• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.293-299
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• 2009

The microstructures and mechanical properties of Dual Phase (DP), Transformation-Induced Plasticity (TRIP), and Quenching & Partitioning (Q&P) steels were investigated in order to define the strengthening mechanism of 0.2 C steel. An intercritical annealing between Ac1 and Ac3 was conducted to produce DP and TRIP steel, followed by quenching the DP and TRIP steel being quenched at to room temperature and by the TRIP steel being austemperingaustempered-air cooling cooled the steel toat room temperature, respectively. The Q&P steel was produced from full austenization, followed by quenching to the temperature between $M_s$ and $M_f$, and then enriching the carbon to stabilize the austenite throughout the heat treatment. For the DP and TRIP steels, as the intercritical annealing temperature increased, the tensile strength increased and the elongation decreased. The strength variation was due to the amount of hard phases, i.e., martensite and bainite, respectively in the DP and TRIP steels. It was also found that the elongation also decreased with the amount of soft ferrite in the DP and TRIP steels and with the amount of the that was retained in the austenite phasein the TRIP steel, respectively for the DP and TRIP steels. For the Q&P steel, as the partitioning time increased, the elongation and the tensile strength increased slightly. This was due to the stabilized austenite that was enriched with carbon, even when the amount of retained austenite decreased as the partitioning time increased from 30 seconds to 100 seconds.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.247-255
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• 2005

Although heat treatment is a process of great technological importance in order to obtain desired mechanical properties such as hardness, the process was required a tedious and expensive experimentation to specify the process parameters. Consequently, the availability of reliable and efficient numerical simulation program would enable easy specification of process parameters to achieve desired microstructure and mechanical properties without defects like crack and distortion. In present work, the developed numerical simulation program could predict distributions of microstructure and thermal stress in steels under different cooling conditions. The computer program is based on the finite difference method for temperature analysis and microstructural changes and the finite element method for thermal stress analysis. Multi-phase decomposition model was used for description of diffusional austenite decompositions in low alloy steels during cooling after austenitization. The model predicts the progress of ferrite, pearlite, and bainite transformations simultaneously during quenching and estimates the amount of martensite also by using Koistinen and Marburger equation. To verify the developed program, the calculated results are compared with experimental ones of casting product. Based on these results, newly designed heat treatment process is proposed and it was proved to be effective for industry.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.455-462
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• 2012

Al-Si coated boron steel and Zn coated DP steel plates were laser-welded to manufacture a Tailor Welded Blank (TWB) for a car body frame. Hot-stamping heat treatment ($900^{\circ}C$, 5 min) was applied to the TWB weld, and the microstructural change and transformation mechanism were investigated in the Al-rich area near the bond line of the Al-Si coated steel side. There was Al-rich area with a single phase, $Fe_3(Al,Si)$, which was transformed to ${\alpha}-Fe$ (Ferrite) after the heat treatment. It could be explained that the $Fe_3(Al,Si)$ phase was transformed to ${\alpha}-Fe$ during heat treatment at $900^{\circ}C$ for 5 min and the resultant ${\alpha}-Fe$ phase was not transformed by rapid cooling. Before the heat treatment, the microstructures around the $Fe_3(Al,Si)$ phase consisted of martensite, bainite and ${\alpha}-Fe$ while they were transformed to martensite and ${\delta}-Fe$ after the heat treatment. Due to the heat treatment, Al was diffused to the $Fe_3(Al,Si)$ and this resulted in an increase of Al content to 0.7 wt% around the Al-rich area. If the weld was held at $900^{\circ}C$ for 5 min it was transformed to a mixture of austenite (${\gamma}$) and ${\delta}-Fe$, and only ${\gamma}$ was transformed to the martensite by water cooling while the ${\delta}-Fe$ was remained unchanged.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.9
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• pp.523-532
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• 2009

In this study, four API X80 linepipe steel specimens were fabricated with varying cooling rates and finish cooling temperatures, and their microstructures and crystallographic orientations were analyzed to investigate the effects of cooling conditions on their tensile and Charpy impact properties. All the specimens consisted of acicular ferrite, granular bainite, and secondary phases such as martensite and martensiteaustenite constituent. The volume fraction of secondary phases increased with increasing cooling rate, and the higher finish cooling temperature resulted in the reduction in volume fraction and grain size of secondary phases. According to the crystallographic orientation analysis data, the effective grain size and unit crack path decreased as fine acicular ferrites having a large amount of high-angle grain boundaries were homogeneously formed, thereby leading to the improvement of Charpy impact properties. The specimen fabricated with the higher cooling rate and lower finish cooling temperature had the highest upper shelf energy and the lowest energy transition temperature because it contained a large amount of fine secondary phases homogeneously distributed inside fine acicular ferrites, while its tensile properties well maintained.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.53-60
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• 2015

