A steel sheet has a predetermined chemical composition containing, in mass %, C: more than 0.18% and less than 0.30%, Mn: more than 2.50% and 4.00% or less, and other elements. The steel micro-structure at a position at a depth of ¼ of the sheet thickness from the surface in an L cross section of the steel sheet is, in area %, tempered martensite: 25 to 90%, ferrite: 5% or less, retained austenite: 10 to 50%, and bainite: 5% or less. At a position at a depth of ¼ of the sheet thickness from the surface of the L cross section, the proportion of a total area of retained austenite grains having an area of 1 μm.sup.2 or more and having a grain shape circularity of 0.1 or more is less than 50% with respect to the entire area of retained austenite. The steel sheet satisfies the formula C.sub.Mnγ/C.sub.Mnα≥1.2.

A method for producing an austempered steel is provided. The method includes subjecting a steel alloy having a silicon content of 1.5 to 4.4 weight percent and a carbon content of 0.3 to 0.8 weight percent to continuous cooling followed by annealing. The cooling rate is initially sufficiently fast to prevent predominant formation of proeutectoid ferrite or pearlite, while subsequently at intermediate temperatures, the cooling rate is sufficiently slow to allow a transformation of the austenite to mainly ausferrite during cooling. The annealing is able to complete the transformation of carbon enriched austenite to ausferrite and to temper any martensite previously formed. The method results in the cost-efficient production of one or more continuously cooled and annealed austempered steel components or semi-finished products having mainly an ausferritic microstructure.

The present invention relates to steel used for a sash component and the like of a vehicle and, more specifically, to a hot-rolled steel sheet for a high-strength electric resistance welded steel pipe having excellent expandability and a method for manufacturing same, the hot-rolled steel sheet having a smaller decrease in the strength of a welding heat-affected zone (HAZ) formed during electric resistance welding, in comparison with a base material.

A high-strength galvanized steel sheet includes a steel sheet having a chemical composition containing a predetermined component element, a mass ratio of a content of Si to a content of Mn in the steel (Si/Mn) being 0.1 or more and less than 0.2, and the balance: Fe and incidental impurities, and a steel structure in which an average grain size of inclusions containing at least one of Al, Si, Mg, and Ca and existing in an area extending from a surface to a position of ⅓ of a sheet thickness is 50 μm or less, and an average nearest distance between ones of the inclusions is 20 μm or more; and a galvanized layer provided on a surface of the steel sheet, in which an amount of diffusible hydrogen contained in the steel is less than 0.25 mass ppm, and a tensile strength is 1100 MPa or more.

A hot stamped article having excellent shock absorption having a predetermined chemical composition, having a microstructure containing prior austenite having an average grain size of 3 μm or less and further containing at least one of lower bainite, martensite, and tempered martensite in an area ratio of 90% or more, and having a grain boundary solid solution ratio Z defined by Z=(mass % of one or both of Nb and Mo at grain boundaries)/(mass % of one or both of Nb and Mo at time of melting) of 0.3 or more.

Disclosed are a wire rod and a component, for cold forging, each having excellent delayed fracture resistance characteristics and applicable to high-strength bolts and the like and a manufacturing method therefor.

According to an embodiment, a heat-treated component having excellent delayed fracture resistance characteristics includes, in percent by weight (wt %), 0.3 to 0.5% of C, 0.01 to 0.3% of Si, 0.3 to 1.0% of Mn, at least two types selected from the group consisting of 0.3 to 1.5% of Cr, 0.3 to 1.5% of Mo, and 0.01 to 0.4% of V, and the balance being Fe and other impurities, includes, as a microstructure, a tempered martensite phase in an area fraction of 95% or more, and includes V-based carbides having a diameter of 300 nm or less at 10/100 μm.sup.2 or more.

A steel sheet including a chemical composition satisfying an equivalent carbon content of 0.60% or more and less than 0.85%, and a steel microstructure with an area fraction of ferrite: less than 40%, tempered martensite and bainite: 40% or more in total, retained austenite: 3% to 15%, and ferrite, tempered martensite, bainite, and retained austenite: 93% or more in total. A 90-degree bending at a curvature radius/thickness ratio of 4.2 in a rolling (L) direction with respect to an axis extending in a width (C) direction causes a change of 0.40 or more in (a grain size in a thickness direction)/(a grain size in a direction perpendicular to the thickness) of the tempered martensite in an L cross section in a 0- to 50-μm region from a surface of the steel sheet on a compression side. The steel sheet has a tensile strength of 980 MPa or more.

A method is for manufacturing a high-strength steel sheet having a tensile strength of more than 1100 MPa and a yield strength of more than 700 MPa, a uniform elongation UE of at least 8.0% and a total elongation of at least 10%, made of a steel containing in percent by weight: 0.1%≤C≤0.25%, 4.5%≤Mn≤10%, 1%≤Si≤3%, 0.03%≤Al≤2.5%, the remainder being Fe and impurities resulting from the smelting, the composition being such that CMnIndex=C×(1+Mn/3.5)≤0.6. The method includes annealing a rolled sheet made of said steel by soaking it at an annealing temperature TA higher than the Ac.sub.1 transformation point of the steel but less than 1000° C., cooling the annealed sheet to a quenching temperature QT between 190° C. and 80° C. at a cooling speed sufficient to obtain a structure just after cooling containing martensite and retained austenite, maintaining the steel sheet at an overaging temperature PT between 350° C. and 500° C. for an overaging time Pt of more than 5 s cooling the sheet down to the ambient temperature.

The present invention describes a method of dynamical adjustment for manufacturing a thermally treated steel sheet. The method includes: A. a control step, wherein at least one sensor detects a deviation happening during the thermal treatment, B. a calculation step performed when the deviation is detected during the thermal treatment such that a new thermal path TP.sub.target is determined to reach m.sub.target taking the deviation into account, such calculation step including: 1) a calculation substep, wherein at least two thermal path, TP.sub.x corresponding to one microstructure m.sub.x obtained at the end of TP.sub.x, are calculated based on TT and the microstructure m.sub.i of the steel sheet to reach m.sub.target, 2) a selection substep wherein one new thermal path TP.sub.target to reach m.sub.target is selected, TP.sub.target being chosen from said TP.sub.x and being selected such that m.sub.x is the closest to m.sub.target, C. a new thermal treatment step, wherein TP.sub.target is performed online on the steel sheet.

Disclosed are a pressure vessel steel sheet and a method for manufacturing the same, the steel sheet comprising: by wt %, 0.10-0.20% of C, 0.15-0.40% of Si, 1.15-1.50% of Mn, 0.45-0.60% of Mo, 0.03-0.30% of Cu, 0.025% or less of P, 0.025% or less of S and 0.005-0.06% of sol. Al; two or more selected from the group consisting of 0.03-0.30% of Cr, 0.002-0.025% of Nb and 0.002-0.025% of Zr, and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, wherein the structure comprises a mixture structure of ferrite, perlite and tempered bainite after post weld heat treatment (PWHT) for 60 hours at 600-660° C., and the area fraction of the tempered bainite is at least 10% (excluding 100%).