Effect of Reheating Temperature on the Microstructure and Properties of Cu-Containing 440 MPa Grade Non-Tempered Ship Plate Steel

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of reheating temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-containing 440 MPa grade non-tempered ship plate steel. The mechanical properties test, thermodynamic simulation, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and other tests were performed. The results revealed that with increasing reheating temperature, the ferrite grain size of Cu-containing 440 MPa non-tempered ship plate steel increased. Also, with increasing reheating temperature, the size of copper particles and niobium–titanium composite precipitates in the original austenite decreased. Consequently, this led to a weakening of the pinning effect on the original austenite and an increase in the size of the transformed ferrite grains. Moreover, with increasing reheating temperature, the number of Cu precipitates in the test steel after air cooling and rolling increased, while the size of the precipitates decreased, thereby weakening the solid solution strengthening effect of Cu, and precipitation was enhanced. Additionally, as the reheating temperature increased, the tensile strength and yield strength of the air-cooled test steel after rolling increased, while the impact toughness decreased.