• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2012

Research into the development of high strength (1 GPa) and superior formability, such as total elongation (10%), and stretch-flangeability (50%) in hot-rolled steel was conducted with a thermomechanically controlled hot-rolling process. To improve the overall mechanical properties simultaneously, low-carbon steel using precipitation hardening of Ti-Nb-V multimicroalloying elements was employed. And, ideal microstructural characteristics for the realization of balanced mechanical properties were determined using SEM, EBSD, and TEM analyses. The developed steel, 0.06C-2.0Mn-0.5Cr-0.2(Ti + Nb + V), consisted of ferrite as the matrix phase and second phase of granular bainite with fine carbides (20-50 nm) in both phases. The significant factor of the microstructural characteristics that affect stretch-flangeability was found to be the microstructural homogeneity. The microstructural homogeneity, manifest in such characteristics as low localization of plastic strain and internally stored energy, was identified by grain average misorientation method, analyzed by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and hardness deviation between the phases. In summar, a hot-rolled steel having a composition 0.06C-2.0Mn-0.5Cr-0.2(Ti + Nb + V) demonstrated a tensile strength of 998 MPa, a total elongation of 19%, and a hole expansion ratio of 65%. The most important factors to satisfy the mechanical property were the presence of fine carbides and the microstructural homogeneity, which provided low hardness deviation between the phases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 1999.08a
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• pp.356-365
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• 1999

The present study is aimed at developing the TRIP(transformation induced plasticity) aided high strength low carbon steel using reversion process. An excellent combination of elongation over 40% and tensile strength abut 100kgf/$\textrm{mm}^2$ achieved in processing of 0.15C-0.5 Si-6Mn steel by slow heating to intercritial temperature region and accelerated cooling into room temperature. This good combination is caused by TRIP phenomena of retained austenite in steels during deformation. The stability of retained austenite is very important for the good ductility and it depends on the diffusion of carbon and manganeses during heat treatment. The accelerated cooling after holding at annealing temperature retards the formation of pearlite and provides the carbon enrichment in retained austenite in steel, resulting in the increase in elongation of the cold-rolled TRIP steel. On the other hand, heat treating the steel at 600$^{\circ}C$ for 5 hour before cold rolling increases elongation but reduces the amount of retained austenite after reversion processing. It is accounted that the heat treating is effective for the increase in the stability of retained austenite.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.422-429
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• 2023

High-strength low-alloy steel is one of the widely used materials in onshore and offshore plant engineering. We investigated the alloying effect of solute atoms in α-Fe based alloy using ab initio calculations. Empirical equations were used to establish the effect of alloying on the Vicker's hardness, screw energy coefficient, and edge dislocation energy coefficient of the steel. Screw and edge energy coefficients were improved by the addition of V and Cr solute atoms. In addition, the addition of trace quantities of V, Cr, and Mn enhanced abrasion resistance. Solute atoms and contents with excellent mechanical properties were selected and their thermal conductivity and thermal expansion behavior were investigated. The addition of Cr atom is expected to form alloys with low thermal conductivity and thermal expansion coefficient. This study provides a better understanding of the state-of-the-art research in low-alloy steel and can be used to guide researchers to explore and develop α-Fe based alloys with improved properties, that can be fabricated in smart and cost-effective manners.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.238-243
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• 2016

Twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steels with the austenite structure containing high manganese exhibit both good strength and excellent formability. Such properties originate from crystallographic slip and mechanical twins produced when the austenite structure is under mechanical stress. There are 12 twin systems, referred to as twin variants, when slip is induced. These twin systems include twin planes and twin directions and play an important role in determining strength and ductility of the material by strongly influencing texture formation of the austenite structure. In the present study, twins produced in a high-Mn TWIP steel as a result of uniaxial tension were observed using a transmission electron microscope; a comparative analysis was performed through interaction energy calculations. Electron diffraction was used to determine the twin system with respect to the uniaxial tension direction in each grain. Both the Schmid factors and interacting energies required for the generation of twins were calculated and subsequently compared with experimental results. This approach demonstrated the possibility of predicting the deformation behavior of the material.