Application of mathematical model for microstructure

and mechanical property of hot rolled wire rods

Yunxiang Zhang
a,b
, Haiou Zhang
a
, Guilan Wang
a
, Shengde Hu
b,
*
a
Materials College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
b
College of Materials Science and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, China
Received 14 November 2007; received in revised form 22 January 2008; accepted 23 January 2008
Available online 8 February 2008
Abstract
A set of integrated mathematical models for predicting microstructures evolution during hot rolling and controlled
cooling of high carbon wire rods has been developed through laboratory research work and industrial validation experi-
ments. It consists of many sub-models such as critical strain, static and dynamic recrystallization of austenite, fraction of
transformed austenite, interlamellar spacing of pearlite, microstructureproperty relations. Based on the models, a simu-
lating software is programmed which can run on PC computers. The physical metallurgy process during hot rolling and
controlled cooling including the temperature distribution, the evolution of austenite grains, fraction of transformation aus-
tenite, nal microstructure and mechanical properties were predicted. The predicted results are agree well with measured of
the industrial tests.
2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: High carbon wire rods; Mathematical modelling; Microstructure evolution; Recrystallization; Simulating software
1. Introduction
Nowadays wire rods are one of the important construction steel. Wire rods production nominally consists
of 2528 stands mills, the rolling stands, consisting of a 6-stand tandem in the roughing train, a 10-stand tan-
dem in the intermediate train, a 4-stand tandem in pre-nishing train and a 10-stand tandem in the nishing
train, are all individually driven with an alternative vertical and horizontal arrangement. Two water cooling
zones are installed in the rolling line, in which the intermediate water cooling zone is located behind the inter-
mediate train and is used to control the temperature of the rolled stocks entering the nishing train. Behind the
nishing train is the nishing water cooling zone which is used to control the nishing rolling temperature. The
wire rods are cooled by air forcing method during transporting at the Stelmor line, and then coils are charged
at coil collecting station.
0307-904X/$ - see front matter 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.apm.2008.01.024
*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 27 87543493; fax: +86 27 87557394.
E-mail address: adhello@163.com (S. Hu).
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
Applied Mathematical Modelling 33 (2009) 12591269
www.elsevier.com/locate/apm
The layout is given in Fig. 1.
Water cooling boxes have been installed between pre-nishing train and nishing train. Stock temperature
of entrance nishing train can be controlled by adjusting water pressure and on/o of valve in water cooling
box.
In the production of high speed wire rods, the steel undergoes a serial of following change: austenitizing,
deformation of the austenitic texture, recrystallization, austenite grain growing and transformation of austen-
ite to pearlite. These metallurgical processes have been expressed by a serial of models established on the lab-
oratory scale and the industrial scale. All the models have been testied and modied by industrial production
process [1,2].
In the present work, an integrated model has been developed to simulate physical metallurgical processes,
including temperature history, microstructure evolution and nal mechanical properties. Dierent rolling
parameters and controlled cooling parameters are considered in simulation of wire rods rolling in the heavy
section mill of Wuhan Iron and Steel Company Limited (WISCO), China.
Finally a platform of computer prediction system of microstructure and properties for high carbon steel of
wire rods has been established to direct the rolling operation in the heavy section mill of WISCO. The simu-
lating software can predict the thermal history and metallurgical evolutions of the wire rod during rolling and
cooling as well as its nal microstructure and mechanical properties. At the same time, the simulation software
can also determine the rolling operating parameters in order to improve the quality of the products.
2. Experimental work
Laboratory tests and rolling trials have been carried out on eutectoid steels in order to develop the physical
metallurgical models and validate the models with industrial data.
2.1. Laboratory tests
To determine the phase transformation and recrystallization characteristics, the tests were conducted on the
