Development of microalloyed steel for pipeline applications

An experimental HSLA steel was produced by the electric arc furnace, vacuum degassing, ladle treatment and continuous casting route. The experimental steel was then rolled in a laboratory using a hot rolling schedule to simulate an industrial controlled hot rolling procedure for the production of plates as closely as possible to investigate the effect of a thermomechanical processing schedule plus the use of water quench, accelerated cooling followed by forced nitrogen gas or air as cooling media, on the mechanical properties of plates. The results showed that the controlled thermomechanical hot rolling schedule of slabs followed by the cooling of plates in either forced nitrogen gas or by accelerated cooling exhibited target properties equivalent to a steel grade API X-80.