Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Morphology, size and distribution of MnS inclusions in non-quenched and tempered steel during heat treatment

  • Published:
International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy, and Materials Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article reports the morphology, size, and distribution evolution of MnS inclusions in non-quenched and tempered steel during heat treatment. The variation of single large-sized MnS inclusions at high temperature was observed in situ using a confocal scanning laser microscope (CSLM). The slender MnS inclusions first changed to pearl-like strings. These small-sized pearls subsequently coalesced and became closer together as the temperature increased. Large-sized MnS inclusions in non-quenched and tempered steel samples with different thermal histories were investigated with respect to the evolution of their morphology, size, and distribution. After 30 min of ovulation at 1573 K, the percentage of MnS inclusions larger than 3 µm decreased from 50.5% to 3.0%. After a 3 h soaking period, Ostwald ripening occurred. Most MnS inclusions moved from the grain boundaries to the interior. The present study demonstrates that heat treatment is an effective method of changing the morphology, size, and distribution of MnS inclusions, especially large-sized ones.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J.S. Byun, J.H. Shim, Y.C. Cho, and D.N. Lee, Non-metallic inclusion and intragranular nucleation of ferrite in Ti-killed C–Mn steel, Acta Mater., 51(2003), No. 6, p. 1593.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Z.Z. Liu, Y. Kobayashi, F.X. Yin, M. Kuwabara, and K. Nagai, Nucleation of acicular ferrite on sulfide inclusion during rapid solidification of low carbon steel, ISIJ Int., 47(2007), No. 12, p. 1781.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. T. Furuhara, T. Shinyoshi, G. Miyamoto, J. Yamaguchi, N. Sugita, N. Kimura, N. Takemura, and T. Maki, Multiphase crystallography in the nucleation of intragranular ferrite on MnS+V(C,N) complex precipitate in austenite, ISIJ Int., 43(2003), No. 12, p. 2028.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. J.W. Flowers Jr. and S.P. Karas, Coalescence of sulfides during secondary growth in 3% silicon–iron, J. Appl. phys., 38(1967), No. 3, p. 1085.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. D. Gnanamuthu, T.Z. Kattamis, M.C. Flemings, and R. Mehrabian, Effect of homogenization on sulfide inclusions in ferrous alloys, Metall. Trans., 5(1974), No. 12, p. 2557.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. W.H. McFarland and J.T. Cronn, Spheroidization of type II manganese sulfides by heat treatment, Metall. Trans. A, 12(1981), No. 5, p. 916.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Y.V. Murty, J.E. Morral, T.Z. Kattamis, and R. Mehrabian, Initial coarsening of manganese sulfide inclusions in rolled steel during homogenization, Metall. Trans. A, 6(1975), No. 11, p. 2031.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Y.V. Murty, T.Z. Kattamis, R. Mehrabian, and M.C. Flemings, Behavior of sulfide inclusions during thermomechanical processing of AISI 4340 steel, Metall. Trans. A, 8(1977), No. 8, p. 1275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. P.C. Wilson, Y.V. Murty, T.Z. Kattamis, and R. Mehrabian, Effect of homogenization on sulphide morphology and mechanical properties of rolled AISI 4340 steel, Met. Technol., 2(1975), No. 1, p. 241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. M. Nishida, T. Kato, and T. Tanaka, Spheroidization of manganese sulfide inclusion during heating and its effect on hydrogen induced cracking in rolled steel, Tetsu-to-Hagane, 67(1981), No. 9, p. 1533.

    Google Scholar 

  11. X.J. Shao, X.H. Wang, M. Jiang, W.J. Wang, and F.X. Huang, Effect of heat treatment conditions on shape control of large-sized elongated MnS inclusions in resulfurized free-cutting steels, ISIJ Int., 51(2011), No. 12, p. 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. X.J. Shao, X.H. Wang, M. Jiang, W.J. Wang, F.X. Huang, and Y.Q. Ji, In situ observation of MnS inclusion behavior in resulfurized free-cutting steel during heating, Acta Metall. Sin., 47(2011), No. 9, p. 1210.

    Google Scholar 

  13. H.B. Yin, H. Shibata, T. Emi, and M. Suzuki, “In-situ” observation of collision, agglomeration and cluster formation of alumina inclusion particles on steel melts, ISIJ Int, 37(1997), No. 10, p. 936.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. H. Hasegawa, K. Nakajima, and S. Mizoguchi, The effects of inclusions in steel on MnS precipitation in Fe-Si alloys, Tetsu-to-Hagane, 87(2001), No. 11, p. 700.

    Google Scholar 

  15. C.E. Sims and F.B. Dahle, Effect of aluminum on the properties of medium carbon cast steel, Trans. AFS, 46(1938), p. 65.

    Google Scholar 

  16. F.A. Nichols and W.W. Mullins, Surface-(interface-) and volume-diffusion contributions to morphological changes driven by capillarity, Trans. AIME, 233(1965), p. 1840.

    Google Scholar 

  17. F.A. Nichols, On the spheroidization of rod-shaped particles of finite length, J. Mater. Sci., 11(1976), No. 6, p. 1077.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. D.B. Rayaprolu and D. Jaffrey, Kinetics of Ostwald ripening: an analysis of models and errors with reference to MnS inclusions in steel, Mater. Charact., 24(1990), No. 3, p. 245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. M. Suzuki, C.H. Yu, H. Shibata, and T. Emi, Recovery of hot ductility by improving thermal pattern of continuously cast low-carbon and ultra-low-carbon steel slabs for hot direct rolling, ISIJ Int., 37(1997), No. 9, p. 862.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shougang Research Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100043, China

    Xiao-jing Shao, Xin-hua Wang, Chen-xi Ji, Hai-bo Li, Yang Cui & Guo-sen Zhu

  2. School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100086, China

    Xin-hua Wang

Authors
  1. Xiao-jing Shao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xin-hua Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chen-xi Ji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hai-bo Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yang Cui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Guo-sen Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiao-jing Shao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shao, Xj., Wang, Xh., Ji, Cx. et al. Morphology, size and distribution of MnS inclusions in non-quenched and tempered steel during heat treatment. Int J Miner Metall Mater 22, 483–491 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-015-1097-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-015-1097-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation