This is a collection of papers presented at the joint conference of the 7th International Conference on High Strength Low Alloy Steels (HSLA Steels 2015), the International Conference on Microalloying 2015 (Microalloying 2015), and the International Conference on Offshore Engineering Steels 2015 (OES 2015). The papers focus on the exchange of the latest scientific and technological progresses on HSLA steels, microalloying steels, and offshore engineering steels over the past decades. The contributions are intended to strengthen cooperation between universities and research institutes, and iron and steel companies and users, and promote the further development in the fields all over the world.

In response to the demanding requirements of different sectors, such as construction, transportation, energy, manufacturing, and mining, new generations of microalloyed steels are being developed and brought to market. The addition of microalloying elements, such as niobium, vanadium, titanium, boron, and/or molybdenum, has become a key tool in the steel industry to reach economically-viable grades with increasingly higher mechanical strength, toughness, good formability, and weldable products. The challenges that microalloying steel production faces can be solved with a deeper understanding of the effects that these microalloying additions and combinations of them have during the different steps of the steelmaking process.

This proceedings brings together seventy seven selected papers presented at the 3rd International Conference on Advanced High Strength Steel and Press Hardening (ICHSU2016), which was held in Xi’an, China, during August 25-27, 2016.In this rapid growing market in advanced high strength steel and press hardening, in particularly demand from automotive industry and sustainability community to develop light-weight materials for Body in white or BIW, has motivated us to organize ICHSU2016, soon after the successful conclusion of our ICHSU2015 last year to encourage experts all over the world to get together again to exchange note and ideas as how to move the R&D in press hardening technology forward in the new era.The purpose of holding ICHSU2016 is to satisfy the increasingly urgent requirement of reducing the weight of vehicle structures and increasing passenger safety. This conference arouses great interests and attentions from domestic and foreign researchers in hot stamping field, of the articles accepted, covering almost all the current topics of advanced high strength steel and press hardening technology, which includes materials & testing, modeling & simulation, process design, tribology & tools, equipment and product properties.

The current state of understanding of emerging iron alloys and high-alloy ferrous systems, in comparison with some conventional steels, is compiled in this single volume to further their development. While most of the conventional steels are produced routinely today, many advanced high strength steels and iron-based alloys are still in the laboratory stage. The iron-based emerging alloys can yield high levels of mechanical and physical properties due to their new alloy concepts and novel microstructures leading to multiple benefits of their use in terms of sustainability and environmental impact. This book contains introductory chapters that present the requisite background knowledge on thermodynamics, phase diagrams, and processing routes used for the ferrous alloys to enable the readers a smooth understanding of the main chapters. Then, an overview of the conventional microalloyed steels and advanced high strength steels is given to present the benchmark of the existing steels and ferrous alloys manifesting their current state-of-the-art in terms of physical metallurgy and engineering applications. Subsequent chapters detail novel, emerging ferrous alloys and high-alloy ferrous systems. Summarizes the state-of-the-art of emerging iron-based alloys and the new processing and physical metallurgy-related developments of high-alloy iron systems; Explores new iron-based systems driven by the need for new properties, enhanced performance, sustainable processes and educed environmental impact; Compiles cutting-edge research on the progress of materials science of iron-based systems, from physical metallurgy to engineering applications, and possible avenues for future research.

Welding of Metallic Materials: Methods, Metallurgy and Performance looks at technical welding methods used based on different principles and sources, such as heat, with or without pressure, electrical, plasma, laser and cold-based welding. The metallurgical aspects associated with the welding processes, specifically those associated with metallic alloys, are explained, alongside the advantages and welding features that are associated with specific welding processes. In addition, the performance of metallic weldments under specific conditions and environments such as offshore, oil industry, radiation and high-temperature services are discussed. This book will a vital resource for researchers, practicing engineers and undergraduate and graduate students in the field of materials science and engineering. - Covers the latest developments in welding technology methods and their applications - Explains the metallurgical aspects of the welding processes - Recent applications of welding processes are described such as welding in medicine applications and additive manufacturing - The book includes discussions about the performance of weldments in terms of fatigue and corrosion and explores the interplay with automation and 3D applications

