Slurry and cavitation erosion of HSLA steel processed by warm multidirectional forging and inter-critical annealing

SAILMA grade HSLA steel is thermally and thermo mechanically processed in order to obtain different microstructures and mechanical properties. Multidirectional forging and inter critical annealing techniques are used. Slurry erosion and cavitation damage of the processed HSLA steels showed that the most erosion resistant steel has a dual phase ferrite-martensite microstructure. Its erosion resistance is 1.5 times superior to that of the least resistant as-received HSLA steel. This is attributed to high hardness, toughness, and greater strain hardening capacity of dual phase HSLA steel as compared to that of the as received and multi directionally forged HSLA steels. Mechanisms of erosion operating in differently processed steels corresponding to either forms of damage are discussed.