THERMOMASTER-Z thermo-mechanical simulator. Cylindrical specimens with diameter of 8 mm and
length of 10 mm were prepared, whose ingredient is listed in Table 1.
Fig. 1. Dual line layout of high speed wire production. (1) slab charging hank; (2) entry furnace table; (3) walking beam furnace (4)
descaling equipment; (5) rough stands; (6) warm table; (7) intermediate stands; (8) prenishing stands; (9) water cooling box; (10) nishing
stands; (11) and (12) water cooling box; (13) laying head machine; (14) Stelmor air cooling line; (15) coil collecting station; (16) and
(17).bundling machine; (18) and (19) coil discharging station.
Table 1
Chemical compositions of high carbon steel in study (wt%)
Steel grade C Si Mn P S Cr Cu N Als
82B 0.810.85 0.150.35 0.600.90 60.02 60.015 0.150.23 60.20 60.005 60.04
82A 0.790.86 0.150.35 0.60.9 60.025 60.025 0.100.30 60.20 60.005 60.04
72A 0.700.74 0.200.30 0.400.50 60.020 60.015 60.10
72B 0.710.74 0.200.30 0.700.80 60.020 60.015 60.10
1260 Y. Zhang et al. / Applied Mathematical Modelling 33 (2009) 12591269
Specimens were heated at 8001050 C and hold about 26 min, then quenched in the water. The purpose
of tests is to obtain the model of austenite grain growing, which can predict the original austenite grain size
before rolling and austenite grain size in other models [3].
Microstructure evolution of high carbon steel in single-pass and multi-pass hot deformation was investi-
gated by means of hot compression simulation [1,4]. In the experiments the specimens were austenitized at
dierent temperature to obtain various austenite grain size (47124 lm), then hot compressions at various
temperatures of 9301100 C, strains of 0.10.8 and strain rates of 150 s
1
have been conducted to quanti-
tatively acquire eects of the rolling parameters on the recrystallization percentage and microstructure varia-
tion. The recrystallization dynamic kinetics is analyzed by inverse extrapolation method [5]. Some samples of
complete recrystallization are quenched and austenite grain size are measured by metallographic methods.
The characteristics of the austenitic phase transformation of high carbon steel under dierent isothermal
conditions (isothermal temperature 590665 C; austenite grain size 18.948.0 lm) have been investigated
by dilatometry [6]. Then the diameter of pearlite lump size and interlamellars spacing of pearltie were mea-
sured by the scanning electronic microscope (SEM).
2.2. Industrial trials
The verication and calibration of the models have been performed by comparing calculated values with
actual wire rod mill data measured by heavy section mill, WISCO.
On-line bar surface temperatures were measured by portable infrared pyrometers which was previously cal-
ibrated against a black body at the laboratory. The measurements have been done at dierent positions along
the wire rod mills, at the entry and the exit side of water cooling sections and along the Stelmor conveyor.
Specimens for austenitic microstructure analysis were cut and water quenched at various stages of the roll-
ing process using the crop shears. A few wire rod samples were taken before the onset of phase transformation
by stopping the Stelmor conveyor for a few seconds and cutting o the end wraps which have been immedi-
ately quenched in water.
In the industrial trials, the ultimate tension strength (UTS) and reduction of area (w) of the rolled wire were
measured, and some samples were sent to laboratory to analyze micro-texture.
3. Mathematical models
This section described the sub-models for temperature distribution, grain growth, static and dynamic
recrystallization model, transformation kinetics and structureproperty relationships. These models can be
employed singly or linked in sequence with the output data of one model as input data for the next model.
The ow chart of the integrated mathematical models is shown in Fig. 2.
3.1. Thermal model
It is important to accurately predict the thermal history of wire rods. Most metallurgical operations involve
thermal phenomena whose kinetics exert a preponderant inuence on the quality of the nal products [4].
In present study, thermal history on the steel prole is calculated with nite dierence method (FDM). This
model is based on numerical integration of the Fourier heat equation shown in Eq. (1) [7]. Where q is the den-
sity, C the specic heat, and k the thermal conductivity of the rolled stock,
_
Q represents the volumetric rate of
heat generation arising from the deformation. The temperature distribution in the stock section is evaluated by
using an equivalent round section. The calculated temperature is used as input data for the microstructural
model [8]
o
or
k
oT
or

