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Volume 19
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10.3390/ma19183982
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Article

Effect of Nb Microalloying on the Dynamic Recrystallization, Bainitic Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of Hot-Rolled Bainitic Steels

by
Rui Cao
1,
Shangqing Chen
1,
Junheng Gao
1,2,*,
Haitao Zhao
1,2,
Qingxiao Feng
3,
Honghui Wu
1,2,
Chaolei Zhang
1,2,
Yuhe Huang
1,2,
Jun Lu
1,2,
Shuize Wang
1,2 and
Xinping Mao
1,2
1
Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
2
Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang 110004, China
3
Jiangsu (ShaGang) Iron and Steel Research Institute, Zhangjiagang 215625, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Materials 2026, 19(18), 3982; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19183982 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 14 August 2026 / Revised: 16 September 2026 / Accepted: 17 September 2026 / Published: 19 September 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Stainless Steel—from Making, Shaping, Treating to Products (2nd Edition))
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Abstract

Controlling prior austenite morphology during single-pass hot rolling is essential for improving the strength–ductility balance of strip casting high-strength steels. In this study, Fe–0.24C–1.5Si–1.8Mn steels with and without 0.03 wt.% Nb were deformed by 50% at 950–1100 °C and subsequently held at 350 °C for 60 min for bainitic transformation. The effects of deformation temperature and Nb addition on austenite dynamic recrystallization, bainitic microstructure, and mechanical properties were investigated. For the Nb-free steel, recrystallization occurred at all these investigated deformation temperatures. The addition of 0.03 wt.% Nb markedly suppressed austenite recrystallization during hot deformation, resulting in the retention of elongated deformed austenite after deformation at 950 °C. Compared with the bainitic microstructure formed from fine recrystallized austenite in the 0Nb steel (without Nb addition), that formed from elongated austenite in the 03Nb steel (with 0.03 wt.% Nb) deformed at 950 °C exhibited a smaller lath width and higher HAGB and dislocation densities. In addition, the volume fraction of retained austenite increased from 4.5% to 9.8%, while its average thickness decreased from 105.6 nm to 49.1 nm. Consequently, under identical deformation conditions (50% reduction at 950 °C), Nb addition increased the yield and tensile strengths from 1064 MPa and 1261 MPa to 1088 MPa and 1323 MPa, respectively, while the total elongation remained nearly unchanged (24.8% vs 24.6%). These findings provide new insights into the optimization of thermomechanical processing for strip casting bainitic steels.
Keywords: strip casting; niobium microalloying; high-strength steel; hot rolling process; austenite recrystallization; bainitic transformation strip casting; niobium microalloying; high-strength steel; hot rolling process; austenite recrystallization; bainitic transformation

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MDPI and ACS Style

Cao, R.; Chen, S.; Gao, J.; Zhao, H.; Feng, Q.; Wu, H.; Zhang, C.; Huang, Y.; Lu, J.; Wang, S.; et al. Effect of Nb Microalloying on the Dynamic Recrystallization, Bainitic Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of Hot-Rolled Bainitic Steels. Materials 2026, 19, 3982. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19183982

AMA Style

Cao R, Chen S, Gao J, Zhao H, Feng Q, Wu H, Zhang C, Huang Y, Lu J, Wang S, et al. Effect of Nb Microalloying on the Dynamic Recrystallization, Bainitic Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of Hot-Rolled Bainitic Steels. Materials. 2026; 19(18):3982. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19183982

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cao, Rui, Shangqing Chen, Junheng Gao, Haitao Zhao, Qingxiao Feng, Honghui Wu, Chaolei Zhang, Yuhe Huang, Jun Lu, Shuize Wang, and et al. 2026. "Effect of Nb Microalloying on the Dynamic Recrystallization, Bainitic Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of Hot-Rolled Bainitic Steels" Materials 19, no. 18: 3982. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19183982

APA Style

Cao, R., Chen, S., Gao, J., Zhao, H., Feng, Q., Wu, H., Zhang, C., Huang, Y., Lu, J., Wang, S., & Mao, X. (2026). Effect of Nb Microalloying on the Dynamic Recrystallization, Bainitic Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of Hot-Rolled Bainitic Steels. Materials, 19(18), 3982. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19183982

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