www.mejournal.

orgJournalofMetallurgicalEngineering(ME)Volume4,2015
doi:10.14355/me.2015.04.003

EffectofManganeseSulphideShapesonthe
WorkhardeningCoefficientofHotRolled
StructuralSteel
AhmedI.Z.Farahat,ZainabAbdelhamidandNasserGomaa
CentralMetallurgicalResearchandDevelopmentInstitute,CMRDI,P.O.Box87Helwan,Egypt
Abstract
Thispaperstudiedtheeffectofnonmetallicinclusionsshapes(manganesesulphidesonthetensiletestingbehavior,thework
hardening coefficient and rate. Longitudinal and Transverse tensile testing was carried out. The fracture surface was studied
aftertensiletesting.ChemicalanalysisforthenonmetallicsolutionwasconductedusingEDSSEM.Tensiletestingwascarried
outinthicknessdirectionandinparalleltothedirectionofrolling.Theworkhardeningcoefficient(withtensilesamplesofthe
thickness) increases with the types II and III. It is found that the workhardening rate for types of nonmetallic inclusions is
similar and has critical change. It is also observed that the nonmetallic inclusions Type II and III can resist the crack
propagationduetocracktiporplasticzoneattheonsetofcrack.
Keywords
NonMetallicInclusionsShapes,LongitudinalAndTransverseTensileTesting,FractureSurface,WorkHardeningCoefficient

Introduction
Nonmetallic inclusions are very harmful in steel practice. After Oxygen, Sulpher is the most important non
metallic element in the field of steel metallurgy [1]. Therefore, sulphides form a second important group of
inclusions.Morphologyofsuphidesinclusionshassignificanteffectonthevariouspropertiesofsteels[2].
1.

Sulfidesareprecipitatedduringsolidificationduetothesoluteelements(suchasMnandS)segregation;

2.

Sulfidesareprecipitatedduringthetransformationduetotheredistributionofsoluteelementsandthe
differentsulfidesolubilityinFeandFe;

3.

Sulfides are precipitated in Fe due to the decrease in solubility of sulfur in the matrix with decreasing
temperature;

4.

Sulfidesareprecipitatedduringthe/transformationduetothedifferenceofsulfursolubilityinFeand
Fe.

SimmsandDhale,in1938,classifiedthenonmetallicinclusionsintothreetypesdependingonthemorphologyof
manganesesulphides[3]:
1.

TypeIthatexistwhenthereispracticallynoaluminumcontent,usuallyinsiliconkilledsteels.

2.

TypeIIisthatappearwiththefirsttracesofaluminum,above0.005wt%.

3.

TypeIIIisthatinitiallyappearsalongsidetypeIIatlevelsof0.01to0.03wt%totalaluminum.

4.

TypeIIIispracticallyassuredastheonlytypetooccurwithtotalaluminumof0.04wt%.

The type of manganese sulphide inclusions in wrought steels depends on the type of sulphide formed in the
originalcaststeel.
Type I manganese sulphide inclusions are much harder than the other types. During rolling, type I manganese
sulphidedeformstoalozengeshape.Anysilicatesusuallydeformmore,endingupatthetipsofthelozenge[4].
Elongated (Types II and III) inclusions also act as initiation sites for lamellar tearing. Farrar in 1979 found that

