Effects of Finish Cooling Temperature on Tensile Properties After Thermal Aging of Strain-Based API X60 Linepipe Steels

Two types of strain-based American Petroleum Institute (API) X60 linepipe steels were fabricated at two finish cooling temperatures, 673 K and 723 K (400 °C and 450 °C), and the effects of the finish cooling temperatures on the tensile properties after thermal aging were investigated. The strain-based API X60 linepipe steels consisted mainly of polygonal ferrite (PF) or quasi-polygonal ferrite and the volume fraction of acicular ferrite increased with the increasing finish cooling temperature. In contrast, the volume fractions of bainitic ferrite (BF) and secondary phases decreased. The tensile properties before and after thermal aging at 473 K and 523 K (200 °C and 250 °C) were measured. The yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and yield ratio increased with the increasing thermal aging temperature. The strain hardening rate in the steel fabricated at the higher finish cooling temperature decreased rapidly after thermal aging, probably due to the Cottrell atmosphere, whereas the strain hardening rate in the steel fabricated at the lower finish cooling temperature changed slightly after thermal aging. The uniform elongation and total elongation decreased with increasing thermal aging temperature, probably due to the interactions between carbon atoms and dislocations. The uniform elongation decreased rapidly with the decreasing volume fractions of BF and martensite and secondary phases. The yield ratio increased with the increasing thermal aging temperature, whereas the strain hardening exponent decreased. The strain hardening exponent of PL steel decreased rapidly after thermal aging because of the large number of mobile dislocations between PF and BF or martensite or secondary phases.