{"title":"Contents: steel research int. 5/2026","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/srin.70512","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.70512","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 5","pages":"2331-2342"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/srin.70512","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148096120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Characteristics and Evolution of Inclusions in Hot Work Die Steel Produced by Electric Arc Furnace-Ladle Furnace-Vacuum Degassing-Protective Electroslag Remelting","authors":"Xiaolin Sun, Ningfei Wang, Qingyuan Zhong, Xugang Li, Gaoyang Song, Shuo Zhao, Minggang Li","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500949","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500949","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The characteristics and evolution mechanism of inclusions in the industrial high-Mo hot work die steel produced by electric arc furnace-ladle furnace-vacuum degassing-protective electroslag remelting (EAF-LF-VD-PESR) are investigated through scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive spectrometer. The result shows that the constituent of the oxide inclusion changes with the contents of calcium and aluminum in molten steel during production. The MgO⋅Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> before LF is gradually transformed into high CaO-containing MgO-CaO-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> with the low-melting-temperature after vacuum treatment, and then into low CaO-containing and low MgO-containing MgO-CaO-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> after casting of the electrode, and finally into Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> as the main oxide after PESR. It is found that Ca/Al ratio in steel has a positive influence on the CaO content in MgO-CaO-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, affecting the melting temperature of the oxide inclusion. There are the smallest average size of the inclusion and the lowest oxygen after vacuum treatment, for the flotation of the low-melting-temperature inclusions and strong ability to deoxidize by carbon in steel. Unexpectedly, the mean size of the inclusion increases to 4.3 μm after PESR. The investigation has revealed that the inclusion size is greatly affected by the oxygen content. Thermodynamic analysis is applied to expound the evolution of the oxide inclusion during production and the increase in oxygen after PESR.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 5","pages":"2493-2502"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148072594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electropulsing Treatment Overcomes the Strength–Ductility Trade-Off of Cold-Drawn Pearlitic Steel Wire","authors":"Haichao Zhang, Yinli Chen, Yanhui Sun, Zhiyang Ni","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500788","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500788","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This work systematically studies the evolution mechanism of the steel wire's mechanical properties and microstructure during electropulsing treatment (EPT) using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic probe tomography, combined with molecular dynamics simulations. The results reveal that, under EPT treatment parameters of 15.8 A mm<sup>−2</sup>, 300 Hz, and 120 s, the tensile strength of the steel wires increases from 2172 to 2332 MPa (a 7.4% increase), while the elongation to failure improves from 5.5% to 6.0% (a 9.1% increase), achieving a simultaneous improvement in both strength and ductility. Microstructure analysis indicates that the increase in steel wire strength is attributed to the following two reasons: EPT treatment promotes the transformation of amorphous cementite into a nanocrystalline structure, enhancing the dislocation pinning effect. Concurrently, C atoms migrate into the ferrite matrix, resulting in a solid solution strengthening effect. The improvement in plasticity is mainly because EPT disrupts the continuity of the cementite lamellae, thereby weakening its constraint on dislocation slip.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 5","pages":"2438-2450"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148064081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luca Testini, Davide Mombelli, Giovanni Dotelli, Mario Grosso, Carlo Mapelli
{"title":"Outline of a Washing Treatment to Improve Electric Arc Furnace Slag Environmental Behavior","authors":"Luca Testini, Davide Mombelli, Giovanni Dotelli, Mario Grosso, Carlo Mapelli","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500755","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500755","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Electric arc furnace (EAF) slag is a major byproduct of electric steelmaking with promising reuse potential in various applications. However, environmental concerns related to the leaching of elements such as barium (Ba), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), and vanadium (V) can hinder its reuse. This study evaluates a water-washing treatment to reduce the leaching of hazardous elements from air-cooled EAF slag produced from carbon, alloyed, and stainless steel grades. Results show that increasing the liquid-to-solid ratio and washing time effectively decreases leachate concentrations. Leaching of Cr, Ba, and Mo increases with decreasing particle size, while V exhibits the opposite trend. A product carbon footprint analysis, based on 1 ton of artificial aggregate, shows a 42.5% reduction in greenhouse gases emissions compared to landfilling when used as a substitute for natural quarry aggregate in concrete production. However, recirculating the wash water into the source water body requires 30 L per heat of 30% HCl to restore pH, representing an operational trade-off.