STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF LOW-CARBON ACICULAR FERRITE STEEL

Thermomechanical control processing has already been accepted as the most cost effective route of producing superior quality, value-added high strength low alloy steels. Among all the strengthening mechanism, grain refinement has the maximum potential for increasing strength as well as improving low temperature toughness properties. Modern hot strip mills are so designed that this type of processing can easily be performed in the finishing stands by using facilities like laminar spray cooling in the run-out-table. Micro alloying always makes the steel more expensive. In the present study, efforts were made to develop low carbon steels with judicious trimming of microalloying in an experimental rolling mill simulating the controlled rolling and cooling conditions of the new 1 mtpa semi continuous state-of-the-art Hot Strip Mill at Tata Steel.