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lamellar tearing could also be initiated by type I manganese sulphides, but the volume fraction of Type I
manganese sulphides required for initiation was very high, and such a high level of only type I inclusions is
unlikelytobefoundinstructuralsteels.Insuch(highoxygen)steels,susceptibilitytolamellartearingisgenerally
controlledbyoxides[5,6].
The final shape of the inclusions in wrought steel is particularly important with reference to hydrogen induced
crackinginsourserviceandlamellartearing[7,8].Theelongatedmanganesesulphideinclusionsinwroughtsteel
(TypeII,III)actasinitiationsitesforhydrogeninducedcrackinginsour(H2Scontaining)environments.However,
typeImanganesesulphideinclusionshavebeenreportedtotraphydrogen,inhibitinghydrogendiffusionandthus
inhibitinghydrogeninducedcrackingbothattheinitiationandpropagationstage.TypesIIandIIIMnSinclusions
becomemuchmoreelongatedthantypeIuponrolling[9].
It is much more difficult to distinguish between these types in wrought steels than in cast steels. Type II is
characteristicallyinclusters,ratherthanisolatedinclusions[10].
Hydrogeninducedcracking(HIC)andsulphidestresscracking(SSC)representtwokindsofaspecifichydrogen
provokeddamagethatarefrequentlymetinpetroleumandrefineryindustry.Inthefirstcase(HIC),itisgenerally
recognized that resistance of steels depends mainly on their microstructure featuresnonmetallic inclusions and
segregationbands.Elongatedmanganesesulphidesareconsideredasthemostdangerousinitiationsites[4,11].In
thesecondcasesulphidestresscracking(SSC),itisbelievedthatresistanceofsteelscanbepreferentiallyrelatedto
theirstrengthlevelwhilemicrostructurecharacteristicsarelessimportant[58,10,12].
Manganesesulphideinclusionsareresponsiblefortheinitiationcoarsemicrovoidsasaresultoftheseparationof
theinclusionmatrixinterface.Thesubsequentgrowthofmicrovoidsandthepropagationofthecleavagecracks
dependoneffectiveferritegrainsizeandmatrixstrength[13].
This paper is a trial to detect the effect of sulphide shape on the opening of cracks especially in the direction of
rollingandthicknessandtocomparetheirworkhardeningcoefficients.
Experimental Work
TheReceivedMaterial
Plate of heats of steel with the thick plate were received and used for experimental studies. The chemical
compositionofthestudiedheatsisgiveninTable1
TABLE1CHEMICALCOMPOSITIONOFSTEEL(WT%)

Sample

Si

Mn

Al

0.172

0.267

1.69

0.0065

0.0086

0.0403

0.170

0.265

1.71

0.0600

0.0080

0.0401

0.171

0.270

1.68

0.0063

0.0084

0.0400

The tensile testing was carried outat room temperature to determine the tensile strengthin the rollingdirection
andinthethicknessdirectiontoevaluatetheeffectofnonmetallicinclusionsontheworkhardeningcoefficient.
Polishedsamplesweremetallographicallypreparedtodeterminethenonmetallicinclusionstypeandsize.Optical
and SEM microstructure were used to recognize the different phases. The ASTM standard (E4597) was used to
recognizeandtocomparethedifferentsizeofnonmetallicinclusionsforthereceivedplates.ASTME8Standard
TestMethodsforTensionTestingofMetallicMaterialswasusedtomachinethetensilespecimens.Thetensilerate
was5mm/minutes.
OpticalMicrostructure
The microstructure consists of ferrite (white phase) and pearlite (dark phase) as shown in Figs.1&2. The matrix
consistsofbandedlayersofferriteandpearlite.

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FIIG.1OPTICALM
MICROSTRUCT
TURECONTAIININGBANDS OF
FERRITRP
PEARLITRDUE
ETOHOTROL
LLINGAND
M
MANGGANESE
ESEGREGATIO
ON

FIG.2.SEMMIICROSTRUCTU
URECONTAININGFERRITR
PEAR
RLITR

No
onMETALLIC
CMicrograph
hsFORTHEReeceivedSamp
ples
Op
pticalmetallo
ographicobsservationrev
vealedthatsaample1hasnonmetalliccinclusionsoofTypeIasshowninFig.3.
Itiisfoundthattabout74%o
ofnonmetalllicinclusion
nsexhibit10
0masdemo
onstratedinFFig.4.

FIG.33OPTICALMIC
CROGRAPHSO
OFNONMETA
ALLICINCLUSIONS(TYPEI)ATDIFFERENT
TZONESSAMP
PLE1

ETALLICINCL
FIG
G.4HISTOGRA
AMOFNONME
LUSIONSTYPEIFORSAMPL
LE1

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SE
EMMicrograp
phsfortheR
ReceivedSam
mples
Th
he SEM micrrographs em
mphasize the optical miccrographs (ty
ype I) for sa
ample 1 as d
demonstrate
ed in Fig.5. The
T
cheemicalcomp
positionismaainlyFe,Mn
nandS.

FIG
G5SEMGLOBU
ULARSHAPESOFMANGAN
NESESULPHIDE
ESFORSAMPL
LE1

Miicrograph (F
Fig.6) of sam
mple 2 clariffies that thee nonmetalllic inclusions are type III. For samp
ple 3, the SEM
miicrographsex
xhibitthatth
henonmetalllicinclusion
nsofthehotrolledsamplesaretypeIIIIasappare
entinFig.8.T
The
cheemicalanaly
ysisemphasizzesthatthen
nonmetallic ismanganessesulphide((SeeFig.7).

