High Strength Low Alloy

(HSLA)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bambang Suharno

Kuliah Baja Paduan dan Paduan Super

Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Department

University of Indonesia
Semester Ganjil 2013/2014
University of
Indonesia

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 Diagram Fe-Fe3C
University of
Indonesia

0.5% C ferrite + pearlite

1.5% C ferrite + cementite

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University of
HSLA
Indonesia

 They have a carbon content between 0.05–

0.25% to retain formability and weldability.
 Other alloying elements include up to 2.0%
manganese
 and small quantities of copper, nickel,
niobium, nitrogen, vanadium, chromium,
molybdenum, titanium,

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 CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRENGTH IN
University of STEELS
Indonesia

 Base material
 Solid solution strengthening
(i.e., %Mn)
 Grain size (ferrite)
 Precipitates (distance
between ppts)
 Cold work (dislocation
density)
 Hardening (Martensite)

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 STRENGTHENING LOW C STEELS
University of
(0-0.3%C)
Indonesia

2 major ways:
 increase carbon content
– sacrifice % elongation; toughness because of Fe3C
 decrease grain size
– increase strength but doesn’t affect ductility
– Hall-Petch Equation

=> better strength without sacrificing ductility and

toughness

trend: use fine grained steels and lower C content

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University of
ASTM GRAIN SIZE
Indonesia

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University of
Indonesia

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University of
GRAIN SIZE AND STRENGTH
Indonesia

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University of
ASTM GRAIN SIZE
Indonesia

 Grain boundaries act as barriers to dislocation motion

 Dislocation have a hard time crossing grain boundary.

 If the grains are smaller, there would be more grains and
grain boundary. This would impeded the dislocation.
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 EFFECT OF GRAIN SIZE ON
University of
Indonesia
STRENGTH

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University of
APPLICATIONS
Indonesia

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 High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) steels
University of
Indonesia

 Traditionally for highest strength in a structural steel

the C & Mn levels would be increased
 i.e. 0.25 - 0.30 %C & 1.2 - 1.5 %Mn
 An increase of 1% Mn will increase YS by ~14%
 This led to problems with:
– Weldability (problem with increased C and Mn)
– Brittle failure (problem with increased C)
 New approach required:  strength but  C
 Now have steels with YS to 550 MPa but with
excellent weldability and brittle fracture resistance

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 High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) steels
University of
Indonesia

 Solid solution hardening (Mn)

 Decrease ferrite grain size by
 Controlled rolling
 Controlled cooling
 Precipitation hardening
 Nb (C,N)
 VC
 Typical x70 pipeline steel %C = 0.06; %Mn = 1.50; %Nb
and/or V ~0.04
 Controlled rolling to produce very fine grain size

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University of
CONTROLLED ROLLING SCHEMATIC
Indonesia

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 Strength in HSLA steels
University of
Indonesia

 + Standard C-Mn Steel 200-300 MPa

 + Decrease grain size 100-134 MPa
 + Increase Mn 67 MPa
 + Increase Nb,V,Ti ppt hardening 67-100 MPa
Total: 434-600 MPa
 Can now afford to lower the C content and still
have 470-500 MPa steel
 Can have any strength level wanted by varying
the degree of strengthening components

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 Some Specifications applicable to
University of
Indonesia
Steel Products and other Metals
Specifications

SAE-AISI Society of Automotive Engineers – American Iron

and Steel Institute
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
(UNS) (www.astm.org)
ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers
MIL U.S. Department of Defense
AMS Aerospace Materials Specification
BS British Standards Institution
(http://www.bsi-global.com/index.xalter)
EN European Committee for Standardization
(http://www.cenorm.be)

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 The Most Widely Used System for
University of Designating Steels SAE-AISI
Indonesia

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University of
Carbon and Alloy Steel Applications
Indonesia

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 Mechanical Properties of Carbon
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Indonesia
and Alloy Steels

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 Effect of alloying elements on TTT
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Indonesia
curves (Mo-Steel)
 Medium C steel
 – 1040 (0.4%C + 1%Mn)
 – 5140 (0.4%C + 1%Mn + 0.9%Cr)
 – 4140 (0.4%C + 1%Mn + 1.0%Cr + 0.2%Mo)
 – 4340 (0.4%C + 1%Mn + 0.8%Cr + 0.3%Mo
+ 1.85Ni)

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University of
TTT curve – 1040 (C + Mn)
Indonesia

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University of
TTT curve – 5140 (C+Mn+Cr)
Indonesia

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University of
TTT curve – 4140 (C+Mn+Cr+Mo)
Indonesia

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 TTT curve – 4340 (C+Mn+Cr+
University of
Indonesia
Ni+Mo)

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 TTT Curves
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Indonesia
(1040, 5140, 4140, 4340)
 With increased alloys, P+B noses shift right
 i.e. hardenability increases
 Plain C steels can’t be hardened to form
martensite except at very high cooling rates
i.e. small section sizes

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University of
Indonesia

Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Department UI

University of
Indonesia

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