Institut fr Eisenhttenkunde

der RWTH Aachen

Case Study: HSLA steel

Introduction
Strengthening mechanisms in HSLA steels
Strip processing
Automotive application
Conclusions

Case Study:
HSLA steel
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Bleck

Outline

Process development
Material design
Al-alloyed steels

Case Study: HSLA steel

Introduction
Strengthening mechanisms in HSLA steels
Strip processing
Automotive application
Conclusions

TWIP steels
SULC steels
TRIP steels
IF-steels
BH-steels
DP-steels
P-alloyed steels
microalloyed steels
post-rolled steels

1975

Hot Rolled

Consumption, 103 t

CP, Mart,
TRIP
Boron

HSLA
CMn
Boron
DP
CP, Mart, TRIP

DP
CMn

7.000
6.000

HSIF,
isotropic

BH, P

HSLA

3.000

2.000

2.000

1.000

1.000

2000

2000

2005

DP

4.000

3.000

1995

1995

CP, Mart,
TRIP

HSLA
BH, P
HSIF, Isotropic
DP
CP, Mart, TRIP

5.000

4.000

0
1990

1990

Cold Rolled

7.000

5.000

1985

Chronological development of
high strength steels for car bodies

Outline

6.000

1980

isotropic steels

2005

2010

Year

Automotive share 2001: 41%

2006: 45%

Case Study: HSLA steel

Introduction
Strengthening mechanisms in HSLA steels
Strip processing
Automotive application
Conclusions

HSLA

0
1990

1995

2000

Year

2005

2010

Automotive share 2001: 92%

2006: 93%

Source: Leitner, E.: Hot & Cold Rolled High Strength Steels in Western Europe, Pariser & Leitner, Wien, 2002

European consumption of hot and cold

rolled high strength steels

Outline

Hot rolled strip

Cold rolled strip

very low concentration: 10-3.10-1 %

influence on sulfide shape

interaction with C, N and S

IF-status of matrix
influence on recristallisation
texture development
grain boundary reinforcement

grain refinement

precipitation of secondary phases

precipitation hardening

strong influence on microstructure

Hbond during enamelling

control of solution and precipitation

by process management

increase of hardenability
influence on diffusion during hot dip
galvanizing

Characteristics of
microalloying elements

Average precipitate size, nm

200

Microstructural impact of
microalloying elements

Acceleration of
Transformation

very coarse
ca. 100 nm

AlN
Nb(C,N)

Case Study: HSLA steel

Introduction
Strengthening mechanisms in HSLA steels
Strip processing
Automotive application
Conclusions

100
80
60
coarse
ca. 50 nm

40

Grain refinement
Precipitation hardening

toughness improvement in the heat

affected zone of welds

grain refinement
medium strength
good toughness

20
fine
ca. 10 nm

precipitation hardening
high strength
medium toughness

800
1000
1200
Precipitation temperature, C

Influence of precipitation temperature

on precipitate size

Hot strip
mill

Thin Slab

Compact
strip mill

Casted
Strip

Hot rolling
heat treatment

1000
area of recristallisation

CAL
Tandem
mill

HDG

CAL
Cold
rolling

rolling temperature in C

Slab

Outline

Nb

950

Ti
900

850
V
800
area of strongly delayed or
inhibited recristallisation

HDG
HDG : Hot Dip Galvanizing Line
CAL: Continuous Annealing Line

Hot rolled
strip

Process routes of HSLA steels

Cold rolled
strip

750
0

0,02

0,04

0,06

0,08

0,10

0,12

0,14

0,16

mass contents of Nb, Ti or V in %

Effect of Nb, Ti, V on the austenite

No-Rex-Temperature

Recrystallised structure fraction in %

100
ca. 1200C-1050C

900C-750C

RT

650C

80
0.002 % C
0 % Nb

60

40

[Nb]

NbC

0.020 % C
0.10 % Nb

0
1

Finishing

Cooling

Coiling

TiN

NbC,TiC

NbC,V(C,N)

[M]
In solution

slight
hindrance of
grain growth

slight
delay of
recristallisation

hindrance of
diffusion
decrease of
/transf.-temp.