k
r
oT
or

_
Q qC
p
oT
ot
: 1
The cooling rate of steel in water cooling box depends on various operation parameters,such as rod size, rod
speed, rod temperature at the nishing mill, water pressure, water ow-rate and spray cooling sequence. Dif-
ferent boundary conditions were selected for various cooling zones, each boundary condition was dened by
Y. Zhang et al. / Applied Mathematical Modelling 33 (2009) 12591269 1261
its length and rod conveying speed. The heat ow at the surface (q
s
) can be obtained by the following relation-
ship [9]:
_ q
s
hT
s
T
0
; 2
where T
s
indicates the surface temperature,T
0
is the air or water temperature, and h is a combined heat trans-
fer coecient which includes a convection heat transfer coecient (h
c
) and a radiation heat transfer coecient
(h
r
), h = h
c
+ h
r
. Detail equations are given in literature [7,9].
The forced convection and radiation cooling took an important role during the Stelmor controlled cooling
process. The heat-transfer coecient of air forced convection and radiation are temperature dependent func-
tions obtained from industrial data. The phase transformation heat can be calculated by Eq. (3) [6]
DT
H
C
p
DF ; 3
where H is phase transformation heat enthalpy in kcal/kg, C
p
is specic heat capacity in kcal/(kg C), and DF
is volume increment of pearlite transformed from austenite.
3.2. Austenite evolution model
Based on the laboratory experimental results and other research works [1012], the microstructure evolu-
tion of steel can be modeled by the following equations.
3.2.1. Critical strain
The critical strain required for the onset of dynamic recrystallization is calculated on the basis of the hot
compressure test results using the following equations [1,9,10,13,14]:
Final mechanical properties
Strain-temperature model
Temperature field distribution
Strain-recrystallization model
Process parameters
Recrystallization volume fraction,
grain size,residual strain
Phase transformation model
Kenitics of austenitic transformation,final pearlite
lump size,interlamellar spacing of pearlite
Microstructure-property model
Fig. 2. Flow chart of computer simulation.
1262 Y. Zhang et al. / Applied Mathematical Modelling 33 (2009) 12591269
e
C
0:01731d
0:1753
0
Z
0:1446
;
Z _ e exp
129324
RT

;
_ e
2

3
p ln
W
i
W
p

2
ln
H
i
H
p

2
ln
W
i
W
p

ln
H
i
H
p

( )1
2
v=l;
4
where d
0
is the grain size before deformation in lm, Z is ZenerHolloman parameter, _ e is strain rate in s
1
, T is
the rolling temperature in K, and R is the gas constant, W
i
; W
p
are equivalent width of incoming stock and
outgoing stock respectively in m, H
i
; H
p
are equivalent height of incoming stock and outgoing stock respec-
tively in m, v is rolling speed in m/s and l is contact length in m.
3.2.2. Static recrystallization and grain growth model
The model for static recrystallization kinetics is based on the modied Avrami equation [12] which incor-
porates an empirical time constant for 50% recrystallization t
0.5
[911,13,1517]
X
s
1 exp 0:693
t
t
0:5

n

; 5
n 6:1 10
6
e
0:02
d
0:30
0
exp
18400
RT

;
t
0:5
4:5 10
5
e
1:0
d
0:6
0
exp
6900
RT

3:6
_ e

0:28
;
d
SRX
343e
0:5
d
0:4
0
exp
45000
RT

; 6
d
2
d
2
SRX
4:0 10
7
t t
0:95
exp
113000
RT

t 6 1 s; 7
d
7
d
7
SRX
1:5 10
27
t t
0:95
exp
400000
RT

t > 1 s; 8
where X
s
is static recrystallizatioon volume fraction, e is strain, d
SRX
is grain diameter after complete static
recrystallization in lm, d is grain diameter after growth in lm, t is pass interval time in second, t
0.5
and
t
0.95
are, respectively, corresponding to 50%, 95% recrystallization in second.
3.2.3. Meta-dynamic recrystallization and grain growth model
If the softening mechanism is meta-dynamic recrystallization,the volume fraction and grain size of recrys-
tallization can be given by following equations [9,10,13,1517]:
X
m
1 exp 0:693
t
t
0:5

