Thermomechanical processing of steels

Abstract

The combination of hot working technologies with a thermal path, under controlled conditions (i.e., thermomechanical processing) provides opportunities to achieve required mechanical properties at lower costs. The replacement of conventional rolling plus post-rolling heat treatments by integrated controlled forming and cooling strategies implies important reductions in energy consumption, increases in productivity and more compact facilities in the steel industry. The metallurgical challenges that this integration implies, though, are relevant and impressive developments that have been achieved over the last 40 years. The development of new steel grades and processing technologies devoted to thermomechanically-processed products is increasing and their implementation is being expended to higher value added products and applications.