• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.422-429
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• 2000

To investigate the effect of annealing temperature and time on the recrystallization behavior and microstructure of Zr-based alloys, the specimens of Zr-0.8Sn-0.4Nb-0.4Fe-0.2Cu, Zr-1Nb, Zircaloy-4, and unalloyed Zr were cold-worked and annealed at 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, $900^{\circ}C$ for 30 to 5000 minutes. The hardness, microstructure and precipitate of the specimens were investigated by using micro-hardness tester, optical microscope and transmission electron microscope, respectively. The recrystallization of Zr-based alloys occurred between $400^{\circ}C$ and $600^{\circ}C$. As the content of alloying elements increased, the hardness and recrystallization temperature of the alloys increased though the grain sizes after recrystallization decreased. It was supposed that the hardness of Zr-based alloy with Fe or Cu increased during recovery by the formation of Fe or Cu precipitates.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2020

Phosphorus is an element that plays many important roles in powder metallurgy as an alloy element. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of phosphorus addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of sintered low-alloy steel. The sintered low-alloy steels Fe-0.6%C-3.89%Ni-1.95%Cu-1.40%Mo-xP (x=0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20%) were manufactured by compacting at 700 MPa, sintering in H₂-N₂ at 1260 ℃, rapid cooling, and low-temperature tempering in Ar at 160 ℃. The microstructure, pore, density, hardness, and transverse rupture strength (TRS) of the sintered low-alloy steels were evaluated. The hardness increased as the phosphorus content increased, whereas the density and TRS showed maximum values when the content of P was 0.05%. Based on microstructure observation, the phase of the microstructure changed from bainite to martensite as the content of phosphorus is increased. Hence, the most appropriate addition of phosphorus in this study was 0.05%.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.477-483
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• 2017

This present study deals with the microstructure and tensile properties of 600 MPa-grade high strength and seismic resistant reinforcing steels. The high strength reinforcing steel (SD 600) was fabricated by Tempcore processing, while the seismic resistant reinforcing steel (SD 600S) was air-cooled after hot-rolling treatment. The microstructure analysis results showed that the SD 600 steel specimen consisted of a tempered martensite and ferrite-pearlite structure after Tempcore processing, while the SD 600S steel specimen had a fully ferrite-pearlite structure. The room-temperature tensile test results indicate that, because of the enhanced solid solution and precipitation strengthening caused by relatively higher contents of C, Mn, Si and V in the SD 600S steel specimen, this specimen, with fully ferrite-pearlite structure, had yield and tensile strengths higher than those of the SD 600 specimen. On the other hand, the hardness of the SD 600 and SD 600S steel specimens changed in different ways according to location, dependent on the microstructure, ferrite grain size, and volume fraction.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.47-53
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• 2015

Recently, the bending process is greatly applied to fabricate the pipe line. Bending process can reduce welding joints and then decrease the number of inspection. Thus, the maintenance cost will be reduced. Induction heat bending process is composed of bending deformation by repeated local heat and cooling. By this thermal process, corrosion properties and microstructure can be affected. This work focused on the effect of induction heating bending process on the properties of ASME SA106 Gr. C low carbon steel pipes. Microstructure analysis, hardness measurements, and immersion corrosion test were performed for base metal and bended area including extrados, intrados, crown up, and down parts. Microstructure was analyzed using an optical microscope and SEM. Hardness was measured using a Rockwell B scale. Induction heat bending process has influenced upon the size and distribution of ferrite and pearlite phases which were transformed into finer structure than those of base metal. Even though the fine microstructure, every bent area showed a little lower hardness than that of base metal. It is considered that softening by the bending process may be arisen. Except of I2, intrados area, the others showed a similar corrosion rate to that of base metal. But even relatively high rate of intrados area was very low and acceptable. Therefore, it is judged that induction heat bending process didn't affect boric acid corrosion behaviour of carbon steel.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.295-300
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• 2018