FIG.6SEMANG
F
GULARSHAPE
ESOFMANGAN
NESESULPHID
DES
(TYPEIII)F
FORSAMPLE3

FIG
G.7EDSSEMA
ANALYSISOFN
NONMETALLIICINCLUSION
NS
TYPEIIIFOR
RSAMPLE3

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Z Tensile
T
Te
esting of Cross
C
Sectiion Evalua
ation
Zttestingwasp
performedto
orecognize theeffectof
fmanganese sulphideso
onthevalue ofreduction
nofareadueeto
ten
nsileonthick
knesssamplees.
ofSample1
SE
EMFractureo
ofZTensileTestfor42%
%Reductiono
Fig
gure8and9showtheto
opographyfo
orfractureo
ofZtensilesample.Them
manganesessulphideisssphericaltyp
peI.

GENERALVIIEWOFFRACT
TURESURFACE
EFORSAMPLE
E1

Globu
ularshape

FIG.8SEMGLO
F
OBULARSHAP
PEOFMANGAN
NESESULPHID
DES

FIIG.9EDSSEMF
FORGLOBULA
ARSHAPESOF MANGANESE
E
SULPHIDESFO
ORSAMPLE1

SE
EMFractureZ
ZofTensileTestforFracctureOf20%
%ReductionofSample2
Fig
gure10 and 11 demonstrrate fracture
e surface of Z
Ztensilesurrface for sam
mple2. It clar
arifieselonga
ated mangan
nese
sullphide.

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FIG.10ED
DSSEMFOREL
LONGATEDSH
HAPESOFMAN
NGANESESUL
LPHIDESFORSSAMPLE2

FIG.11ED
DSSEMFOREL
LONGATEDSH
HAPESOFMAN
NAGNESESULPJHIDESFORSSAMPLE2

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SE
EMFractureo
ofZTensileTestfor17%
%ReductionfforSample3
3
Fig
gures12,13aand14showtheflatman
nganesesulph
hideanditschemicalcom
mposition.

Flatmangane
esesulphide

FIG.12EDSSEMOFE
ELONAGTEDSSHAPESMANG
GANESESULPH
HIDESFORSAM
MPLE3

Disco
ontinuous
Mangane
eseSulphide

FIG
G.13EDSSEMO
OFELONGATE
EDSHAPESMA
ANGANESESU
ULPHIDESTYP
PEII

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Manganesesulphidess
bularshape
glob
Manga
anesesulphidess
elon
ngatedshape

FIG14EDSS
SEMOFGLOBU
ULARSHAPESMANGANESE
ESULPHIDES

Efffect of Non-Metallic Inclusions on the L ongitudina

al Tensile Test
Fig
gure 15 show
ws the longiitudinal stressstrain currves for the different recceived samp
ples. It seems clear that the
lon
ngitudinal teensile strength increases with decreaasing the non
nmetallic siize as demon
nstrated in type
t
I (globu
ular
sha
ape).Theglo
obularshapee(TypeI)no
onmetalliciinclusionsprrovidethehigheststrenggth.Figure1
16describes the
wo
orkhardenin
ngcoefficienttofthelongiitudinaltenssilecurves.Ittisapparenttthatthewoorkhardeningcoefficient(n)
of the longitud
dinal tensile increases with
w
decreasin
ng the nonm
metallic size especially aas emphasize
ed with typees I
(gllobularshapee).

FIIG.15THETRU
UESTRESSSTRA
AINDIAGRAM
MSFORLONGIT
TUDINALTEST
TINGOFDIFFE
ERENTSAMPL
LES

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FIG
G.16THEWOR
RKHARDENIN
NGCOEFFICIEN
NTFORLONGIITUDINALTES
STINGOFDIFFFERENTSAMPL
LES

Th
he Work-Ha
ardening Rate
R
Fig
gure17demo
onstratestheeeffectofnonmetallicm
morphologyo
ontheworkhardeningra
rates.Itisclearthatthen
non
meetallic inclussions Type I the highest value of thee onset of th
he workhardening rate (approximately 40000M
MPa)
wh
hiletypeIIstartsatarou
und25000MP
Paandtype IIstartsatleessthan2000
00MPa.Allssamplesofth
healltypesII,II
and III exhibitt peal at abo
out 2% strain
n. Type I sh
hows slight increase
i
in th
hat peal wh
hile Type II and
a
III prov
vide
duetothemo
orphologynaatureofthen
nonmetallicinclusions.
rellativelyhigheerincreased

