Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of 1 000 MPa cold rolled dual-phase steel

The microstructure evolution of 1 000 MPa cold rolled dual-phase (DP) steel at the initial heating stages of the continuous annealing process was analyzed. The effects of different overaging temperatures on the microstructures and mechanical properties of 1 000 MPa cold rolled DP steel were investigated using a Gleeble–3500 thermal/mechanical simulator. The experimental results show that ferrite recovery and recrystallization, pearlite dissolution and austenite nucleation and growth take place in the annealing process of ultra-high strength cold rolled DP steel. When being annealed at 800 °C for 80 s, the tensile strength and total elongation of DP steel can reach 1 150 MPa and 13%, respectively. The microstructure of DP steel mainly consists of a mixture of ferrite and martensite. The steel exhibits low yield strength and continuous yielding which is commonly attributed to mobile dislocations introduced during cooling process from the intercritical annealing temperature.