Effects of annealing temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties through thickness of a Cu-3.0Ni-0.7Si alloy processed by differential speed rolling are investigated in detail. The copper alloy with a thickness of 3 mm is rolled to a 50 % reduction at ambient temperature without lubricant and subsequently annealed for 0.5 h at $200-900^{\circ}C$. The microstructure of the copper alloy after annealing is different in the thickness direction depending on the amount of the shear and compressive strain introduced by the rolling; the recrystallization occurs first in the upper roll side and center regions which are largely shear-deformed. The complete recrystallization occurs at an annealing temperature of $800^{\circ}C$. The grain size after the complete recrystallization is finer than that of the conventional rolling. The hardness distribution of the specimens annealed at $500-700^{\circ}C$ is not uniform in the thickness direction due to partial recrystallization. This ununiformity of hardness corresponds well to the amount of shear strain in the thickness direction. The average hardness and ultimate tensile strength has the maximum values of 250 Hv and 450 Mpa, respectively, in the specimen annealed at $400^{\circ}C$. It is considered that the complex mode of strain introduced by rolling directly affects the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the annealed specimens.

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

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2020

To study the effects of tempering on microstructure and mechanical property of Cu-22 wt.%Sn alloy, tempering was carried out for 30 sec, 1 min, 5 min, 30 min, 3 h, 5 h, and 10 h at 325, 370, 500, and 570℃, which are in the (α+ε), lower (α+δ), higher (α+δ), and (α+γ) region of Cu-Sn phase diagram, respectively. Overall, the hardness value increased and decreased over time at all tempering temperatures, and the time to reach the maximum hardness value beccame shorter as the tempering temperature increases. At the beginning of tempering at each temperature, a portion of the β' phase was decomposed into a fine (α+δ) phase or (α+γ) phase, so that the Cu-22Sn alloy had a high hardness value. However, as the tempering time increases, the hardness value of the alloy decreased due to the growth of the decomposed phases.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.177-184
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• 2022

The present study aims to investigate the influence of Zn addition on hardness and microstructural characteristics of discontinuous precipitates (DPs) formed by isothermal aging in Mg-9%Al and Mg-9%Al-1%Zn alloys. To obtain large DPs volume fractions in the microstructure, the alloy specimens were solution-treated at 688 K for 24 h followed by water quenching, and then aged at 413 K for 48 h. The aged Mg-9%Al-1%Zn alloy had higher DPs content than the Mg-9%Al alloy, indicating that the Zn addition plays a beneficial role in enhancing age-hardening response. The DPs in the Zn-containing alloy possessed the higher hardness than those of the Zn-free alloy. Microstructural examination revealed that the increased hardness of the DPs resulting from the Zn addition is closely associated with the lower α-(Mg)/β(Mg₁₇Al₁₂) interlamellar spacing and the higher volume fraction of β phase layer of the DPs.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.295-302
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• 2022

The present study aims to investigate the effect of Al content on microstructure and hardness of discontinuous precipitates (DPs) formed by continuous cooling (CC) in Mg-8%Al and Mg-9.5%Al alloys. The DPs had a wide range of (α+β) interlamellar spacings, which may well be attributed to the different transformation temperatures during CC. The higher Al content gave rise to the higher level of interlamellar spacings of the DPs, and thicker and larger amount of β phase layer in the DPs. It is noticeable that the Mg-9.5%Al alloy exhibited higher hardness of the DPs than the Mg-8%Al alloy, but the ratio of increase in hardness of the DPs compared to that of the as-cast state was similar regardless of the Al content. The reason was discussed based on the differences in microstructures of the DPs for the Mg-8%Al and Mg-9.5%Al alloys.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.287-293
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• 2021

This study was intended to investigate the influence of Al content on hardness and microstructural characteristics of discontinuous precipitates (DPs) formed by isothermal aging in Mg-8.7%Al and Mg-10%Al alloys. In order to obtain large amount of DPs in the microstructure, the alloy specimens were solution-treated at 688K for 24 h followed by water quenching, and then aged at 418K for 48h. The Mg-Al alloy with higher Al content was characterized by higher volume fraction of DPs at the same aging condition, lower interlamellar spacing of the DPs, thinner β phase layer and higher β phase content in the DPs. This is closely related to the higher velocity of discontinuous precipitation process resulting from the higher Al supersaturation in the α-(Mg) matrix. The Mg-10%Al alloy showed higher hardness of the DPs and greater difference in hardness between as-cast state and DPs than the Mg-8.7%Al alloy.