Automobile components are often exposed to aggressive environments as a result of aqueous salts from the road coming into contact with unprotected steel. This situation greatly reduces both the life and the appearance of the affected parts. Ultra-high strength steel parts are suspected to exhibit poor corrosion-fatigue properties and be more susceptible to corrosion in general. In this study, the effect of strength level on the decrease in fatigue life of AISI 4130 steel when exposed to an aqueous salt solution is quantified. The observed mechanical properties including corrosion-fatigue behavior are examined with consideration to different microstructural characteristics resulting from heat treatments to the steel. The hardness and tensile properties of the test material were characterized before fatigue testing. Fatigue tests were completed in both air and salt solution to determine the effect on fatigue life of the latter environment. Following fatigue testing, the fracture surface was examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to determine the failure mode. Six strength levels of AISI 4130 steel were investigated ranging from 837 to 1846 MPa (121 268 ksi). The frequency of loading used for corrosion-fatigue tests was 1 Hz and the stress ratio for each test was constant at R = 0.1. The corrosion-fatigue tests consisted of the specimen being submerged in an aqueous solution of sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and sodium bicarbonate and fatigued until failure. The solution was maintained at room temperature with constant aeration to ensure constant oxygen levels. The parameters of interest were the applied loads and the cycles to failure. There were four primary findings of the study. First, decreases in fatigue life of the material caused by the corrosive environment ranged from 100% in the lowest strength level to 190% in the higher strength levels. This result showed that higher strength in this steel corresponds to increasing detriment to fatigue life when the material is exposed to an aqueous salt environment. Second, evidence was found that the salt solution lowered the fatigue limit for each strength level studied in this material. All specimens that were tested in the corrosive environment failed in less than 150,000 cycles, while some specimens fatigued in the air environment experienced run-outs at over 106 cycles. Third, the decrease in fatigue life was attributed to the presence of martensite in the structure of the steel. It was noted that the higher the martensite content, the larger the decrease in fatigue life when exposed to the corrosive environment. Finally, the fracture surfaces of fatigued specimens revealed that a similar cracking mode was present for each strength level in both environments. Enhanced crack initiation was, therefore, assumed to be the cause of the decrease in fatigue life between the air and aqueous salt environments.

To produce crack free powder compacts with desirable mechanical properties and uniform densities, a predictive finite element simulation of the powder metallurgy process is necessary (compaction and sintering). The finite element method, through the use of appropriate constitutive material models captures the microstructure-property history after compaction and sintering. A FC-0205 cylinder and FC-0208 automotive main bearing cap were compacted to investigate the microstructure changes at different locations within the parts. Measurements of the pore volume fraction, pore size, pore nearest neighbor, pore aspect ratio, and grain size were performed after compaction for the cylinder after compaction and after compaction and sintering for the MBC. An image analysis methodology was created to measure density in the main bearing cap, and to validate future model results. A comparison between the image analysis and the Archimedes immersion methods demonstrated the reliability of the methods.

