Microstructure and properties of SA 106B carbon steel after treatment of the melt with nano-sized TiC particles

Effect of nano-sized TiC particle addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of SA-106B carbon steel

“…The weight ratio of TiC, Fe, and Ni raw powders was 1:1:4 under a rotating speed of 1100 rpm for 20 min, and the specific gravity of the resultant milled powders was about 8.0 g/cm 3 . A detailed procedure for the mechanical activation is described well in the previous references [19].…”

“…Usually, it is known that the TiC particles introduced into the steel melt are dissolved completely owing to the high melting temperature (up to 1600°C), and they are re-precipitated in the steel matrix during solidification [21][22][23]. In the present casting process, the TiC nanoparticles can be introduced quite homogeneously into the carbon steel melt with the help of pre-applied mechanically-activation treatment [19]. As a result, the very fine and homogeneous TiC particles were dispersed in the as-cast carbon steel matrix through the re-precipitation from the uniformly-distributed Ti and C elements, as shown in Fig.…”

“…For many years, several groups have focused on the low-carbon steels microalloyed with Ti, and reported that the microalloyed Ti element can lead to the formation of fine TiC precipitates in a ferrite matrix, which can clearly enhance the mechanical properties of the steels [15][16][17][18]. In a different way, the present authors have investigated the microstructural and mechanical modification of carbon steel by the direct introduction of mechanically-activated TiC nanoparticles into the molten steel during the casting process [19]. Most previous studies, however, focused simply on the final microstructure and mechanical properties of TiC-bearing steel, and relatively little research has been dedicated to the detailed microstructural evolution during the fabrication schedule, i.e., the formation mechanism of the TiC particles during different processes.…”

“…In the present study, on the basis of a previous investigation [19], the dispersion behavior of TiC nanoparticles was systematically investigated at different fabrication stages during casting, hot rolling, cold rolling, and normalizing processes of carbon steel. The different contents of the mechanically-activated TiC nanoparticles were directly introduced into the molten carbon steel during the casting process and the roles of TiC dispersion in microstructural and mechanical modification are also examined.…”

Cavitation erosion behavior of SA 106B carbon steel after treatment of the melt with nano-sized TiC particles

“…Particle dispersion strengthened steel (PDS) exhibits superior mechanical properties due to the uniform distribution of ceramic reinforcement particles such as carbides, nitrides, and oxides in the metal matrix [15,16]. PDS is usually produced using a powder metallurgy (PM) technique [17] or casting routes [18][19][20]. In particular, many groups have focused on casting routes because of their advantages in ease of usage, low price, and large-scale production compared to the PM technique.…”