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In-situ Neutron Diffraction and Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) are employed for the first time simultaneously in order to reveal the interaction between the austenite to ferrite phase transformation and the precipitation kinetics during isothermal annealing at 650 and at 700 °C in three steels with different vanadium (V) and carbon (C) concentrations. Austenite-to-ferrite phase transformation is observed in all three steels at both temperatures. The phase transformation is completed during a 10 h annealing treatment in all cases. The phase transformation is faster at 650 than at 700 °C for all alloys. Additions of vanadium and carbon to the steel composition cause a retardation of the phase transformation. The effect of each element is explained through its contribution to the Gibbs free energy dissipation. The austenite-to-ferrite phase transformation is found to initiate the vanadium carbide precipitation. Larger and fewer precipitates are detected at 700 than at 650 °C in all three steels, and a larger number density of precipitates is detected in the steel with higher concentrations of vanadium and carbon. After 10 h of annealing, the precipitated phase does not reach the equilibrium fraction as calculated by ThermoCalc. The external magnetic field applied during the experiments, necessary for the SANS measurements, causes a delay in the onset and time evolution of the austenite-to-ferrite phase transformation and consequently on the precipitation kinetics.

In this paper a new insight into fundamentals of static recrystallization, precipitation and their interaction during sub-critical annealing of three cold-rolled low-carbon microalloyed steel grades is presented. The grades under investigation are a base grade containing V as a microalloying element, a Ti+ grade containing Ti as microalloying element added into the base grade, and a Ti+Mn+ grade containing additional Mn added into the Ti+ grade. The cold-rolled steels are sub-critically annealed inside a muffle furnace to simulate industrial continuous annealing parameters in order to investigate the interaction between recrystallization and precipitation across transient stages of the annealing process as a function of temperature and time. The Zener pinning of precipitates and solute drag force of Mn on the recrystallization process are calculated and compared with measured values obtained from experimental studies on the recrystallization kinetics. Results suggest that the recrystallization kinetics is fastest in the base grade. For the Ti+ grade, fine (< 15 nm) (Ti,V)(C/N) particles retard the recrystallization kinetics. For the Ti+ and Ti+Mn+ grades, solute drag effect of Mn solute atoms for dwell time longer than 2 min at annealing temperature of 800 oC is negligible.

The precipitation kinetics of vanadium carbides and its interaction with the austenite-to-ferrite phase transformation is studied in two micro-alloyed steels that differ in vanadium and carbon concentrations by a factor of two, but have the same vanadium-to-carbon atomic ratio of 1:1. Dilatometry is used for heat-treating the specimens and studying the phase transformation kinetics during annealing at isothermal holding temperatures of 900, 750 and 650 °C for up to 10 h. Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) and Atom Probe Tomography (APT) measurements are performed to study the vanadium carbide precipitation kinetics. Vanadium carbide precipitation is not observed after annealing for 10 h at 900 and 750 °C, which is contrary to predictions from thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. Vanadium carbide precipitation is only observed during or after the austenite-to-ferrite phase transformation at 650 °C. The precipitate volume fraction and mean radius continuously increase as holding time increases, while the precipitate number density starts to decrease after 20 min, which corresponds to the time at which the austenite-to-ferrite phase transformation is finished. This indicates that nucleation and growth are dominant during the first 20 min, while later precipitate growth with soft impingement (overlapping diffusion fields) and coarsening take place. APT shows gradual changes in the precipitate chemical composition during annealing at 650 °C, which finally reaches a 1:1 atomic ratio of vanadium-to-carbon in the core of the precipitates after 10 h.

Despite much research into steels strengthened through interphase precitation, there remains much that is not clear, such as the role of a range of elements, particularly Mo, in the interphase precipitation process. Four steels were manufactured with identical composition, but with variations in Ti, V, Mo and N content to investigate the effect of composition on interphase precipitation. Alloys were rapidly cooled from the single austenite phase field and isothermally transformed at 630 °C and 650 °C for 90min. The addition of Mo was found to significantly reduce the austenite to ferrite transformation kinetics, particularly for the V steel. Interphase precipitation was observed in all alloys at both transformation temperatures. For the Ti bearing steel, the two types of precipitate were observed throughout the sample, namely TiC (finer) and Ti2C (coarser), while for the V bearing steels, VC (finer) and V4C3 (coarser) were observed. Where Mo was present in the alloy, it was found dissolved in all carbide types. The (Ti,Mo)C and (V,Mo)C formed by classical planer interphase precipitation (PIP) while the (Ti,Mo)2C and (V,Mo)4C3, that had a much wider row spacing, formed through curved interphase precipitation (CIP). Each adopted one variant of the Baker-Nutting orientation relationship. The Ti-microalloyed steels exhibited the smallest precipitates of all the steels, which were approximately the same size irrespective of whether Mo was present in the alloy and irrespective of the transformation temperature. However, the addition of Mo to the V bearing steels resulted in a significant increase in precipitate volume fraction and a reduction in precipitate size. The mechanisms of interphase precipitation leading to the coincident production of two different precipitate types is considered and the role of Mo on the interphase precipitation process is discussed. The resultant effect on strength is considered.

Nanosteels are used in automotive applications to accomplish resource-efficiency while providing high-tech properties. Quantitative data and further understanding on the precipitation kinetics in Nanosteels can contribute to fulfil this goal. Small-Angle Neutron Scattering measurements are performed on a Fe-C-Mn-V steel, previously heat-treated in a dilatometer at 650°C for several holding times from seconds to 10 hours. The evolution of the precipitate volume fraction, size distribution and number density is calculated by fitting the experimental Small-Angle Neutron Scattering curves. The effect of phase transformation on precipitation kinetics is also discussed. Complementary Transmission Electron Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy measurements are performed to support the Small-Angle Neutron Scattering data analysis.