Microstructure of high strength niobium-containing pipeline steel

The paper describes the microstructural constituents in a industrially processed Nb-microalloyed pipeline steel having yield strength of ∼620 MPa. The microstructure of base, heat affected zone (HAZ), and weld metal of the fabricated steel pipe was examined by optical and transmission electron microscopy. The microstructure of thermomechanically processed pipeline steel primarily consisted of non-equiaxed ferrite of mixed morphologies with small fraction of degenerated pearlite. The microstructure contained high dislocation density, sub-boundaries and dislocation substructures. The HAZ was characterized by a combination of fine and coarse grained polygonal ferrite structure with high density of dislocations and fine cementite particles. In the weld metal, the constituents of complex ferrite were low temperature transformation products formed during continuous cooling such as quasi-polygonal or massive ferrite, acicular ferrite, bainitic ferrite and dispersion of coarse and fine cementite particles in the ferrite matrix. The precipitates in the investigated pipeline steel were of duplex type containing either Nb and Ti or Ti and Mo, even though the steel contained low concentration of titanium. Precipitates of different morphology and size range were observed and include rectangular (∼100–130 nm), cuboidal/spherical (∼20–100 nm), fine (∼10–20 nm) and very fine (<10 nm). They were MC type of carbides.