Effect of niobium on second phase precipitation and austenite grain growth behavior in high-grade pipeline steel

Based on the double-sublattice model,the mass fractions of Nb,Ti and Al precipitates in two high-grade pipeline steels were calculated at different temperatures.The sizes of austenite grains in the two steels were determined at different heating temperatures after different soaking time.Two models were built to describe the austenite grain growth.It is found that the complete-solution temperature increases with the addition of Nb.The amount of small carbonitrides at the sides of grain boundaries,which hinder the austenite grain growth,also increases due to the drop of temperature.Austenite grains in the high-Nb steel remarkably coarsen when the soaking temperature is 1250℃,the prediction model is different from those used between 1050 and 1200℃,but the austenite grain size is obviously smaller than that of the low-Nb steel at the same soaking temperature.Based on the data-fit method,the austenite-growth activation energy of the high-Nb steel is calculated,which is much larger than that of the low-Nb steel.It is again proved that austenite grains are greatly refined in the high-Nb pipeline steel soaked at temperatures no more than 1200℃.The prediction models show good agreement with experimental data.