Effect of Heating Rate and Soaking Temperature on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Hot Dip Galvanized Dual Phase Steels

Dual phase steels are used in various industrial applications, mostly in automotive industry, due to its excellent mechanical properties (high tensile strength, high formability, etc.). These properties depend on their microstructure which results from all production conditions. Continuous annealing stage is the most important section to compose final microstructure of dual phase steels. The present authors have been studying development of production and characterization of dual phase steels which have improved properties. In this work; continuous annealing treatment was simulated by GLEEBLE 3500 simulator to determine effect of different heating rates and soaking temperatures on microstructure and mechanical properties of dual phase steels. Heat treated samples were characterized by using optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Tensile strength and hardness values were obtained. The experimental data showed that heating rate and soaking temperature are very important parameters to obtain proper final microstructure.

Keywords: continuous annealing, dual phase, characterization.