Characteristics of one forging microalloyed steel API 5L

ABSTRACT

In API (American Petroleum Institute) microalloyed steels used in the manufacture of large diameter pipelines, the mechanical properties must be sufficient to withstand the high pressure of the transported fluid in the petrochemical industry. The increased of yield strength and toughness to allow operation at higher line pressure, without collapse of the structure, is the main requirement for these steels. In Brazil, industries produce these steels by hot rolling of strips or plates, with the addition of niobium, titanium and vanadium, as the requirements of API 5L standard. Due to the geometric complexity of the components, such as flanges and pipes connections, it is important to develop an alternative process for the manufacture of these accessories. Regarding this context and in order to evaluate a new processing, one steel was developed with chemical composition as an API 5L X70. The liquid metal was poured into an ingot mold and forged bars were manufactured with square section. The bars were annealed and samples were cut. The samples were submitted to quenching and tempering at different temperatures. Hardness measurements, microstructural analysis and mechanical properties, after quenching and tempering treatments were compared with literature results for the rolled steel tubes. Preliminary results show that the heat treatments conditions are important to develop an alternative route by controlled forging for steels, with standard API 5L characteristics.

Keywords:
Microalloyed steel; heat treatments; steel forging