Due to increasing demands on sustainability exerted by end-costumers and policy makers, heavyvehicle manufacturers are urged to increase the engine efficiency in order to reduce the exhaust gas emission. However, increasing the efficiency is also associated with an elevated fatigue rate of the materials constituting the engine parts, which consequently reduces the engine service life. The aim of the present thesis is therefore to confront the expected increase by studying the fatigue behaviour and damage mechanisms of the materials typically employed in heavy-vehicle diesel engines. With this knowledge, this work seeks to guide the development of new heavy-vehicle engine materials, as well as to develop improved life estimation methods designated to assist the mechanical design of durable heavy-vehicle engines. In essence, a large set of thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) and combined thermomechanical and high-cycle fatigue (TMF-HCF) tests is conducted at engine load conditions on laboratory specimens of lamellar, compacted and spheroidal graphite iron. In this way, the fatigue performance and associated damage mechanisms are investigated. In particular, a new fatigue property is identified, the TMF-HCF threshold, which quantifies how resistant a material is to superimposed high-cycle fatigue. The damage mechanism at low temperatures (?500°C) is confirmed to consist of the initiation, propagation and coalescence of numerous microcracks. Based on this, a successful fatigue life estimation model is formulated, allowing accurate estimations of TMF and TMF-HCF tests on smooth specimens, and TMF tests on notched specimens. In the latter case, the microcrack growth behaviour in non-uniform cyclic stress fields and its implications for life estimation are clarified. At elevated temperatures (?500°C), surface oxidation is shown to govern the fatigue performance of cast iron grades intended for exhaust manifolds. It is observed that oxide intrusions are induced, from which surface fatigue cracks are initiated. Consequently, an optimal material at these conditions should have a low oxide growth rate and few casting defects at the surface, as these factors are found to stimulate the growth of intrusion.

Flat steel products are fundamental to modern manufacturing and construction, serving as crucial materials in a wide array of industries. From automotive components and household appliances to building structures and packaging materials, flat steel’s versatility and strength make it indispensable. The flat steel industry has seen numerous technological advancements that have enhanced product quality and production efficiency. Key developments include: · Advanced Coating Technologies · Precision Manufacturing · High-Strength and Specialty Steels · Sustainability Initiatives The advancements in flat steel products have had a profound impact on both industry and society. In the industrial realm, these products have enabled the creation of safer, more efficient, and more durable materials. The automotive industry’s use of high-strength steel, for example, has led to safer vehicles with improved fuel efficiency. On a societal level, the widespread use of flat steel products has contributed to improved living standards. Household appliances and infrastructure developments have enhanced everyday life by providing reliable and durable solutions. Additionally, the impact of flat steel products on the economy cannot be overstated; they support numerous jobs and contribute significantly to global trade.

The microstructures of both martensite and bainite, although sharing some common features, depict a plethora of subtle differences that made them unique when studied in further detail. Tailoring the final properties of a microstructure based on one or the other as well as in combination with others and exploring more sophisticated concepts, such as Q&P and nanostructured bainite, are the topics which are the focus of research around the world. In understanding the key microstructural parameters controlling the final properties as well as definition of adequate process parameters to attain the desired microstructures requires that a proper understanding of the mechanism ruling their transformation and a detailed characterization first be acheived. The development of new and powerful scientific techniques and equipment (EBSD, APT, HRTEM, etc.) allow us to gain fundamental insights that help to establish some of the principles by which those microstructures are known. The developments accompanying such findings lead to further developments and intensive research providing the required metallurgical support.

The growth and development witnessed today in modern science, engineering, and technology owes a heavy debt to the rare, refractory, and reactive metals group, of which niobium is a member. Extractive Metallurgy of Niobium presents a vivid account of the metal through its comprehensive discussions of properties and applications, resources and resource processing, chemical processing and compound preparation, metal extraction, and refining and consolidation. Typical flow sheets adopted in some leading niobium-producing countries for the beneficiation of various niobium sources are presented, and various chemical processes for producing pure forms of niobium intermediates such as chloride, fluoride, and oxide are discussed. The book also explains how to liberate the metal from its intermediates and describes the physico-chemical principles involved. It is an excellent reference for chemical metallurgists, hydrometallurgists, extraction and process metallurgists, and minerals processors. It is also valuable to a wide variety of scientists, engineers, technologists, and students interested in the topic.

This is the third edition of the book, much expanded to include and incorporate important developments in the subject over the last fifteen years. The book represents a comprehensive treatise on all aspects of the bainite transformation, from the choreography of atoms during the phase change to length scales that are typical of engineering applications. The alloy design that emerges from this explains the role of solute additions, and the pernicious effects of impurities such as hydrogen. The picture presented is self-consistent and therefore is able to guide the reader on the exploitation of theory to the design of some of the most exciting steels, including the world’s first bulk nanostructured metal.