Very high strength martensitic steel or part and method of fabrication
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for the fabrication of a steel sheet with a completely martensitic structure which has an average lath size of less than 1 micrometer and an average elongation factor of the laths is between 2 and 5. The elongation factor of a lath is defined as a maximum dimension lmax divided by and a minimum dimension lmin. The steel sheet has a yield stress greater than 1300 MPa and a mechanical strength greater than (3220(C)+958) megapascals. A composition of a semi-finished steel product includes, expressed in percent by weight, is, 0.15%≤C≤0.40%, 1.5%≤Mn≤3%, 0.005%≤Si≤2%, 0.005%≤Al≤0.1%, 1.8%≤Cr≤4%, 0%≤Mo≤2%, whereby: 2.7% 0.5 (Mn)+(Cr)+3(Mo)≤5.7%, S≤0.05%, P≤0.1%, optionally: 0%≤Nb≤0.050%, 0.01%≤Ti≤0.1%, 0.0005%≤B≤0.005%, 0.0005%≤Ca≤0.005%. The semi-finished product is reheated to a temperature T1 in the range between 1050° C. and 1250° C., then subjected to a roughing rolling at a temperature T2 in the range between 1000 and 880° C., with a cumulative rate of reduction εa greater than 30%, to obtain a sheet with a completely recrystallized austenitic structure with an average grain size less than 40 micrometers and preferably less than 5 micrometers. The sheet is then partially cooled to prevent a transformation of the austenite at a rate VR1 greater than 2° C./s to a temperature T3 between 600° C. and 400° C. in the metastable austenitic range, and subjected to a finishing hot rolling at the temperature T3 of the partially cooled sheet, with a cumulative rate of reduction εb greater than 30% to obtain a sheet that is then cooled at a rate VR2 which is greater than the critical martensitic quenching rate.
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