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Metals
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Physical Metallurgy of Microalloyed Steels
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Physical Metallurgy of Microalloyed Steels

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Metal Casting, Forming and Heat Treatment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 April 2025) | Viewed by 9142

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hardy Mohrbacher

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Guest Editor
Department of Materials Engineering (MTM), KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Interests: microalloyed steel; thermo-mechanical processing; microstructure–property relationships; welding; hydrogen embrittlement; mining; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pello Uranga

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Guest Editor
Materials and Manufacturing Division, CEIT-BRTA and Universidad de Navarra-Tecnun, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain
Interests: thermomechanical processing; microstructural evolution modeling; microalloying; microstructure–property relationship
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microalloying in steel was introduced in the 1960s, and since then became the standard metallurgical approach for producing thermomechanically processed steels. The metal physical effects related to microalloying, especially grain refinement and particle precipitation, are well-known. In recent years, the body of knowledge on the physical metallurgy of microalloys has been steadily increasing as novel characterization techniques have allowed a much deeper insight into the specific functionality of microalloying elements and their interactions with other alloying elements. This has initiated new applications for microalloys in areas where they have not been considered before. A prominent example relates to improving the resistance against hydrogen embrittlement in ultra-high-strength steels. On the computational side, the modeling of microalloy interaction with thermomechanical processes as well as ab initio calculations for understanding interactions at the atomic scale are progressing rapidly.

This Special Issue invites authors to report on recent findings regarding the fundamental understanding of microalloy effects and functionality in steel as well as the product-related design and processing of microalloyed steels. Contributions should focus on physical metallurgical effects, interaction with processing and application properties. Reviews reflecting on the state-of-the-art developed in specific aspects of microalloying are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Hardy Mohrbacher
Dr. Pello Uranga
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microstructural control
  • grain refinement
  • precipitation
  • transformation
  • solute drag
  • segregation
  • hydrogen embrittlement
  • recrystallization delay
  • weldability

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 8064 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Nanosized Carbide Precipitates in Multiple Microalloyed Press Hardening Steels
by Hardy Mohrbacher, Linda Bacchi, Gloria Ischia, Stefano Gialanella, Michele Tedesco, Fabio D'Aiuto and Renzo Valentini
Metals 2023, 13(5), 894; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050894 - 5 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2098
Abstract
Press hardening steel standardly relies on titanium microalloying for protecting boron from being tied up by residual nitrogen. This practice safeguards the hardenability effect of boron during die quenching. More recently, additional microalloying elements were added to press hardening steel to further improve [...] Read more.
Press hardening steel standardly relies on titanium microalloying for protecting boron from being tied up by residual nitrogen. This practice safeguards the hardenability effect of boron during die quenching. More recently, additional microalloying elements were added to press hardening steel to further improve properties and service performance. Niobium was found to induce microstructural refinement, leading to better toughness, bendability, and hydrogen embrittlement resistance. In that respect, niobium also extends the operating window of the press hardening process. Vanadium microalloying has been proposed to provide hydrogen trapping by its carbide precipitates. A recently developed press hardening steel employs all three microalloying elements in an attempt to further enhance performance. The current study analyses the microstructure of such multiple microalloyed press hardening steel, and compares it to the standard grade. Particularly, the effect of various heat treatments is investigated, indicating that the multiple microalloyed steel is more resistant against grain coarsening. TEM analysis is used to identify the various particle species formed in the steels, to track their formation, and to determine their size distributions. Nanosized microalloy carbide particles typically comprise a mixed composition involving niobium, titanium, and vanadium. Furthermore, these precipitates are incoherent to the matrix. Regarding tensile properties, it is found that the multiple microalloyed press hardening steel is superior to the standard grade. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Metallurgy of Microalloyed Steels)
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21 pages, 6137 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Recrystallization Kinetics Concerning the Experimental, Computational, and Empirical Evaluation of Critical Temperatures for Static Recrystallization in Nb, Ti, and V Microalloyed Steels
by Evelyn Sobotka, Johannes Kreyca, Robert Kahlenberg, Aurélie Jacob, Ernst Kozeschnik and Erwin Povoden-Karadeniz
Metals 2023, 13(5), 884; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050884 - 3 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3090
Abstract
Recrystallization kinetics and two critical temperatures—the non-recrystallization temperature TNR and the static recrystallization critical temperature TSRCT—of five Nb, Ti, and V microalloyed steel grades are evaluated. The experimental examination is realized by employing isothermal double-hit compression tests and continuous hot [...] Read more.
Recrystallization kinetics and two critical temperatures—the non-recrystallization temperature TNR and the static recrystallization critical temperature TSRCT—of five Nb, Ti, and V microalloyed steel grades are evaluated. The experimental examination is realized by employing isothermal double-hit compression tests and continuous hot torsion tests, both performed on a Gleeble® 3800 thermo-mechanical simulator. The experimental results are used for the critical assessment of predicted TNR using four empirical equations from the literature, and for the validation of simulated TNR and TSRCT. The thermokinetic computer simulations are realized using the mean-field microstructure modeling software MatCalc. Analysis shows that higher microalloying contents increase both critical temperatures, TNR and TSRCT, whereby the effect of recrystallization retardation of Nb is more pronounced than that of Ti or V. The most accurate reproduction of the experimental recrystallization behavior of the five examined steel grades is realized by the employed physics-based simulation approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Metallurgy of Microalloyed Steels)
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Review

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29 pages, 4993 KiB  
Review
Hot Ductility, Homogeneity of the Composition, Structure, and Properties of High-Strength Microalloyed Steels: A Critical Review
by Alexander Zaitsev, Nataliya Arutyunyan and Anton Koldaev
Metals 2023, 13(6), 1066; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13061066 - 1 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2702
Abstract
High-strength microalloyed steels are widely used in various branches of technology and industry due to the simultaneous combination of high indicators of strength, ductility, fatigue, corrosion resistance, and other service properties. This is achieved due to the reasonable choice of the optimal chemical [...] Read more.
High-strength microalloyed steels are widely used in various branches of technology and industry due to the simultaneous combination of high indicators of strength, ductility, fatigue, corrosion resistance, and other service properties. This is achieved due to the reasonable choice of the optimal chemical composition and parameters of temperature-deformation treatment of steel that provide a synergistic effect on the dispersed microstructure and characteristics of excess phase precipitates, which control the achievement of these difficult-to-combine properties of rolled products. Additionally, the improvement of the level and stability of these properties, as well as the prevention of the occurrence of defects, is largely determined by the indicators of the homogeneity of the composition, structure by volume and manufacturability of the metal, and primarily hot ductility, which are controlled by the presence of precipitation of excess phases, including microalloying elements. In accordance with the circumstances noted, in the present review, a generalization, systematization, and analysis of the results of the studies are conducted on the effect of phase precipitates on the hot ductility and homogeneity of composition and structure, depending on the chemical composition and parameters of the temperature-deformation treatment of steel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Metallurgy of Microalloyed Steels)
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