Effect of Micro-Alloying with Boron and Niobium on Properties of Cr-Mn-Mo Steels

Economically alloyed steels for critical details of drill pipes have been studied. Effect of microalloying on structure and properties has been investigated. The article shows that boron and niobium additives change the structure and properties of Cr-Mn-Mo steels after quenching and high tempering. Methods of optical and electron microscopy have been used. Basic mechanical properties and impact strength of investigated steels are determined. Optical and electronic fractography has been carried out. The quantitative content of the ductile component is determined in steel fracture. It is shown that steel microalloying leads to a substantial structure refinement. This is due to the influence of niobium on the austenite grain value. An increase in the amount of carbide particles leads to structure refinement with an increased molybdenum content. Boron microadditives allow obtaining the tempered martensite structure throughout the product section. This provides an increase in both the strength and ductile properties. Combined microalloying of chromium-manganese-molybdenum steel with additions of boron up to 0.005 % and niobium up to 0.05 % makes it possible to increase the strength and reduce the tendency to brittle fractures significantly. The nature of the fracture becomes completely ductile. Distinct cleavage fracture surface feature “river patterns” are observed in unmodified steels. Сleavage facetes are large enough, it proves the presence of large grains in the steel. Microalloying changes the destruction mechanism, it becomes a ductile “dimple rupture”. An increase in the molybdenum content to 0.6 % makes it possible to obtain strength above 1100 MPa in microalloyed steel.