Prediction of mechanical and microstructural properties of hot rolled steels

Abstract

In this work, sets of experimental data obtained from laboratory or hot rolling plants steels belonging to the local siderurgical industry were structured in a semiempirical model. A modelization based on the finite element technique of the cooling curves was made for this kind of steels during the coiling process. From the cooling curves obtained with this technique, the precipitated nitrogen fraction was computed. At the same time, from the chemical composition data and reduction percent during hot rolling, a model that predicts the final grain size after hot rolling was established. From this value of grain size and the free nitrogen results obtained from the model plus the chemical composition and the process variables, the yield stress and ultimate tensile stress, UTS, were estimated. The parameters obtained were validated from either, laboratory or plant results. Furthermore, an statistical test in order to assure the validity of the correlation between the different experimental and predicted modelized properties was made. Finally, the different equations and algorithms used were integrated in user friendly software, which allows not only to predict mechanical and microstructural properties, but also to make sensibility analysis. This kind of work allows in turn to investigate new fabrication processes.