Low alloy steel electrodes have been electroslag remelted using alternating and direct current power sources. Changes in electrical contact between the furnace mould wall and mould base provided an improved understanding of the thermal ,and chemical processes characteristic of the remelting technique. 1m ion regeneration process has been postulated to account for current flow within the slag phase. Observed changes in furnace heating effects, electrode droplet sizes and in slag and metal compositions have be,en related to overtensions impressed on the slag/electrode and slag/ingot boundaries. The desulfurization reaction has been studied in detail. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Atualmente, no setor de máquinas agrícolas o uso de aços de alta resistência está começando a ganhar espaço e cada vez mais lembrado nos projetos estruturais; para atender as necessidades citadas acima e também para redução de emissão de poluentes. A utilização dos aços de alta resistência na indústria de implementos agrícolas está focada nos aços DP (Dual Phase), sendo este o objeto de estudo desta presente pesquisa. Este trabalho visa analisar o comportamento mecânico, priorizando a análise de resistência à fadiga em flexão de uniões soldadas através do processo de soldagem de metal de gás ativo (GMAW) utilizando dois tipos de arames como material de adição. Neste estudo foram utilizadas chapas metálicas de aços de alta resistência da marca DOCOL 1000 fabricado pela SSAB e os arames de adição fornecidos pela ESAB, sendo um usado largamente na indústria de maquinas agrícolas e o outro um fio especial desenvolvido para soldagem de aços de alta resistência e baixa liga. O processo de solda robotizada foi adotado para assegurar a homogeneidade dos cordões das juntas durante a obtenção das amostras. Para a análise das características mecânicas das amostras foi realizado o ensaio de flexão estático, caracterização macroestrutural, perfil de microdureza e ensaios de fadiga de flexão em quatro pontos. Os resultados mostraram que a vida em fadiga, por flexão em quatro pontos, nas juntas soldadas com o material de adição para aço carbono comum obteve uma melhor resposta em relação ao material de adição especial para soldagem de aços de alta resistência, porém pode-se verificar que ambas as curvas de fadiga respeitaram a curva de projeto conforme norma. / Nowadays, in the agricultural industry the use of high strength steels is being used each day more and more as well and increasingly coming in our mind in structural designs, to meet the requirements mentioned above and also to reduce the emission of pollutants. The highstrength steels application in the agricultural machinery industry is focused on the DP steels (Dual Phase), which is the subject of this present study. The focus of this work is analyze the mechanical behavior, prioritizing the deflection fatigue strength analysis on welded joints by Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) process using two welding wire types. In this study it was used high strength steels sheet metal called DOCOL 1000, manufactured by SSAB and solder wires supplied by ESAB, and one widely used in the agricultural machinery industry for carbon steel welding and other a special wire developed for high strength. The robotic welding process was used to ensure the homogeneity of the weld bead on the samples manufacture process. For the mechanical characteristics analysis was done the static bending test, macrography, microhardness profile and deflection fatigue tests by four points. The results showed that the fatigue life, four-point bending, at welded joint used welding wire to carbon steel achieved a better result regarding a special welding wire to high strength steel, however, both fatigue curve respected project curve as British Standard.

AISI 4140 alloy steel has been a very common material to be investigated in automotive and aerospace industries for several decades. AISI 4140 alloy steel is chromium, molybdenum, and manganese containing low alloy steel. It has high fatigue strength, abrasion and impact resistance, toughness, and torsional strength. The functional performance is largely determined by the surface states after machining. The aim of the present study is to explore the polishing methods and surface analysis after machining AISI 4140 alloy steel in different cutting speeds and cooling conditions. The surface analysis includes surface roughness, hardness and residual stresses. Compared to traditional polishing, an innovative experimental work was conducted on electro-polishing technology for removing surface layer before subsurface residual stress measurement. The results of this work show that the electro-polishing method is a significant approach for the residual stress analysis. High cutting speed and cooling conditions can improve the surface quality to achieve lower surface roughness, higher microhardness and more compressive residual stresses after machining AISI 4140 alloy steel.

Pipe and ring blanks can be produced in several different ways. Today's focus on environmental effects motivates companies to develop processes that are as efficient as possible in their production. Ringsvets AB is a company that produces pipe and ring blanks from a flat stock by rolling and welding the piece to make it stay in its desired form. The direct benefit of the method is the minimizing of material loss, and it has thereby both environmental and economical advantages. The downside of the method is that the processes involved changes the mechanical behavior of the ring, locally around the weld zone. The focus of this master thesis is the processes and how they affect the material, both microstructure and behavior. The processes involved are; rolling, welding, shaping, brushing, forging, heat treatment, and calibration. The purpose of this work was to elevate the knowledge and understanding of the processes at Ringsvets. The goals were to give a theoretical description of them along with practical test results and explanations of how and why they function in reality. A literature study has been conducted which provided a theoretical basis on how the material reacts on certain processes. Practical examination of samples from current production has been done to get evidence of how well the processes are used, and how well they function, in today's production. Lastly, the main focus of the thesis, an evaluation has been made; do theory and practice correlate, and should anything be changed to correlate better? The results showed that the first operations do not alter the material behavior to an unacceptable extent. Forging, on the other hand, gives the material a very high hardness in the weld zone, and that needs to be corrected. The following heat treatment should compensate for that in a perfect world, but does not in reality. The finished ring shows good properties in general but with places where the heat treatment has failed to correct the uneven behavior induced by earlier operations. The heat treatment requires some adjustments before it functions as intended. Some grainshas not been recrystallized which makes them very hard and non-ductile. Future tests using a higher temperature or a longer heat treatment time would reveal the best way to adjust the heat treatment to obtain the desired properties. Other changes in the processes could also be benecial. Interesting things to try and change would, for example, be the degree of deformation in the forging, which affects the recrystallization temperature. Notes should be taken that this examination is done on just one sample of just one size. Analyses of different samples of different sizes should be done to ensure of the accuracy of the examination.

