Static Recrystallized Grain Size of Coarse-Grained Austenite in an API-X70 Pipeline Steel

The effects of initial grain size and strain on the static recrystallized grain size of coarse-grained austenite in an API-X70 steel microalloyed with Nb, V, and Ti were investigated using a Gleeble-3800 thermomechanical simulator. The results indicate that the static recrystallized grain size of coarse-grained austenite decreases with decreasing initial grain size and increasing applied strain. The addition of microalloying elements can lead to a smaller initial grain size for hot deformation due to the grain growth inhibition during reheating, resulting in decreasing of static recrystallized grain size. Based on the experimental data, an equation for the static recrystallized grain size was derived using the least square method. The grain sizes calculated using this equation fit well with the measured ones compared with the equations for fine-grained austenite and for coarse-grained austenite of Nb-V microalloyed steel.