• Transactions of Materials Processing
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.91-98
• /
• 2021

The present study deals with the microstructure and mechanical properties of 700 MPa-grade high-strength seismic resistant reinforced steel bars fabricated by various TempCore process conditions. For the steel bars, in the surface region tempered martensite was formed by water cooling and subsequent self-tempering during TempCore process, while in the center region there was ferrite-pearlite or bainite microstructure. The steel bar fabricated by the highest water flow and the lowest equalizing temperature had the highest hardness in all regions due to the relatively fine microstructure of tempered martensite and bainite. In addition, the steel bar having finer microstructures as well as the high fraction of tempered martensite in the surface region showed the highest yield and tensile strengths. The presence of vanadium precipitates and the high fraction of ferrite contributed to the improvement of seismic resistance such as high tensile-to-yield strength ratio and high uniform elongation.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.281-288
• /
• 2018

This study deals with the microstructure and tensile properties of 600 and 700 MPa-grade high-strength seismic reinforced steel bars. High-strength seismic resistant reinforced steel bars (SD 600S and SD 700S) were fabricated by TempCore process, especially the SD 700S specimen was more rapid cooled than the SD 600S specimen during the TempCore process. Although two specimens had microstructure of tempered martensite in the surface region, the SD 600S specimen had ferrite-degenerated pearlite in the center region, whereas the SD 700S specimen had bainite-ferrite-degenerated pearlite in the center region. Therefore, their hardness was highest in the surface region and revealed a tendency to decrease from the surface region to the center region because tempered martensite has higher hardness than ferrite-degenerated pearlite or bainite. The SD 700S specimen revealed higher hardness in the center region than SD 600S specimen because it contained a larger amount of bainite as well as ferrite-degenerated pearlite. On the other hand, tensile test results indicated the SD 600S and SD 700S specimens revealed continuous yielding behavior because of formation of degenerated pearlite or bainite in the center region. The SD 600S specimen had a little higher tensile-to-yield ratio because the presence of ferrite and degenerated pearlite in the center region and the lower fraction of tempered martensite enhance work hardening.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.28 no.7
• /
• pp.391-397
• /
• 2018

This study deals with the microstructure and tensile properties of 700 MPa-grade high-strength and seismic reinforced steel bars. The high-strength reinforced steel bars (600 D13, 600 D16 and 700 D13 specimens) are fabricated by a TempCore process, while the seismic reinforced steel bar (600S D16 specimen) is fabricated by air cooling after hot rolling. For specimens fabricated by the TempCore process, the 600 D13 and 600 D16 specimens have a microstructure of tempered martensite in the surface region and ferrite-pearlite in the center region, while the 700 D13 specimen has a microstructure of tempered martensite in the surface region and bainite in the center region. Therefore, their hardness is the highest in the surface region and shows a tendency to decrease from the surface region to the center region because tempered martensite has a higher hardness than ferrite-pearlite or bainite. However, the hardness of the 600S D16 specimen, which is composed of fully ferrite-pearlite, increases from the surface region to the center region because the pearlite volume fraction increases from the surface region to the center region. On the other hand, the tensile test results indicate that only the 700 D13 specimen with a higher carbon content exhibits continuous yielding behavior due to the formation of bainite in the center region. The 600S D16 specimen has the highest tensile-to-yield ratio because the presence of ferrite-pearlite and precipitates caused by vanadium addition largely enhances work hardening.