Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2021-2022).

There is a growing need to develop innovative steel-based solutions that can meet the growing infrastructure challenges across Canada. There are presently several major government and private-sector initiatives that require the development of novel steel plates with excellent strength and toughness. Some of these initiatives include the modernization of the Canadian Navy and the construction of oil and gas pipelines. Nowhere is the pressure to develop novel steels more apparent than in the automotive industry. The push to develop new steels has resulted in important changes in steel compositions. The impact of these composition changes on the thermo-mechanical processing of AHSS has yet to be explored. The aim of the present project is to develop a physically-based model for the hot-rolling of novel low alloy steels that contain alloying additions beyond the traditionally used range. Fundamental studies will be carried out on the interaction of alloying elements at moving boundaries and on precipitate evolution during hot rolling. The results of these fundamental studies will be integrated into a robust multi-pass precipitation model that predicts grain-size evolution, precipitation hardening and flow stress changes. The model will be linked to a widely used commercial mill-load prediction software package in order to accurately predict mill loads during hot rolling. This work will be carried out in close collaboration with the industrial partners and will ultimately allow EVRAZ Inc. N.A. and Stelco (two of Canada's leading steel produces) to optimize the chemistry and thermomechanical processing parameters of the steels produced at their facilities in Regina and Lake Erie. The new steels will allow Stelco to extend its market share in the automotive sheet sector. It would also allow EVRAZ to produce a wide range of competitive product for the oil and gas industry. In total, 1 PhD student, 2 MSc students and one Research Associate will be trained as part of this grant.x000D