High Strength Low Alloy

(HSLA)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bambang Suharno

Kuliah Baja Paduan dan Paduan Super

Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Department

University of Indonesia
Semester Ganjil 2013/2014

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Diagram Fe-Fe3C
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0.5% C ferrite + pearlite

1.5% C ferrite + cementite

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HSLA
They have a carbon content between 0.05
0.25% to retain formability and weldability.
Other alloying elements include up to 2.0%
manganese
and small quantities of copper, nickel,
niobium, nitrogen, vanadium, chromium,
molybdenum, titanium,

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRENGTH IN
STEELS

Base material
Solid solution strengthening
(i.e., %Mn)
Grain size (ferrite)
Precipitates (distance
between ppts)
Cold work (dislocation density)
Hardening (Martensite)

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STRENGTHENING LOW C STEELS

(0-0.3%C)

2 major ways:
increase carbon content
sacrifice % elongation; toughness because of Fe3C
decrease grain size
increase strength but doesnt affect ductility
Hall-Petch Equation
=> better strength without sacrificing ductility and
toughness
trend: use fine grained steels and lower C content
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ASTM GRAIN SIZE

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GRAIN SIZE AND STRENGTH

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ASTM GRAIN SIZE

Grain boundaries act as barriers to dislocation motion

Dislocation have a hard time crossing grain boundary.

If the grains are smaller, there would be more grains and
grain boundary. This would impeded the dislocation.
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EFFECT OF GRAIN SIZE ON

STRENGTH

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APPLICATIONS

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High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) steels

Traditionally for highest strength in a structural steel
the C & Mn levels would be increased
i.e. 0.25 - 0.30 %C & 1.2 - 1.5 %Mn
An increase of 1% Mn will increase YS by ~14%

This led to problems with:

Weldability (problem with increased C and Mn)
Brittle failure (problem with increased C)

New approach required: strength but C

Now have steels with YS to 550 MPa but with
excellent weldability and brittle fracture resistance

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High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) steels

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Solid solution hardening (Mn)

Decrease ferrite grain size by
Controlled rolling
Controlled cooling

Precipitation hardening
Nb (C,N)
VC

Typical x70 pipeline steel %C = 0.06; %Mn = 1.50; %Nb

and/or V ~0.04
Controlled rolling to produce very fine grain size
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CONTROLLED ROLLING SCHEMATIC

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Strength in HSLA steels

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+ Standard C-Mn Steel

200-300 MPa
+ Decrease grain size
100-134 MPa
+ Increase Mn
67 MPa
+ Increase Nb,V,Ti ppt hardening 67-100 MPa
Total: 434-600 MPa
Can now afford to lower the C content and still
have 470-500 MPa steel
Can have any strength level wanted by varying
the degree of strengthening components

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Some Specifications applicable to

Steel Products and other Metals
Specifications

SAE-AISI

Society of Automotive Engineers American Iron

and Steel Institute

ASTM
(UNS)

American Society for Testing and Materials (

www.astm.org)

ASME

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

MIL

U.S. Department of Defense

AMS

Aerospace Materials Specification

BS

British Standards Institution

(http://www.bsi-global.com/index.xalter)

EN

European Committee for Standardization (

http://www.cenorm.be)

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The Most Widely Used System for

Designating Steels SAE-AISI

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Carbon and Alloy Steel Applications

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Mechanical Properties of Carbon

and Alloy Steels

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Effect of alloying elements on TTT

curves (Mo-Steel)

Medium C steel
1040 (0.4%C + 1%Mn)
5140 (0.4%C + 1%Mn + 0.9%Cr)
4140 (0.4%C + 1%Mn + 1.0%Cr + 0.2%Mo)
4340 (0.4%C + 1%Mn + 0.8%Cr + 0.3%Mo
+ 1.85Ni)

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TTT curve 1040 (C + Mn)

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TTT curve 5140 (C+Mn+Cr)

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TTT curve 4140 (C+Mn+Cr+Mo)

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TTT curve 4340 (C+Mn+Cr+

Ni+Mo)

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TTT Curves
(1040, 5140, 4140, 4340)
With increased alloys, P+B noses shift right
i.e. hardenability increases
Plain C steels cant be hardened to form
martensite except at very high cooling rates
i.e. small section sizes

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