The effect of manganese content on mechanical properties of high titanium microalloyed steels

In this work, in order to achieve an optimum combination of high strength, ductility and toughness of high Ti microalloyed steel, extensive research efforts were exerted to study the effect of soaking temperature, manganese and sulfur content on properties of titanium steels. Precipitation hardening of Ti-bearing steels has been found to vary with different soaking temperature. Higher strength was achieved in these steels at higher soaking temperature due to dissolution of more TiC, Ti4S2C2 and little TiN, which lead to re-precipitation of fine carbides with greater volume fraction. The results of transmission electron microscope (TEM)analysis indicates that there were more and finer TiC precipitates coherent or semi-coherent with the ferrite matrix in the high manganese content steel than in low manganese content steel. The marked improvement in strength is also associated with low sulfur content. TiC particles smaller than 20 nm in 8Ti-8Mn steel help enhance strength to higher than 302 MPa compared with 8Mn steel.