NbC,TiC,
V(C,N)

coarse
particles
100nm

strong
hindrance of
grain growth

acceleration of
recristallisation

fine,
deform. induced
particles
10nm

20

10-1

Roughing

0.002 % C
0.10 % Nb

10

102

strong
delay of
recristallisation

fine,
in rows arranged
particles
10nm

103

104

microstructure

fine austenite
grain

Fine ferrite
grain

Fine austenite
grain

Fine ferrite
grain

elongated
austenite

Fine ferrite
grain

part-coherent
precipitate
in /-phaseboundary

precipitation
hardening

extreme fine
particles
<10nm

coherent
precipitate
in -phase

precipitation
hardening

Interpass time in s

Effects of soluble and precipitated MAE

on austenite recrystallisation

II

50
CRR 60-70%

precipitation
hardening

45 K/s

175

dislocation
hardening
7 K/s

ferrite +
pearlite
microstructural
hardening

Cold strip grain size, m

Tensile strength in MPa

100 K/s

500

200

III

acicular
ferrite

Hardness HV

600

Interaction of MAE
during hot strip processing

150

3 K/s

Rolling Direction

40
DDQ, globular

30
DDQ, pancake

20

HSLA

10

DDQ, rimmed
Normal Direction

125

400
0

200

400

600

Coiling temperature in C

Strength of hot strip and different

hardening mechanisms

122
Ti

244
Al
490

10-5

10-4
10-3
mass contents, %

Grain refinement of alloying elements

980
10-2

Cumulative frequency, %

10

grain size, m

ASTM grain size number G

Nb

Cr

20

99

60
Cold strip, batch annealed

Mo

18

Relationship of hot strip and cold strip

grain size for batch annealed steels

11

16
8
10
14
12
Hot strip grain size, m

97.5
HSLA(Nb)

IF(Ti)

Ak(Ti)

Ak

84
50
16
2.5
1

batch annealing
0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Grain size, m

Grain size distributions of different

cold-rolled steels

as cast
microstructure
transformation
grain growth
precipitation
dynamic and static
recristallisation
precipitation

reduction of precipitation
hardening

800
fully
recrystallized

750

Reheating
temperature-time-cycle
Hot Rolling

static Rex.
grain growth
precipitation
transformation

partially recrystallized

700

650
600

process parameters
cooling rate

850

0,01

0,02

0,03

temperature-time-cycle
deformation degree and deformation rate
pass sequence

Coiling

static Rex.
grain growth
precipitation

0,04

0,05

cooling rate
coiling temperature

Hot strip
microstructure

ng
lli n
ro tio
l d uc
co ed
r

Annealing temperature, C

600

Cold rolling and annealing

cold deform. degree

annealing cycle

Cold strip
microstructure

metallurgical
processes
in the material

Nb-content,%
Influences on the
microstructure development

Electrogalvanised
cold strip

Hot dip
galvanised
cold strip

IS

HSLA
DP
TRIP
CP/PM

Hot dip
galvanised
strip

BH

Electrogalvanised
hot rolled
strip

IF-HS

HSS

Hot rolled
strip

Case Study: HSLA steel

Introduction
Strengthening mechanisms in HSLA steels
Strip processing
Automotive application
Conclusions

Cold rolled
strip

Annealing limits for HSLA steels

Available Product forms of different

high-strength steels

Outline

1200
AHSS
PM1000, PM800, TRIP700Z, HT500X

True stress, MPa

1000
800

HSS
HT340LA, H260P, H260YD,
H260B, H250G1, H180B

600
400

DDQ
DC04, DC06

200
0.00
0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

True strain
Source:

Automotive parts made

from HSLA steels

New steels for automobile applications

Flow curves of cold-rolled sheet steels

Distribution of steel grades in a

modern car

Microalloying is a well-developed method to increase strength by

maintaining good formability.
HSLA steels are used widely for automotive applications due to
their attractive properties balance.
HSLA steels have been developed for many different product
forms and process routes.
HSLA steels are easy handling materials both from the
processing and from the application point of view.

Conclusions