Hot rolling: mechanical, microstructural, modeling, simulation for both ferrous and light metals

The dimensions, speed and complexity of rolling mills have been advancing with understanding of themechanics and augmented calculating power. However, the metallurgical mechanisms both during the passesand between them are significant for stresses, defect avoidance and product properties. With facile abilityto examine microstructures at end of any pass or interval, physical simulation of multistage rolling has beenachieved in torsion, as well as in plane strain compression; while the former excels in number of passes andtotal strains ?, the latter can provide texture information. However, for product mechanical properties, torsiononly permits hardness of the surface layer while plane strain specimens would permit tension or bending.From dependencies on strain, strain rate and temperature T of stresses and microstructure for Al alloys,C/HSLA/tool steels and ferritic/austenitic alloys, the dependence on microstructural mechanisms duringstraining and unloaded intervals can be clearly defined and related to rolling forces and power demands. Theeffects of solute, particles and lattice dependent dislocation mobility can provide understanding of broadrange of industrial requirements for product properties. For C/HSLA steels, there is the added complexity ofadding a cooling procedure that ensures planned phase transformations. For Al alloys and stainless steels,the final cooling schedule can be arranged to provide prevention of, or any degree of static recrystallization,with control of grain size and degree of isotropy. The multistage rolling simulations combined withexamination by optical microscopy OM, TEM and SEM-OIM improve process controls and product properties