Processing Strategies for Hot-Rolled Medium-Mn Steels

Abstract

The study aims at reviewing manufacturing schedules for hot-rolled and intercritically-annealed and thermomechanically processed medium-Mn sheet steels. Major differences between these two types of processing are indicated. They include initial microstructure (low-C martensite for hot-rolled products and deformed austenite for thermomechanically processed products), partitioning of alloying elements (depending on intercritical annealing or batch annealing conditions) and microstructure prior to cooling (ultrafine-grained lath mixture of ferrite and austenite for hot-rolled, intercritically annealed products and deformed austenite for directly cooled products). The comparison of typical microstructures (LM, SEM) and phase transformation behavior are presented. A role of Mn as an austenite stabilizer in a range used for medium-Mn steels is explained. Some results are provided for economic steels containing 3% and 5% Mn.