The Effect of Processing History on a Cold Rolled and Annealed Mo-Nb Microalloyed TRIP Steel

TLDR: In this article, a Mo-Nb microalloyed TRIP Steel was subjected to several heat treatments designed to generate different microstructures, and the resulting tensile properties and retained austenite characteristics were determined.

Abstract: In this paper, a Mo-Nb microalloyed TRIP Steel was subjected to several heat treatments designed to generate different microstructures. These microstructures were then cold rolled and TRIP-annealed, and the resulting tensile properties and retained austenite characteristics were determined. The results reveal that prior heat treatment has a significant effect on the cold rolled and annealed behavior. Generally, an increasing volume fraction of proeutectoid ferrite prior to cold rolling and TRIP annealing leads to improved tensile ductility. This is due to increased work-hardening rates, which, in turn, correlate to increased carbon enrichment in the retained austenite. These results can clearly be used to optimize the hot rolling process to produce hot strip for the subsequent production of cold rolled Mo-Nb TRIP Steel.