Cost Effective Low Temperature Bainite

Laufzeit:                     1.12.2017 – 30.11.2020
Projekt:                       DFG SO 1250/1-1
Ansprechpartner:     PD Dr.-Ing. habil. Mohamed Soliman

Carbide free nano-bainitic (nB) steels are a promising category of advanced high strength steels offering an attractive mix of high strength (up to 2300 MPa) and toughness. These properties are due to a microstructure of nano-sized bainitic ferrite platelets alternating with thin layers of retained austenite. However, extended heat treatment times and expensive alloying materials hinder a broad commercial utilization of such alloys.
The Institute of Metallurgy (IMET) at TU-Clausthal is doing research in the field of nB steels since 2009. Through the development of alloying and processing strategies, previous research in IMET successfully lowered the bainitic transformation time down to 50 minutes, as well as introduced one of the first low carbon nB alloys in literature with a carbon content of 0.23 wt.%.
The aim of the current research in the field of nB is to develop low cost variants, relying on the affordable alloying strategy of manganese reduction and aluminium addition, while maintaining the fast transformation times and high mechanical properties.