Microstructure Evolution of HSLA Pipeline Steels after Hot Uniaxial Compression

The mechanical properties of the high-strength low-alloy pipeline steels were mainly controlled by the subsequent phase transformations after rolling. The influence of hot uniaxial compression on the phase transformation of acicular ferrite was explored by viewing of the deformation degree, the deformation temperature, and the strain rate. The results show that the increase of deformation amounts raises the transformation starting and finishing temperature during the subsequent cooling and also promotes the polygonal ferrite transformation, which leads to the decrease of Vickers hardness accordingly. With the increasing of the deformation temperature, the achieved microstructure becomes coarsened and thus decreases the hardness. As the strain rate increases, the microstructure is refined and thus the hardness increases gradually; increasing the strain rate appropriately is beneficial to the refinement of the microstructure.