
given surface quality a similar improvement in fatigue strength to that observed in
the current tests would be expected from substituting C70S6 with Vanard Ultra.

4.8 Fracture splitting

20 A laser notching technique (notch
Roundness difference (m)

depth of 0.5 mm) for crack initiation

15
was used for the splitting of Vanard
10
Ultra connecting rods. The change
in roundness of the big end bore
5 was determined by measuring the
difference in roundness before and
0
014 021 022 023 031 032 033 040 041 042
after splitting using a CMM (co-
Con rod number ordinate measuring machine). The
Fig. 10: Change in roundness after fracture splitting change in roundness for ten
connecting rods is shown in Fig.10.
Differences in roundness before and after fracture splitting are between 7 and 18
m (or 0.007 to 0.018 mm). Out of roundness values less than 80 m are generally
considered acceptable.
Optical and SEM images of the
fracture split surface around the
bolt hole are shown in Fig. 11.
A flat surface, characteristic of
brittle fracture was observed
with no evidence of breakouts.
The SEM image is
representative of the fracture
morphology across the majority
of the surface. This image
shows transgranular fracture
a) Optical b) SEM image with no evidence of voiding
Fig. 11: Optical and SEM images of the fracture split surface
associated with ductile failure.

5. Conclusions
The requirement for reduced CO2 emissions is driving the development of
powertrains with higher power densities that results in increasing demands on the
strength of the steels utilised for many components, including connecting rods.
Vanard Ultra has been developed in order to meet that need.

448
The developed steel grade has an alloy balance that is optimised to meet the
requirements of high strength and suitability for fracture splitting through:

i) Tailoring alloy content to the forging process to ensure a fully ferrite-

pearlite microstructure containing < 20% ferrite.
ii) The use of V microalloying in combination with N to enhance yield
strength and fatigue strength through precipitation hardening.
iii) The incorporation of P for enhanced fracture splitting performance.
iv) An optimised S content to enhance machinability.

Connecting rods tested in the current work exhibited yield strengths in excess of
800 MPa in combination with fatigue strengths of the order of 30% higher than
C70S6. The change in roundness resulting from the fracture splitting process was
less than 20 m for the tested rod, which is well below typical values observed in
previous trials using C70S6 and C70S6-EM.

6. References
[1] Mahle: Automotive Design magazine, November/December 2011, pp32-33.

[2] Cristinacce, M., and Reynolds, P.: Second International Symposium on

Microalloyed Bar and Forging Steel, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado,
July 8-10, 1996.

[3] Cristinacce, M.: Globalisation - A Metalforming Industry Response, organised by

the Confederation of British Metalformers, West Midlands, May 2000.

[4] Yaguchi et al: Kobelco Technology Review, Number 25, April 2002.

[5] Matsugasako, A.: Kobelco Technology Review, Number 30, December 2011.

[6] Zhang, D., et al: Materials Science and Technology, Volume 29, Number 5,
2013.

[7] Reeder, A., et al: Proc. of an International Symposium on Fundamentals of

Microalloying Forging Steels, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, July 8-
10, 1986, pp217-238.

[8] Heitmann, W., and Babu, P.: Proc. of an International Syposium on

Fundamentals of Microalloying Forging Steels, Colorado School of Mines, Golden,
Colorado, July 8-10, 1986, pp55-72.

[9] Lipp, K., and Kaufmann, H.: Motortechnische Zeitschrift MTZ, May 2011,
pp416-421.

Acknowledgement
We would like to thank Mr Mark Adams of Smethwick Drop Forge for his
constructive help and advice, and organising the forging trials.

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