Ferrous Metallurgy Research

Research projects underway or available include:

• grain refinement and precipitation in microalloyed steels;
• acicular ferrite formation in vanadium microalloyed steels;
• graphitisation in free-cutting carbon steel;
• as-transformed ferritic microstructures in ultra-low carbon steels;
• precipitation in fully-stabilised ultra-low carbon forming steels and in partially-stabilised ultra-low carbon bake
• hardenable steels;
• the influence of alloying on decomposition reactions at austenite grain boundaries;
• the influence of interphase precipitation in pearlitic ferrite on the fracture process;
• the formation and morphology of cementite in steel;
• the mechanism of copper precipitation in cementite and its effect on deformation and fracture;
• carbide-phase identification and microstructure development in complex cast iron microstructures;
• ferrous alloy phase diagrams;
• CO2 corrosion in carbon steels;
• laser weld microstructures;
• heat-affected zone toughness;
• weld metal hydrogen cracking;
• development of low-hydrogen welding consumables and techniques for hydrogen measurement;
• development of crack-resistant microstructures;
• steel recycling technology;
• improvement of carbide-reinforced steels for rolls;
• removal of Cu and Sn from molten steel;
• thermodynamics and kinetics of iron and steel making reactions.

Some Highlights of the research

	Precipitates of copper that have formed within cementite, the iron carbide phase Fe3C, in a steel containing 1.2 wt% C and 2.4 wt% Cu.
	Scanning electron micrograph of a deep-etched, high-manganese, high-carbon steel. The austenite matrix has been etched away to reveal the morphology of the Widmanstaetten pro-eutectoid cementite particles.
		Optical and electron micrographs of an acicular ferrite microstructure in a vanadium alloyed steel and complex inclusions previously invoked as the intragranular nucleation sites for the acicular ferrite.
		Optical and electron micrographs of an alloyed carbon steel graphitised for 3.5 and 1.5 hours, respectively, showing the formation of graphite nodules.
		Electron micrographs of a spheroidal graphite nodule: Bright-field image and dark-field images of diametrically-opposite conical sections of the growth structure.
		High-resolution electron micrographs showing (002) lattice fringes in a graphite nodule suggesting an incompletely graphitised centre.
	Light optical micrograph of a typical intermediate (massive or quasi-polygonal) ferrite in a 0.03C steel austenitised at 1150°C and cooled at approx. 1°Cs-1
	Light optical and electron micrograph of so-called granular bainitic ferrite microstructure in a 0.004C-2.75Mn ultra-low carbon steel air-cooled from the austenitising temperature.
		Flow-loop test rig for studying CO2 corrosion of carbon steels (courtesy of IFE, Norway).
		Flow -loop tests showing improved corrosion rate of experimental steels compared with X70 commercial steel (tested at IFE, Norway).