Modeling of microstructure evolution and mechanical properties during hot-strip rolling of Nb steels

An integrated metallurgical model was developed for Nb steels to predict the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties during the hot-strip rolling and cooling process. On the basis of the industrial data, the transformation kinetics, strength, and elongation rate were evaluated for different chemical compositions and processing parameters. The yield strength and tensile strength increase with increasing Nb content or decreasing finishing temperature. The bainite distributed in finer ferrite matrix, which is produced at relatively low coiling temperatures, can greatly increase the strength of steel, especially tensile strength, thereby decreasing the yield ratio. A reasonable agreement was found between the predicted and measured results. It indicates that the present models can be used to simulate the actual production process.