1987 Volume 27 Issue 6 Pages 478-484
The effect of thermo-mechanical treatment on the mechanical properties of Cu bearing age hardenable steels was examined. Accelerated cooling and direct quenching after controlled rolling enhanced to produce the microstructure dominant of low carbon bainite which caused the improvement of strength and toughness. Addition of Cu over 1% was effective in both ε-Cu precipitation strengthening and microstructural control through its effect on hardenability. Studies were focussed on the specific effects of Cu in thermo-mechanical process. It was revealed that the improvement of mechanical properties was partly attributed to the retardation of recrystallization in hot working due to Cu addition over 1% and the suppression of ε-Cu precipitation during cooling due to rapid cooling.
