Conditioning of austenite by hot working of microalloyed forging steels

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Abstract
On four grades of medium carbon V‐bearing steels with additional Ti and Nb microalloying hot deformation tests were conducted as a simulation of hot forging. The aim of the study was to suggest general guidelines for the design of deformation patterns and cooling conditions of austenite. Both the resulting flow stresses and the strengthening/softening behaviour were taken into consideration. The maximum flow stresses appear to be insensitive both to the variation of microalloying and to the design of the deformation schedule over the range tested. Nevertheless, large differences can be achieved regarding austenite strengthening, especially its residual value at the begin of the γ‐α‐transformation which is decisive for the subsequent transformation process. A substantial effect of the final deformation temperature and the type of microalloying was ascertained.