Effects of Mo and Controlled Cooling on Microstructure and Properties of Thick-Wall High-Strength Pipeline Steel

Herein, the effect of molybdenum (Mo) and postrolling cooling processes on the mechanical properties and microstructure transformation characteristics of an X80 thick-wall high-strength pipeline steel are deeply investigated. The results reveal that the yield strength and tensile strength of the steel are enhanced with Mo addition at the equalization temperature of 480 & DEG;C at a cooling rate of 25 & DEG;C s(-1), accompanied by the improvement in the yield ratio. However, when the postrolling cooling temperature is reduced to 380 & DEG;C, the mechanical properties of steels with Mo-free and 0.29 wt% Mo are comparable. The mechanistic study indicates that the Mo addition would inhibit the transformation from deformed austenite to polygonal ferrite, and promote the transformation of acicular ferrite/granular bainite at medium-low temperatures, as well as significant differences in the volume fraction, size, and morphology of martensite/austenite (M/A) in the matrix. Notably, the volume fraction of M/A decreases from 7.2% to less than 1.0% with Mo content increasing, while its average size also reduces from 1.5 to less than 1.0 & mu;m. And the fine, spheroidal, and dispersed M/A is found to play a vital role in the high-strength and excellent low-temperature toughness of the steel.