1:5
!
; 9
t
0:5
1:1 Z
0:8
exp
230000
RT

; Z _ e exp
300000
RT

;
d
MRX
26000 Z
0:23
; 10
d
2
d
2
MRX
2:2 10
7
t t
0:95
exp
113000
RT

t 6 1 s; 11
d
7
d
7
MRX
4:2 10
27
t t
0:95
exp
400000
RT

t > 1 s; 12
where X
m
is the volume fraction of meta recrystallizaton, Z is ZenerHolloman parameter, d
MRX
is the grain
size in lm after complete meta-dynamic recrystallization.
Y. Zhang et al. / Applied Mathematical Modelling 33 (2009) 12591269 1263
3.2.4. Partial recrystallization
If there is only partial recrystallization between passes, the average grain size at the entrance to the next
stand can be evaluated from a law of mixtures type of relation that takes the softened and non-softened
grains inherited from the previous pass into account [1,18], The average grain size (in lm) is given by
Eq. (13), and accumulated strain is calculated according to formula (14)
d
0i1
X
4=3
i
d
RX
i
1 X
i

2
d
0i
; 13
De 1 X
i
e
i
; 14
where d
0i+1
is the average grain size entrance to the i + 1 stand in lm, d
0i
is grain size entrance to the i stand in
lm, d
RX
i
is grain size in lm when recrystallization completes, X
i
is volume fraction of recrystallization, and De
is residual strain in percentage.
3.3. Microstructureproperty model
A grain size-modied Avrami equation has been used to characterize the kinetics of austenite-to-pearlite
transformation during Stelmor process. The exponent n and m in the kinetic equation are compared with those
in the relevant literature [1,19,20].
3.3.1. Decomposition model of austenite to pearlite
The additivity rule has been employed to calculate the incubation time prior to the start of the pearlite
transformation, furthermore the phase transformation [21]. The fraction X transformed in the matrix at
any given temperature is a function of the proportion of the fraction X and the transformation temperature
T, namely
_
X f X; T [22,23]. The non-isothermal transformation kinetics can be described as the sum of a
series of the small isothermal transformation [24,25].
The volume fraction of pearlite transformation after the starting of pearlite transformation and the inter-
lamellar spacing of pearlite can be calculated as follows [6]:
F 1 expbt
2
; 15
ln b A
1
A
2
D A
3
T;
S
1
p
0:21 0:0703 DT; 16
where F is the volume fraction of phase transformation in percentage, t is transformation time in second, D is
austenite grain size in lm before phase transformation, T is phase transformation temperature in C, A
1
, A
2
,
A
3
is empirical coecients depend on steel composition, S
p
is interlamellar spacing of pearlite in lm, and DT is
undercooling degree of phase transformation in C.
3.3.2. Mechanical propertiesstructure relationships
Microstructural parameters calculated by the models are converted to the mechanical property information
by using various empirical regression formulas [26,27].
Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of pearlitic steels depends on the interlamellar spacing and was calculated
according to the equations proposed by Gladman [28]; On the basis of experimental data, the following equa-
tions of the strength and reduction of area have been obtained:
r
b
B
1
B
2
S
2
p
B
3
Mn; 17
w C
1
C
2
D

