Study of texture development and anisotropy of mechanical properties of API-X80 line pipe steel for spiral-welded pipe

This study has been conducted to analyze the effect of texture and microstructure on the anisotropy of yield strength and Charpy fracture toughness of an X80 line pipe steel. The texture and microstructure were investigated by X-ray diffractometer and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The yield strength and impact energy were measured along 0 (longitudinal), 30 and 90 (transverse) to the rolling direction. It was found that the microstructure of the developed steel consisted of fine acicular and polygonal ferrite with small pearlite and martensite or retained austenite (MA constituents). The major components of textures were {332)< 113 > and {113}< 110 > orientations. In order to investigate the effect of both morphological and crystallographic texture on yield strength anisotropy, the prediction of the plastic property was carried out by using a visco-plastic self-consistent (VPSC) polycrystal model. The predicted anisotropy of yield strength with VPSC model assuming ellipsoidal grain shape was in a good agreement with experimental observation. EBSD results showed that the density of {001} cleavage planes of Charpy specimen, 30 degree to rolling direction, was the highest compared with that of other specimens. Therefore, the highest susceptibility to the cleavage fracture, i.e. increased ductile-brittle transition temperature, can be seen in the 30 degree direction.