Submerged arc welding (SAW) is commonly used for fabricating large diameter linepipes, pressure vessels and wind turbine towers due to its high deposition rate, high quality welds, ease of automation and low operator skill requirement. In order to achieve high melting efficiency required for high productivity, best weld quality and good mechanical properties in manufacturing industries, the welding process parameters need to be optimized. In this study, the effect of SAW current and speed on the physical and mechanical properties of ASME SA516 Gr. 70 (pressure vessel steel) and ASTM A709 Gr. 50 (wind turbine tower steel) were investigated. Three welding currents (700 A, 800 A and 850 A) and four travel speeds (5.9, 9.3, 12.3 and 15.3 mm/s) were used to weld sample plates measuring 915 mm x 122 mm x 17 mm. The weld quality and properties were evaluated using weld geometry measurements, visual inspection, ultrasonic inspection, hardness measurements, optical microscopy, tensile testing, Charpy impact testing and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the physical and mechanical properties of the weldments were affected by SAW parameters. Severe undercuts were found at high travel speed and welding current. Low heat input caused lack of penetration defects to form in the weldments. The welding process melting efficiency (WPME) achieved was up to 80%. The hardness of the coarse grain heat affected zone (CGHAZ) and the weld metal increased with travel speed. The toughness of both materials increased with increasing travel speed and welding current. The yield and tensile strengths of the weldments of SA516 Gr.70 and A709 Gr.50 steels were within the same range as those of their respective parent metals because all test specimens broke in the parent metals. Also, the parent metals of both steels had the highest fracture strain and percent elongation. The percentage elongation increased with travel speed but decreased with welding current.

Submerged arc welding (SAW) is commonly used for fabricating large diameter linepipes, pressure vessels and wind turbine towers due to its high deposition rate, high quality welds, ease of automation and low operator skill requirement. In order to achieve high melting efficiency required for high productivity, best weld quality and good mechanical properties in manufacturing industries, the welding process parameters need to be optimized. In this study, the effect of SAW current and speed on the physical and mechanical properties of ASME SA516 Gr. 70 (pressure vessel steel) and ASTM A709 Gr. 50 (wind turbine tower steel) were investigated. Three welding currents (700 A, 800 A and 850 A) and four travel speeds (5.9, 9.3, 12.3 and 15.3 mm/s) were used to weld sample plates measuring 915 mm x 122 mm x 17 mm. The weld quality and properties were evaluated using weld geometry measurements, visual inspection, ultrasonic inspection, hardness measurements, optical microscopy, tensile testing, Charpy impact testing and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the physical and mechanical properties of the weldments were affected by SAW parameters. Severe undercuts were found at high travel speed and welding current. Low heat input caused lack of penetration defects to form in the weldments. The welding process melting efficiency (WPME) achieved was up to 80%. The hardness of the coarse grain heat affected zone (CGHAZ) and the weld metal increased with travel speed. The toughness of both materials increased with increasing travel speed and welding current. The yield and tensile strengths of the weldments of SA516 Gr.70 and A709 Gr.50 steels were within the same range as those of their respective parent metals because all test specimens broke in the parent metals. Also, the parent metals of both steels had the highest fracture strain and percent elongation. The percentage elongation increased with travel speed but decreased with welding current.

