In order to shorten the spheroidizing annealing time, the effects of annealing time on microstructure and hardness of GCr15 have been researched by using OM, SEM and Vickers hardness tester. The original microstructural constituent of bearing steel is pearlite and cementite. Prolonged time at 805°Cwill decrease the number and increase size of cementite particles. After incomplete austenization at 805°C, prolonged time at 720°C induces increase of particle size, and uniform distribution of divorced pearlite. The hardness of specimens treated with different spheroidization process fluctuates around 200HV, and is equivalent to that with conventional spheroidization process. It is realizable to shorten the annealing time on the premise of good quality of bearing steel.

A new hot-rolled ship plate with high strength and high toughness is successfully developed through chemical composition design and TMCP process. Experimental methods, such as OM, TEM and X-EDS, were used to study the microstructure and precipitates of steel. The primary microstructural constituent is acicular ferrite, quasi-polygonal ferrite with second constituents along grain boundaries. Lath width of acicular ferrite is about 1μm. Cubic particles about several hundreds nanometers and nanometer particles exist in experimental steel. It can be concluded that acicular ferrite is the main reason for high strength and super toughness. precipitation hardening due to dispersed precipitations of carbonitrides can not be overlooked.

New 700MPa hot rolled ultra-high strength steels were successfully developed by using Ti micro-alloying technology in CSP line. Experimental methods, such as OM, TEM and chemical phase analysis, were used to study the experimental steel. The microstructure is composed of quasi-polygonal ferrite grains, whose average grain size is about 4μm. Large number of nanometer TiC particles distribute along dislocations. The mass fraction of MX phase is 0.0793wt%, in which the particles smaller than 10nm account for 33.7%. The contribution of precipitation hardening resulting from nanometer particles is calculated as approximate 158MPa.

Experimental methods, such as OM, SEM and X-EDS, were used to study the transverse cracks appeared on the external arc of tensile region during pipe bending. The pipe line steel consists of acicular ferrite (AF) and granular bainite (GB) with good mechanical properties. Copper phase enrichment occurs at prior austenite grain boundaries near the cracks of bend pipe, which is the main reason for the surface cracks. In order to decrease the cracks ratio, the microstructure evolution and stress state during the bending process need to be researched deeply.

High strength vanadium micro-alloyed steel with yield strength of 600MPa has been developed based on commercial 20MnSi steel bar. Experimental methods, such as OM, SEM and TEM, were used to study the experimental steels. Compared with 20MnSi, steel 20MnSiV boasts much finer microstructure, and large numbers of nanometer precipitates exist in the specimens of 20MnSiV. Analysis shows that strength of 20MnSiV dramatically increases through grain refinement strengthening and precipitation hardening of nanometer VCN particles.