Composition and processing of direct-quench hot rolled steels with ultrahigh strength exceeding GPa

The design of high-strength steel has long been discussed in the field of metal structural materials. To further increase the strength of common high-strength steel and further decrease the cost for production, three direct-quench hot rolled steels were designed and fabricated. The rolling and coiling processes were set based on continuous cooling transformation curves. In addition, the effect of the coiling temperature on the tensile properties was discussed to further guide the optimization of the process. It was found that compared with granular bainite, lower bainite probably has more advantages for both the strength and low temperature impact toughness of direct-quench hot rolled steels. Through a process of tailoring the morphology of bainite and controlling the grain boundary precipitation, the newly designed direct-quench hot rolled steels showed greatly improved strength and acceptable ductility/toughness compared with traditional quenched and tempered steels.