Materials Science Forum, Vol.426-4, 1289-1294, 2003
TWICE plus HOWAQ continuous annealing line: A new facility for high strengh steels production in Arcelor Group
A new industrial quenching device, the "TWICE" (Turbulent Water Immersed Cooling Equipment) was implemented on the industrial continuous annealing HOWAQ (HOt Water Quenching) line in Kessales, Arcelor Group. It is dedicated to the production of High Strength Steels sheets with excellent forming properties, using low alloy additions. This new device is able to quench, at cooling rate reaching 1000 degreesC/s and with very high process facilities, low alloyed steel strips from austenitic temperature range down to room temperature, in order to realize mixed microstructures, ranging from fully quenched microstructures to low dual-phases structures. A same chemical analysis thus allows the production of a 1200MPa grade as well as a 800MPa Dualphase grade. Adjusting now the chemical analysis, the mechanical properties of the obtained grades vary from 500MPa HSLA grades up to 1400MPa UHSS grades, with good user's properties. Dilatometry tests were carried out in order to more accurately define the transformation phases formed either in the HOWAQ tank, or in the TWICE ultra-fast cooling device. An example is discussed. Comparing with the experiments on the industrial line, we discuss how to insure production quality either for the higher grade (full quenched structure) or for the lower grade. In terms of phosphatation as well as in electroplating ability, very good surface properties are observed on simulations and industrial tests, owing to the original HOWAQ line concept. The user's properties of these new grades are also tested : an example is given, where we measure an improved strength-forming properties balance.
Keywords:dualphase;HSLA;martensitic steels;UHSS;high cooling equipment;Hot Water Quenching continuous annealing Line;Turbulent Water Immerged Cooling Equipment