Advanced High-Strength Bainitic Steels

Dear Colleagues,

Advanced bainitic steels have attracted the attention of steel makers and end users in recent years, owing to the simplicity of their chemical composition and their processing, as well as their ability to achieve both high strength and excellent toughness values.

Bainite has many similarities to martensite from a crystallographic perspective. However, bainitic transformation does not involve severe quenching, which often leads to the formation of cracks in martensite and even failure during subsequent treatment.  On the other hand, transformation at higher temperatures comes with the detrimental carbide precipitation typical of conventional bainite. This promising steel concept depends on the elimination of the massive precipitation of carbides by the rational addition of silicon, enabling the presence of a heterogeneous distribution of retained austenite at room temperature, which opens a window of applications to bainitic steels that has never been seen before.

Technological research is still needed for the implementation of advanced bainitic steels in sectors like the automotive, where the use of high-strength steels seeks weight reduction to comply with the increasingly strict regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. Likewise, safety standards and in-use life extension requirements for many applications involve the necessity of further studies on wear and fatigue. Fundamental studies on transformation, deformation, and damage mechanisms will guide the development of new advanced high-strength bainitic microstructures.

The scope of this Special Issue is to share novel findings on advanced high-strength bainitic steels regarding the following aspects: the design of the alloy and processing routes, advanced microstructural characterization, and mechanical testing.

Dr. Lucia Morales-Rivas
Guest Editor

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