Ferritic Stainless Steel Sheet Punching Cracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Thick-wall flanges made of ferritic stainless steel sheets face challenges in punching work, leading to cracking and dimensional inaccuracies due to inadequate workability and corrosion resistance, especially with increased combustion temperatures in engines.

Innovation Solution

A hot-rolled and annealed ferritic stainless steel sheet with a single ferrite phase microstructure and specific chemical composition, subjected to hot-rolling and annealing at 600°C to 750°C for 1 to 24 hours, ensuring an average grain size of 5 to 20 μm for improved workability and corrosion resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If thick ferritic stainless steel sheets are used for flanges to ensure high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance, then material performance is improved, but punching workability deteriorates causing cracking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehigh-temperature strengthVSAvoidpunching workability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the microstructural parameters of the steel sheet by controlling the grain size to 5-20 μm and maintaining a single-phase ferrite structure. This parameter optimization improves punching workability while preserving the high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance required for flange applications

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite microstructure within the ferritic stainless steel by carefully controlling the composition (C: 0.001-0.020%, Si: 0.05-1.00%, Mn: 0.05-1.00%, Cr: 10.0-20.0%, Ni: 0.50-2.00%, Ti: 0.10-0.40%, N: 0.001-0.020%) to achieve a single-phase ferrite microstructure with specific grain size, combining multiple alloying elements to simultaneously improve workability and maintain material performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If conventional hot-rolled ferritic stainless steel sheets are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but dimensional accuracy deteriorates during punching work

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoiddimensional accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces specific parameter changes in the hot-rolled steel sheet annealing process, controlling the temperature range (600-750°C) and time (1-24 hours) to achieve the desired grain size (5-20 μm) and single-phase ferrite microstructure, thereby improving dimensional accuracy while maintaining manufacturing simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If annealing temperature is increased to improve microstructure, then grain size control is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegrain size controlVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the annealing parameters by defining a specific temperature range (600-750°C) and time period (1-24 hours) that achieves the target grain size (5-20 μm) and microstructure. This optimized parameter range minimizes energy consumption while ensuring proper grain growth and phase transformation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The continuous annealing process maintains the steel sheet at the optimal temperature range for the required duration, ensuring complete phase transformation and uniform grain structure throughout the material, which improves dimensional accuracy and punching workability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides a steel sheet with sufficient corrosion resistance and excellent punching workability, maintaining dimensional accuracy without cracking, even in thick-wall flange production, while ensuring high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance.

Implementation Method 1

subjected to hot-rolling and annealing at 600°C to 750°C for 1 to 24 hours, ensuring an average grain size of 5 to 20 μm

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAnnealing: Annealing

Data Source

PatentUS20210363604A1Hot-rolled and annealed ferritic stainless steel sheet and method for producing the same
Publication Date: 2021.11.25 JFE STEEL CORP

AI summary

To provide a hot-rolled and annealed ferritic stainless steel sheet having sufficient corrosion resistance and excellent punching workability, a predetermined dimensional accuracy being obtained without cracking when the steel sheet is formed into a thick-walled flange by punching work, and a method for producing the hot-rolled and annealed ferritic stainless steel sheet.The hot-rolled and annealed ferritic stainless steel sheet has a chemical composition containing, on a mass percent basis, C: 0.001% to 0.020%, Si: 0.05% to 1.00%, Mn: 0.05% to 1.00%, P: 0.04% or less, S: 0.01% or less, Al: 0.01% to 0.10%, Cr: 10.0% to 20.0%, Ni: 0.50% to 2.00%, Ti: 0.10% to 0.40%, and N: 0.001% to 0.020%, the balance being Fe and incidental impurities; and has a metal microstructure which is a single ferrite phase microstructure having an average grain size of 5 to 20 μm.