Laser surface Melting Process is getting hardening layer that has enough depth of hardening layer as well as no defects by melting surface of substrate. This study used CW(Continuous Wave) Yb:YAG and STD11. Laser beam speed, power and beam interval are fixed at 70mm/sec, 2.8kW and 800um respectively. Hardness in the weld zone are equal to 400Hv regardless of melting zone, remelting zone overlapped by next beam and HAZ. Similarly, microstructures in all weld zone consist of dendrite structure that arm spacing is $3{\sim}4{\mu}m$, matrix is ${\gamma}$(Austenite) and dendrite boundary consists of ${\gamma}$ and $M_7C_3$ of eutectic phase. This microstructure crystallizes from liquid to ${\gamma}$ of primary crystal and residual liquid forms ${\gamma}$ and $M_7C_3$ of eutectic phase by eutectic reaction at $1266^{\circ}C$. After solidification is complete, primary crystal and eutectic phase remain at room temperature without phase transformation by quenching. On the other hand, microstructures of substrate consist of ferrite, fine $M_{23}C_6$ and coarse $M_7C_3$ that have 210Hv. Microstructures in the HAZ consist of fine $M_{23}C_6$ and coarse $M_7C_3$ like substrate. But, $M_{23}C_6$ increases and matrix was changed from ferrite to bainite that has hardness above 400Hv. Partial Melted Zone is formed between melting zone and HAZ. Partial Melted Zone near the melting zone consists of ${\gamma}$, $M_7C_3$ and martensite and Partial Melted Zone near the HAZ consists of eutectic phase around ${\gamma}$ and $M_7C_3$. Hardness is maximum 557Hv in the partial melted zone.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.155-162
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• 2024

SCr420H steel which is commonly utilized for automotive components requires the carburizing heat treatment process. Abnormal grain growth during this treatment significantly affects the mechanical properties of the steel parts. Consequently, a process designed to prevent abnormal grain growth at certain elevated temperatures is essential. For enhanced grain refinement, we considered the addition of Nb in SCr420H steel. The experimental condition of the carburizing heat treatment involved reheating the steel sample to temperatures between 940℃ and 1080℃. Using scanning electron microscopy, we examined the microstructure of specimens treated with the secondary solution, revealing an organization of bainite and ferrite. Transmission electron microscopy was utilized to determine the type, shape, and size of the carbonitrides, showing a high fraction of AlN at the secondary solution treatment temperature of approximately 1050℃ and of (Nb,Ti)(C,N) around 1200℃. AlN particles measured about 100 nm and (Nb,Ti)(C,N) about 50 nm. Optical microscopy was utilized to assess grain size variations at different secondary solution treatment temperatures. It is noted that the temperature at which abnormal grain coarsening occurred rose with increasing secondary solution treatment temperatures, indicating a greater influence of (Nb,Ti)(C,N) with higher heat treatment temperatures. This research provides reference data for preventing abnormal grain growth in Nb-added low alloy steels undergoing carburizing heat treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 1984

Optimizing investigation of characteristics of underwater welding by a gravity type arc welding process was experimentally carried out by using six types of domestic coated welding electrodes for welding of domestic marine structural steel plates (KR Grade A-1, SWS41A, SWS41B,) in order to develop the underwater welding techniques in practical use. Main results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. The absorption speed of the coating of domestic coated lime titania type welding-electrode became constant at about 60 minutes in water and it was about 0.18%/min during initial 8 minutes of absorption time. 2. Thus, the immediate welding electrode could be used in underwater welding for such a short time in comparison with the joint strength of in-atmosphere-and on-water-welding by dry-, wet-or immediate-welding-electrode. 3. By bead appearance and X-ray inspection, ilmenite, limetitania and high titanium oxide types of electrodes were found better for underwater-welding of 10 mm KR Grade A-1 steel plates, while proper welding angle, current and electrode diameter were 6$0^{\circ}C$, above 160A and 4mm respectively under 28cm/min of welding speed. 4. The weld metal tensile strength or proof stress of underwater-welded-joints has a quadratic relationship with the heat input, and the optimal heat input zone is about 13 to 15KJ/cm for 10mm SWS41A steel plates, resulting from consideration upon both joint efficiency of above-100% and recovery of impact strength and strain. Meanwhile, the optimal heat input zone resulting from tension-tension fatigue limit above the base metal's of SWS41A plates is 16 to 19KJ/cm. Reliability of all the empirical equations reveals 95% confidence level. 6. The microstructure of the underwater welds of SES41A welded in such a zone has no weld defects such as hydrogen brittleness with supreme high hardness, since the HAZ-bond boundary area adjacent to both surface and base metal has only Hv400 max with the microstructure of fine martensite, bainite, pearlite and small amount of ferrite.