1
2
C
3
Mn C
4
V
1
2
; 18
where r
b
is UTS in MPa, S
p
is interlamellar spacing of pearlite in lm, Mn is manganese content in wt%, B
1
,
B
2
, B
3
, C
1
, C
2
, C
3
, C
4
are constants determined for each steel on the basis of experimental data, V is cooling
rate in C/s.
1264 Y. Zhang et al. / Applied Mathematical Modelling 33 (2009) 12591269
4. Simulation of microstructure and mechanical properties
4.1. Simulation software
Based on the models above with empirically determined coecients, a simulating software is programmed
by Visual Basic, and can be run on a personal computer. The ow chart of simulation is given in Fig. 2. With
this software the temperature proles on the rolling line and the surface temperature on the Stelmor conveyor
are calculated. Furthermore, the austenite grain size on each rolling pass, the volume fraction of pearlite trans-
formation, interlamellar spacing of pearlite transformation and mechanical properties etc., are all predicted.
4.2. Validation of simulation
Industrial application of the comprehensive model has been carried out on eutectoid steels for high speed
wire rods (Table 1) in order to validate the models. The comparisons of calculated with measured rolling
Fig. 3. Comparison of measured with calculated temperature of 82B wire, 12.5.
Fig. 4. Comparison of measured with predicted temperature of the wire along Stelmor conveyor.
Y. Zhang et al. / Applied Mathematical Modelling 33 (2009) 12591269 1265
Table 2
Stelmor air forcing cooling condition
Calculation Measure Steel
grade
Diameter
(mm)
Initial billet
temperature
(C)
LH
temperature
(C)
Stelmor
speed
(ms
1
)
Open of fans (%)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
82B 12.5 1036 870 0.5/1 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
82A 12.5 1036 850 0.5/1 100 100 100 0 0 0 100 100 100 100 100
72A 5.5 1017 880 0.48/0.8 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
72B 10 1036 870 0.65/0.93 0 33 67 67 67 67 67 67 67 67 100
Fig. 5. Recrystallization fraction predicted during hot rolling of 82B wire, 12.5 mm.
Fig. 6. Predicted evolution of austenite grain size of 82B wire, 12.5 mm.
1266 Y. Zhang et al. / Applied Mathematical Modelling 33 (2009) 12591269
temperature for 82B high carbon steel wire of 12.5 mm are given in Fig. 3, while the comparisons of cal-
culated with measured Stelmor line wire surface temperatures are illustrated in Fig. 4. The Stelmor air forc-
ing cooling condition is presented in Table 2. It is obvious that the calculation values agree well with the
measured values.
Fig. 5 presents the recrystallization fraction of austenite during the hot rolling of 82B wire, 12.5 mm. The
evolution of the austenite grain size is shown in Fig. 6. In industrial test 20 samples cut from the crop shear
before the nishing mill train (shown in Fig. 6) for each steel to measure austenite grain size, in which repre-
sentative sample been measured by the optical microscope and the scanning electronic microscope (SEM). The
comparison between measured and predicted austenite grain size of 82B wire, 12.5 mm shown in Fig. 7, the
optical microstructure and SEM is shown in Fig. 8, the gain size is 30.1 lm, while the calculated grain size is
32.8 lm (shown in Fig. 6). The nal calculated interlamellar space is 0.204 lm, which is consistent with mea-
sured value of 0.242 lm shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 9 presents the consistent the calculated with measured UTS for
the studied steels. All the calculated values were found to be in good agreement with the corresponding mea-
sured values (relative dierences is less than 5%).
Fig. 7. Comparison of measured with calculated austenite grain size at the position of the crop shear.
Fig. 8. The optical microstructure and SEM of steel 82B, 12.5 mm.
Y. Zhang et al. / Applied Mathematical Modelling 33 (2009) 12591269 1267
5. Conclusion
An integrated mathematical model for forecasting nal microstructure and mechanical properties has been
developed. The model provide an important tool to improve the quality of long products, and to develop the
new products.
A simulating software has been programmed. The calculated results by software are in good agreement
with measured data. The software can analyze temperature eld and microstructures evolution of the rolled
steels in the high speed wire rods. The integrated mathematical model can also predict the interlamellar space
of pearlite and mechanical properties of rolled steels. It can be used to investigate the microstructures and
properties of high carbon wire rods and to provide the guidance to industry production.
The integrated mathematical model has been applied to get optimal range of the rolling parameters for the
desired mechanical properties. It is also useful for the development of new steel grades and the development of
optimized thermomechanical processing routes.
Acknowledgement
The authors acknowledge Wuhan Iron and Steel Company Limited (WISCO) for their technical and nan-
cial support.
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