FIG..17EFFECTOFNONMETALL
LCSHAPESON
NTHEWORKH
HARDENINGR
RATE

Efffect of Non-Metallic Inclusions on the C

Cross-Sectiion Tensile
e Test
Fig
gure 18 show
ws the crosssectional strressstrain cu
urvesfor thee different re
eceived samp
ples. It seem
ms clearthat the
cro
osssectional tensilestren
ngthincrease
eswithdecreeasingtheno
onmetallicssizeasdemoonstratedinttypeI(globu
ular
sha
ape).

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FIG
G.18THETRUESTRESSSTRAIINDIAGRAMSSFORCROSSS
SECTIONALTESTINGOFDIFFFERENTSAMP
PLES

FIG
G.19THEWOR
RKHARDENIN
NGCOEFFICIEN
NTFORCROSS
SSECTIONTES
STINGOFDIFFFERENTSAMPL
LES

Fig
gure 19 desccribes the workhardeni
w
ng coefficien
nt of the cro
osssectional tensile curvves. It is apparent that the
wo
orkhardenin
ng coefficien
nt (n) of the crosssectio
onal tensile increases
i
wiith decreasin
ng the nonm
metallic sizee as
em
mphasizedin
ntypeI(glob
bularshape).However,th
theworkharrdeningcoeffficient(n)foorcrosssectionaltensilettest
inccreaseswith increasingth
henonmeta
allicshapeassemphasized
dforTypeIIIIwhereitcrreatescracktipbetween the
meetal matrix aand nonmettallic bodies as shown iin Fig.20. Th
his crack tips highly inccreases the workharden
w
ning
coeefficient.Theeresultsofw
workhardeniingcanbesu
ummarizedin
nFig.21.

FIG.20CRACK
KTIPATTHEO
ONSETOFTHE
ELONGITUDIN
NALNONMET
TALLICINCLUSSIONSTYPEIIII

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FIG.21RELATIONSH
HIPBETWEENT
THEREDUCTIO
ONOFTENSIL
LEAREAANDW
WORKHARDE
ENINGCOEFFIICIENT

For longitudin
nal tensile teesting, the workharden
w
ning coefficieent (n) high
hly increasess with enhancing the non
n
meetallicinclusiionsandreaachesthema
aximumvalu
ueattheglobularshape typeI.theT
TypeIIand IIIdecrease the
wo
orkhardenin
ngcoefficientt(n)because
ethenonmeetallicdecrea
asesthecrossssectionund
derstressandtheelongaated
nonmetallicisparalleltoth
hetensiledirrection.
Co
onclusions
s
1E
Elongated m
manganese su
ulphide (typ
pe II & III) causes seveere cracks du
uring Ztest
t leading to decreasing the
red
ductionpcto
ofZtest.
2G
Globularman
nganesesulp
phidedoesn
notcausesev
verecrackin
nitiationsand
dconsequen
ntlydoesnottdeteriorate the
meechanicalpro
operties.
3T
The direction
n of nonmeetallic inclusiions highly affects the workharden
w
ning coefficieent where in
n the transveerse
dirrection (thick
kness) the tiips of the micro
m
cracks have plasticc zone whicch highly ressists the crack propagattion
du
uringdynamiicloading.
4A
Although thee globular manganese
m
su
ulphide (typ
pe I) does no
ot cause seve
ere crack iniitiation, how
wever, the crack
pro
opagation iss faster than that done by
b type II orr III. This leads to sudden catastrop
phically failu
ure. Meanwh
hile,
Elo
ongated maanganese sullphide (type
e II and II)) causes sev
vere crack initiation asssociated with slow crrack
pro
opagation.C
Consequently
y,itwillbeea
asiertodetecctthecracksbeforetheyreachthecriiticalsize.
AC
CKNOWLEDGE
EMENTS

Technicalsupp
portsoftheE
EgyptianNationalSteelF
Factoryand HeadofQualityControolDepartmen
ntaregratefu
ully
ack
knowledged.
RE
EFERENCE

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