Foram estudados dois tipos de aços, aço convencional ZAR 230 (ZAR - Zincagem de alta resistência) e aço microligado ZSTE 380 (segundo norma SEW 093), sendo que foram avaliadas as suas propriedades mecânicas visando a substituição do aço convencional por aço microligado na estrutura tubular de uma carroceria para veículos de transporte coletivo de passageiros. O aço convencional vem sendo utilizado pela indústria de carrocerias há vários anos, já o aço microligado é utilizado basicamente em estruturas específicas que requeiram boas propriedades mecânicas e conseqüentemente redução de peso. A análise de viabilidade para a substituição de aço convencional por aço microligado em um módulo estrutural completo requereu uma série de ensaios: ensaios padronizados em laboratório foram executados para avaliação de suas principais propriedades mecânicas e químicas; ensaios de nós estruturais submetidos a uma carga forneceram informações para o uso em software de elementos finitos tanto para execução de cálculos estruturais, quanto para calibração de resultados. Os módulos estruturais foram preparados de acordo com as regulamentações ECE R66-00 (mercado europeu) e CONTRAN 811/96 (mercado brasileiro) e foram ensaiados exaustivamente até se obter o melhor resultado de deslocamento comparativamente aos dois materiais analisados. A validação da estrutura tubular foi obtida com a utilização do software Ansys Workbench 9.0 e a confecção de estrutura representativa de uma carroceria ensaiada conforme regulamentação CONTRAN 811/96. / Two kinds of steel were studied, conventional steel ZAR 230 (a standard for high strength galvanizing) and microalloyed steel ZSTE 380 (according to the regulation SEW 093). The study of its mechanical properties aimed to replace the steel for microalloyed steel in bodywork s tubular structure for collective transport vehicles of passengers. The conventional steel has been used for the bodywork industry for years, and the microalloyed steel is basically used in specific structures, those who require good mechanical properties and mass reduction. The analysis of the feasibility for the replacement of conventional steel for microalloyed steel in a complete structural model requires a series of tests. Lab tests were done to evaluate their main mechanical and chemical properties. The tests of the structural nodes and the structural behaviour when subjected to a load provided information to be used in the finite elements method software to do structural calculation and to calibrate the results. The structural modules were prepared according to the regulations ECE R66-00 (European market) and CONTRAN 811/96 (Brazilian market) and these modules were tested exhaustively to achieve the best displacement between the two materials that were analysed comparatively. The validation of the tubular structure was obtained using the software Ansys Workbench 9.0 and the production of the representative structure of a bodywork tested according the regulation CONTRAN 811/96.

Des nuances d’aciers à moyen carbone, microalliés au vanadium, ont été élaborées avec l’objectif d’obtenir de nouvelles microstructures, majoritairement constituées de ferrite aciculaire (FA). Le contrôle de la composition chimique (0.1-0.3 % V) et la vitesse de refroidissement (2.0 °Cs-1) conduit à des fractions de FA atteignant 80 %. Un paramètre empirique, le pouvoir ferritisant, P, a été introduit pour évaluer l’effet combiné de la composition chimique et de la vitesse de refroidissement sur la fraction de FA. Les caractérisations par MEB et MET montrent que la FA se développe à partir de la ferrite proeutectoïde recouvrant les inclusions de MnS. Une précipitation interphase de carbonitrures de vanadium, V(C,N), serait à l’origine d’un appauvrissement local en carbone de la matrice austénitique autour des aiguilles de FA, favorisant une germination autocatalytique. Le caractère fractal de la FA a été mis en évidence par des caractérisations morphologiques. Les dimensions fractales, D, et les longueurs de coupure ont été déterminées par la méthode de comptage de boîtes à partir d’images MEB. Des essais mécaniques isothermes-quasistatiques révèlent des propriétés mécaniques équivalentes à celles des microstructures bainitiques. Les courbes contrainte-déformation montrent un comportement mécanique de type Hollomon. Les structures de ces aciers présentent des taux de consolidation qui augmentent avec l’accroissement de la fraction de FA. Une corrélation entre les propriétés mécaniques et la dimension fractale a été établie. Ce lien s’exprime par des relations de type exponentiel : [delta]M = c exp [[alpha](D -2)] où M représente? les propriétés mécaniques (Re, Rm, etc.) et c? et ?[alpha] des constantes / Medium carbon vanadium microalloyed steels have been developed to obtain new microstructures, mainly formed of acicular ferrite (AF). Controlling the chemical composition and (0.1-0.3 % V) and the cooling rates (2.0 °Cs-1) lead to AF fractions up to 80 %. An empirical parameter, the ferritisant power, P, has been introduced to evaluate the combined effect of chemical composition and cooling conditions. Scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy investigations indicate that AF develops from proeutectoid ferrite enveloping MnS inclusions. An interphase precipitation of vanadium carbo-nitrides, V(C,N) has been identified. It is suggested that this precipitation is at the origin of carbon depletion in the austenitic matrix surrounding the AF plates. The formation of the AF is then enhanced by an autocatalytic effect. The fractal nature of AF has been determined by SEM and TEM characterisations. Fractal dimensions, D, and cut off lengths have been derived by the counting box method applied to SEM images. Mechanical tests conducted in isothermal and quasistatic conditions reveal that mechanical properties of AF are of the same grade of that of bainitic microstructures. Experimental strain-stress curves are described by the Hollomon law. The work hardening of the studied microstructures increases with the AF fraction. The mechanical properties have been linked to the fractal dimension by the following exponential relation : [delta]M = c exp [[alpha] (D -2)], where M represents the mechanical property (Re, Rm, etc.) and c and [alpha] are constants parameters