Effects of the Nanostructured Fe-V-Nb Modificators on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Si-Mn Steel

The nanostructured Fe-V-Nb master alloy was prepared in vacuum rapid quenching furnace and then was added in the steel melts as modificators before casting. Next, the effects of the nanostructured Fe-V-Nb modificators on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the steel were studied. The results show that the grain size of the steel has been effectively refined, which is mainly because the dispersed nanoscale particles can produce more nucleation sites during the solidification of the liquid steel. Tensile properties and fracture morphology reveal that the yield strength and toughness of the steel modified by nanostructured Fe-V-Nb modificators are better than that of the microalloyed steel. TEM analysis shows that vanadium and niobium in the modificators exist in the form of (V, Nb) C which effectively increases the nucleation rate and leads to better mechanical properties of the steel.