The Relationship between Nil-Strength Temperature, Zero Strength Temperature and Solidus Temperature of Carbon Steels

Abstract

The nil-strength temperature, zero strength temperature and solidus temperature are significant parameters with respect to the processes of melting, casting and welding steels. With the use of physical tests performed on the universal plastometer Gleeble 3800 and calculations in the IDS software, the nil-strength temperatures, zero strength temperatures and solidus temperatures of nine non-alloy carbon steels have been determined. Apart from that, solidus temperatures were also calculated by the use of four equations expressing a mathematical relation of this temperature to the chemical composition of the investigated steels. The nil-strength and zero strength temperatures and the solidus temperatures decreased with increasing carbon content in the investigated steels. Much higher content of sulfur in free-cutting steel resulted in a decrease of all the temperatures investigated. The zero strength temperatures determined by calculation in the IDS software during solidification were approximately 43–85 °C higher than the nil-strength temperatures determined experimentally during heating of the investigated steels. The linear dependence of experimentally measured nil-strength temperature on the calculated zero strength temperature for the investigated steels was determined. Based on regression analyses, there were determined mathematical relations which described with high accuracy a linear dependence of the nil-strength and zero strength temperatures on the solidus temperature of the investigated steels.