Effects of tungsten addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of microalloyed forging steels

In the current study, the effects of tungsten (W) addition on the microstructure, hardness, and room/low [223 K and 173 K (-50 C and -100 C)] temperature tensile properties of microalloyed forging steels were systematically investigated. Four kinds of steel specimens were produced by varying the W additions (0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1 wt pct). The microstructure showed that the addition of W does not have any noticeable effect on the amount of precipitates. The precipitates in W-containing steels were all rich in W, and the W concentration in the precipitates increased with the increasing W content. The mean sizes of both austenite grains and precipitates decreased with the increasing W content. When the W content was equal to or less than 0.5 pct, the addition of W favored the formation of allotriomorphic ferrite, which subsequently promoted the development of acicular ferrite in the microalloyed forging steels. The results of mechanical tests indicated that W plays an important role in increasing the hardness and tensile strength. When the testing temperature was decreased, the tensile strength showed an increasing trend. Both the yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength obeyed an Arrhenius type of relation with respect to temperature. When the temperature was decreased from 223 K to 173 K (from -50 C to -100 C), a ductile-to-brittle transition (DBT) of the specimen with 1 pct W occurred. The addition of W favored a higher DBT temperature. From the microstructural and mechanical test results, it is demonstrated that the addition of 0.5 pct W results in the best combination of excellent room/low-temperature tensile strength and ductility. 2013 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International

Stability criteria for product microstructures formed on gaseous reduction of solid metal oxides

A range of different solid oxide and metal product morphologies can be formed on gaseous reduction of metal oxides. These product morphologies have been shown in previous studies to be critical in determining the rate limiting reaction mechanisms and the overall rates of reduction. By considering (1) established criteria for the stability of moving interfaces in a thermodynamic potential gradient, (2) the relative rates of chemical reactions on the oxide and metal surfaces, and (3) key process phenomena and physico-chemical properties of the solid phases, the conditions for the formation of various product morphologies are identified. The analysis also demonstrates the theoretical basis for the development of morphology maps that define the product morphologies as a function of thermodynamic driving force for reaction and reaction temperature. The methodology is shown to be general and can be applied to the analysis of any system involving the decomposition of metal compounds in reactive gas atmospheres. © The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2009

Thermodynamic optimization of the Ca-Fe-O System

The present study deals with the thermodynamic optimization of the Ca-Fe-O system. All available phase equilibrium and thermodynamic experimental data are critically assessed to obtain a self-consistent set of model parameters for the Gibbs energies of all stoichiometric and solution phases. Model predictions of the present study are compared with previous assessments. Wüstite and lime are described as one monoxide solution with a miscibility gap, using the random mixing Bragg-Williams model. The solubility of CaO in the “FeO” magnetite (spinel) phase is described using the sublattice model based on the Compound Energy Formalism. The effect of CaO on the stability of the spinel phase is evaluated. The liquid CaO-FeO-FeO slag is modeled using the Modified Quasichemical Formalism. Liquid metal phase is described as a separate solution by an associate model