Ultra rapid annealing of cold rolled stainless steels

Abstract

Ultra rapid heat treatment is a means of obtaining annealed products with improved productivity, whilesaving space cost and energy. It may also produce new time-temperature-microstructure relationships and still unknown effects on surface, microstructure and textures. Therefore some properties are expected to be modified when ultra rapid heat treatments are applied to standard stainless steels grades like AISI 304 and AISI 430. Before considering such a process suitable to be applied industrially, it is necessary to establish the effect of rapid heat treatment on the metallurgy of the particular stainless strip products and their relevant formability performance which is of paramount importance for their acceptability on the market. © 2000 ISIJ.