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 5","pages":"2541-2558"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/srin.202500755","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148071405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cryogenic Pressure Vessel Welds: Comparative Evaluation of Ni- and Fe-Based Filler Metals in Automated Vacuum Arc Welding of Dissimilar A352/A738 Steels","authors":"Huan Xie, Junhua Wang, Xiaodan Liu","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500800","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500800","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study compares the performance of ENiCrMo-4 and E308L wires in automatic vacuum arc welding for joining dissimilar A352 and A738 steels in cryogenic pressure vessels. Microstructural analysis and mechanical tests investigate the properties of the joints and their relationship with cooling rate and welding parameters. Due to the 2 mm thickness difference between A352 and A738, the cooling rate on the A352 side is ≈179% higher than that on the A738 side. This difference in cooling rate affects the diffusion layer width and the weld microstructure. In comparison, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield strength of the joint with ENiCrMo-4 wire (S1) are 1.4 and 2.4% higher than the UTS and yield strength of the joint with E308L wire (S2), respectively. In the cryogenic impact test, the impact energy of S1 is 69 and S2 is 61 J, which shows a 13% advantage in impact energy for S1. This advantage is due to the stronger bond between Ni atoms compared to Fe atoms because the <span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mfrac>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mtext>atomic number </mtext>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mtext>atomic radius</mtext>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 </mfrac>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation>$frac{text{atomic number }}{text{atomic radius}}$</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math> ratio for nickel is 9% higher than that of iron. This study shows that ENiCrMo-4 wire is a more suitable option for welding cryogenic pressure vessels than E308L wire due to a 13% improvement in impact properties.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 5","pages":"2503-2520"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148074097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mykhailo M. Voron, Andrii M. Tymoshenko, Anastasiia Yu. Semenko, Yuliia P. Skorobagatko, Oleksiy M. Smirnov, Serhiy L. Schwab
{"title":"Nonmetallic Inclusions in Fe–26Mn–10Al–1.2Si–3Cr–3Ni–1.4C–0.1V Induction-Melted Steel and their Influence on Fracture Under Hot Plastic Deformation","authors":"Mykhailo M. Voron, Andrii M. Tymoshenko, Anastasiia Yu. Semenko, Yuliia P. Skorobagatko, Oleksiy M. Smirnov, Serhiy L. Schwab","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500787","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500787","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The work represents study of the nonmetallic inclusions formation and their influence on the fracture of induction-melted Fe–26Mn–10Al–1.2Si–3Cr–3Ni–1.4C–0.1V steel in as-cast state and under conditions of hot plastic deformation. The microstructure of steel in initial state is investigated, as well as cold and hot fractures. It is shown that the investigated steel has several types of noticeable defects after casting. The first one is represented by small Mn-rich oxides and eutectic-like areas, while the other one seems to be Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> films, which leads to microcrack formation. The reason for low deformability is also in a rough columnar grain structure, which points to slow crystallization and impurity movement to the grain boundaries. After 90 min annealing with further rolling from 1050 °C, steel remains prone to hot crack formation. It is mainly caused by initial structure, inclusions, and formation of carbides at the grain boundary, especially in near eutectic areas that contain S and P. XRD investigations show that hot crack surface contains N and C-rich austenite, iron nitride, as well as Mn and Al oxides with complex Fe–Mn oxides.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 5","pages":"2421-2428"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148095707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Synergistic Inclusion Modification in Steel Using Calcium, Magnesium, Rare Earths, and Hybrid Treatments: A Review","authors":"Srinivas Perla, Gaurav Kumar Verma, Krishn Kumar Verma, Manwendra K. Tripathi","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500827","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500827","url":null,"abstract":"<p>High-performance steels with superior mechanical properties, fatigue resistance, weldability, and corrosion resistance need advanced strategies for inclusion modification. Nonmetallic inclusions, detrimental as stress concentrators and crack initiators, are a critical determinant of steel quality. Conventional deoxidation practices, particularly those involving aluminum, result in hard, angular alumina inclusions that impair mechanical integrity and operational efficiency. To address these challenges, secondary metallurgy has evolved to include targeted modification of inclusions using calcium, magnesium, and rare earth elements. Calcium treatment transforms solid alumina into liquid calcium aluminates, thereby improving castability and reducing nozzle clogging. Magnesium modification yields thermally stable spinel inclusions, whereas rare earth elements form stable spherical oxysulfides, both of which contribute to enhanced mechanical and surface properties. Despite their individual merits, these treatments face limitations such as incomplete modification, process instability, and high costs. Hybrid strategies that combine calcium, magnesium, and rare earth elements have emerged as promising solutions that leverage synergistic effects for optimized inclusion control. Advances in computational thermodynamics and machine