The Influence of Temperature on the Microstructure and Properties of Nb-V-Ti-Mo Complex Microalloyed High-Strength Fire-Resistant Steel

Abstract

Nb-V-Ti-Mo complex microalloyed high-strength fire-resistant steel was obtained through two-stage hot rolling and laminar cooling. The results showed that the microstructure of the steel included bainite ferrite and martensite-austenite constituent (i.e., MA) islands. The experimental steel displayed high strength at room temperature, with a yield strength (YS) of 617 MPa and tensile strength of 813 MPa (elongation = 18.5%). As the temperature increased to 700 °C, the high-temperature yield strength gradually decreased. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to analyze the experimental steels at different temperatures. The grain sizes did not grow significantly. A small number of nanoprecipitates with an average diameter of 29.2 nm were distributed in the matrix of the as-rolled specimen. Upon increasing the temperature, the number of fine nanoprecipitates gradually increased, resulting in a gradual decrease in their average diameter, reaching a minimum of 19.4 nm at 600 °C. The Orowan equation explained well the precipitation strengthening effect of the nanoprecipitates that formed at a high temperature. At both room temperature and 300 °C, the Ashby work hardening theoretical curves were consistent with the experimental true stress-strain curves. Dynamic recovery and recrystallization occurred at 600 °C, which caused the experimental true stress-strain curve to deviate from the calculated curve.