Nanograined Ti–Nb microalloy steel achieved by Accumulative Roll Bonding (ARB) process

Over the last decade, nanocrystalline and ultra-fine grained (UFG) materials with grain size less than 1 μm have aroused considerable interest due to their superior mechanical properties compared to conventionally grained materials. In this work Ti–Nb microalloy steel was processed by the severe plastic deformation (SPD) technique called Accumulative Roll Bonding (ARB) in order to produce an ultra-fine grained microstructure and improve the mechanical properties. After initial preparation to achieve good sheet bonding, 8 cycles of ARB at 550 °C were successfully performed. Observation of optical microstructure, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs, and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) peak broadening analysis were used for the characterization of grain structure of the ARB processed sample. The mechanical attributes after rolling and cooling were examined. It was calculated that metalʹs yield and tensile strength increased by 334% and 215% respectively, while the ductility dropped from as-received value of 34% to 2.9%. Microhardness of the material was studied at room temperature. There was a continuous enhancement of hardness by increasing the pass number of the ARB process. At the 8th pass, the hardness values increased by 230%. The rolling process was stopped at 8th cycle when cracking of the edge became pronounced.