learning have further improved the predictability of inclusion engineering. This review synthesizes the mechanisms and industrial applications in inclusion modification, highlighting the pivotal role of advanced metallurgy in the production of ultraclean steels for demanding automotive, aerospace, and infrastructure applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 5","pages":"2397-2420"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148097521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Study on Application Characteristics of 430 Electromagnetic Steel: Silicon Content, Magnetic Annealing Conditions, and Relationship Between Electrical Properties and Coercivity","authors":"Che-Wei Lu, Fei-Yi Hung, Tsung-Wei Chang","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500766","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500766","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study investigates the influence of silicon content and magnetic annealing parameters on the microstructure, mechanical, magnetic, and corrosion properties of 430 stainless steel, an electromagnetic material requiring improved response time. Samples with varying silicon contents (F, F-1.5Si, and F-2.0Si) are treated under different annealing conditions (850AC, 850FC, 760FC, and 760FC-H<sub>2</sub>). All conditions produce equiaxed grain structures with precipitates and show good tensile strength and elongation. AC magnetic tests at 10–1000 Hz reveal that higher Si content reduced coercivity (Hc) while enhancing saturation and remanent magnetization (Bm, Br). Air annealing lowers Hc, Bm, and Br in F-1.5Si, while hydrogen annealing reduces Hc and Br but increases Bm. Although higher Si content increases silicon-rich phases, it did not improve corrosion resistance. The F-1.5Si sample forms a thicker passivation layer, enhancing corrosion impedance. Finally, correlations between electrical properties and coercivity confirm the metallurgical mechanisms’ critical role in optimizing magnetic behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 5","pages":"2451-2462"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148066141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hot Deformation Behavior and Processing Map of Eutectoid Pearlite Rail Steel","authors":"Haibo Feng, Yongqi Zhang, Shaohua Li, Junheng Gao, Haitao Zhao, Zhenyu Han, Yong Deng, Chongmu Chen, Honghui Wu, Chaolei Zhang, Yuhe Huang, Shuize Wang, Xinping Mao","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500812","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500812","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Refining the austenite grain size is a key method for enhancing toughness without compromising strength in eutectoid pearlite rail steels. In this study, the effect of hot deformation parameters on the hot deformation behavior and refinement of prior austenite grains is investigated. The hot deformation behavior and microstructure of samples processed at deformation temperatures of 900, 950, 1000, 1050, 1100, 1150, and 1200 °C, strain rates of 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 5 s<sup>−1</sup>, with a true strain of 0.9 are studied. A constitutive model and a processing map are developed to describe the deformation mechanism and microstructure evolution. The derived constitutive equation shows good agreement with experimental values, exhibiting a correlation coefficient (<i>M</i>) of 0.983 and an average absolute relative error (AARE) of 7.3%. Processing map indicates that the recommended thermomechanical parameters are temperature above 950 °C and a strain rate of 5 s<sup>−1</sup>. The optimal austenite grain refinement effect can be achieved with 18.5 ± 8.9 μm when hot deformation is conducted at a temperature of 950 °C and a strain rate of 5 s<sup>−1</sup>. These findings provide valuable insights in the optimization of hot deformation parameters of eutectoid pearlite rail steels.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 5","pages":"2429-2437"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148066143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhipeng Dai, Zhishun Yang, Jian Yang, Qingsong Zhang, Qing Yin, Mei Zhang, Xuhui Wang, Liang Wang
{"title":"Influence of Hot Deformation on MnS Inclusions and the Composite Inclusions in 20MnCr5 Gear Steel Bars","authors":"Zhipeng Dai, Zhishun Yang, Jian Yang, Qingsong Zhang, Qing Yin, Mei Zhang, Xuhui Wang, Liang Wang","doi":"10.1002/srin.202500656","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202500656","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The control of morphologies of MnS inclusions is crucial for the development of high-quality gear steels. In this study, single-pass compression tests are conducted on 20MnCr5 gear steel bars using a hot deformation machine. The effects of different hot deformation conditions on the morphology of MnS and its composite inclusions are investigated. The results show that after hot deformation with different deformation amounts, the long strip MnS can be broken into several small segments, while the irregular MnS can be broken into a large block and a small block of MnS. The sulfides with oxides as the core may deform into nearly spindle shape or conical shape. The composite inclusions may also separate into small pieces of MnS, oxide, and MnS+oxide after crushing. When the deformation temperature is 950 °C. and the deformation amount is 30%, the inclusions undergo fragmentation, with the smallest particle size and the lowest aspect ratio. As the cooling rate is increased, the size and aspect ratio of inclusions decrease, and the quantity of inclusions increases. Therefore, the inclusions have the best morphologies after hot rolling when the deformation amount is 30% and the deformation temperature is 950 °C.</p>","PeriodicalId":21929,"journal":{"name":"steel research international","volume":"97 5","pages":"2478-2492"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148071406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}