Comparison of the strengthening effects of Nb, V, and Ti on the mechanical properties of 20MnSi low-alloy steel

Abstract

Abstract Three alloys, containing niobium, vanadium and titanium, respectively, were refined and the strengthening effect attained after adding them individually in a 20MnSi low-alloy rebar steel was investigated. The results show that the strengthening effect attained due to the addition of niobium is the best, whereas that due to the addition of titanium is the poorest. Grain refinement and precipitation strengthening are the main strengthening mechanisms observed in niobium-steel and vanadium-steel, whereas only precipitation strengthening is observed in titanium-steel. Moreover, the average grain size of niobium-steel is the smallest among the four types of steels, while the size of ferrite and pearlite microstructures show almost no obvious change as compared to the base steel in the case of titanium-steel. Furthermore, the volume fractions of ferrite and pearlite in the four tested steels have no noticeable change.