Nanocarbonitride precipitation contribution to the yield stress of a V-Nb microalloyed steel.

: Nanocarbonitride precipitation during thermomechanical processing is well known as one of the important mechanisms to increase mechanical properties of hot rolled microalloyed steels. Some studies of industrial hot rolled strips have quantified the contribution of the different ways of precipitation: in austenite, at the interface austenite/ferrite, or in supersaturated ferrite during final cooling. Thin slabs of microalloyed steels (0.07-0.08% V and 0.02-0.04% Nb) were thermomecanically processed on a laboratory-scale rolling mill. The different modes of nanocarbonitride precipitation were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. It was observed interphase precipitation with average diameter of nanocarbonitride of 4.4 nm and potential contribution to strengthening of 90 MPa, according to the Orowan-Ashby model. From the Orowan-Ashby model of precipitation strengthening, strength contributions of about 50 MPa were found for nanocarbonitride particles formed in austenite. The inclusion of a holding extra period of 15 minutes just below the Finishing Rolling Initial Temperature has confirmed an important contribution to the yield stress given by the nanocarbonitride particles formed in austenite.