Atualmente, no setor de máquinas agrícolas o uso de aços de alta resistência está começando a ganhar espaço e cada vez mais lembrado nos projetos estruturais; para atender as necessidades citadas acima e também para redução de emissão de poluentes. A utilização dos aços de alta resistência na indústria de implementos agrícolas está focada nos aços DP (Dual Phase), sendo este o objeto de estudo desta presente pesquisa. Este trabalho visa analisar o comportamento mecânico, priorizando a análise de resistência à fadiga em flexão de uniões soldadas através do processo de soldagem de metal de gás ativo (GMAW) utilizando dois tipos de arames como material de adição. Neste estudo foram utilizadas chapas metálicas de aços de alta resistência da marca DOCOL 1000 fabricado pela SSAB e os arames de adição fornecidos pela ESAB, sendo um usado largamente na indústria de maquinas agrícolas e o outro um fio especial desenvolvido para soldagem de aços de alta resistência e baixa liga. O processo de solda robotizada foi adotado para assegurar a homogeneidade dos cordões das juntas durante a obtenção das amostras. Para a análise das características mecânicas das amostras foi realizado o ensaio de flexão estático, caracterização macroestrutural, perfil de microdureza e ensaios de fadiga de flexão em quatro pontos. Os resultados mostraram que a vida em fadiga, por flexão em quatro pontos, nas juntas soldadas com o material de adição para aço carbono comum obteve uma melhor resposta em relação ao material de adição especial para soldagem de aços de alta resistência, porém pode-se verificar que ambas as curvas de fadiga respeitaram a curva de projeto conforme norma. / Nowadays, in the agricultural industry the use of high strength steels is being used each day more and more as well and increasingly coming in our mind in structural designs, to meet the requirements mentioned above and also to reduce the emission of pollutants. The highstrength steels application in the agricultural machinery industry is focused on the DP steels (Dual Phase), which is the subject of this present study. The focus of this work is analyze the mechanical behavior, prioritizing the deflection fatigue strength analysis on welded joints by Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) process using two welding wire types. In this study it was used high strength steels sheet metal called DOCOL 1000, manufactured by SSAB and solder wires supplied by ESAB, and one widely used in the agricultural machinery industry for carbon steel welding and other a special wire developed for high strength. The robotic welding process was used to ensure the homogeneity of the weld bead on the samples manufacture process. For the mechanical characteristics analysis was done the static bending test, macrography, microhardness profile and deflection fatigue tests by four points. The results showed that the fatigue life, four-point bending, at welded joint used welding wire to carbon steel achieved a better result regarding a special welding wire to high strength steel, however, both fatigue curve respected project curve as British Standard.

The aim of this thesis was to derive a better understanding with regard to the effects of chloride on the general corrosion behaviour of low-alloy steels (LAS) in oxygenated high-temperature water (HTW) and to investigate the underlying mechanisms for crack initiation and propaga-tion due to chloride assisted environmentally assisted cracking (EAC). Therefore, systematic investigations on the effect of chloride on the EAC behaviour of LAS were performed to un-derstand and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The overall thesis is divided into three parts focussing on the effect of chloride on: i) general corrosion, ii) crack initiation, and iii) crack growth of low-alloy steels in oxygenated high-temperature water. Studies on the effect of chloride on the general corrosion behaviour were performed by immer-sion tests that were evaluated using electrochemical monitoring techniques and different post-test investigation methods like SEM, ToF-SIMS, and others. From the performed investiga-tions it is concluded that the presence of small amounts of chloride in oxygenated HTW causes an incorporation of chloride into the oxide layer, a thinning of the oxide layer thickness, and pronounced pitting. The crack initiation susceptibility of LAS was investigated using CERT tests. These tests showed an increased number of crack initiation locations and a decrease of the elongation at fracture with increasing chloride concentrations. Crack growth rate tests clearly demonstrated that not the increase in the chloride concentration per se, but the conjoint occurrence of an active or dormant crack and increased chloride con-centration causes an increase in the observed crack growth rates. For practical applications of LAS in oxygenated HTW this means that short term transients seem to be not harmful regarding component integrity, but long term increased chloride con-centrations should by prohibited since they cause increased general corrosion of LAS. Taking crack initiation and crack growth into consideration, the conjoint occurrence of increased chlo-ride concentrations and mechanical straining at stress levels above the yield strength should be avoided.