Increasing Fatigue LIfe of 09Mn2Si Steel by means of High-Temperature Multistep Helical Rolling

Abstract

The effect of high temperature helical rolling (HR) on structure and fatigue life of 09Mn2Si pipe steel has been studied. With the use of transmission electron microscopy there was revealed that rolling gives rise to refinement of ferrite grains and cracking (fracturing) of cementite plates within the pearlite phase. The effect manifests itself to the greatest extent in the surface layer where due to the rolling the level of plastic deformation was the highest. Data of microhardness measurements confirms the gradient pattern of strain hardening over the cross section during the HR occurs while the most intensive microhardness increasing take place at the depth of up to 3 mm. According to the mechanical testing results the helical rolling of 09Mn2Si steel gives rise to increasing the level of deforming stress at the yield plateau as well as the proportionality limit with a general decrease in the relative elongation. At the same time, despite the strain hardening resulting from the helical rolling the mechanisms of plastic deformation which manifest themselves in the form of parabolic hardening with a smooth decrease in the flow stress level after neck formation are preserved in the steel. During the cyclic tension the number of cycles prior to failure increases from 2.5 to 3.8 times that depends on the location of specimens' cutting from the rolled rod. The highest improvement in fatigue fracture resistance is registered for specimens cut out from the core of the rolled rods.