Abstract: A coated dual-phase steel and process for producing the coated dual-phase steel is provided. The process includes providing a steel slab with a desired chemistry, soaking the slab at an elevated temperature and then hot rolling the slab to produce hot-rolled strip. The hot-rolled strip is coiled and has a ferrite-pearlite microstructure. The coiled hot-rolled strip is cold-rolled into cold-rolled sheet with at least a 60% reduction in thickness compared to the thickness of the coiled hot-rolled strip. The cold-rolled sheet is subjected to an intercritical anneal followed by rapid cooling with the absence of an isothermal heat treatment or hold after rapid cooling near the molten metal pot temperature—during which, before or after which the steel is coated. The coated steel sheet has a dual-phase ferrite-martensite microstructure, a yield strength of at least 310 MPa, a tensile strength of at least 580 MPa and a total elongation to failure of at least 18%.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a cold rolled high strength dual phase steel. The process includes soaking a steel slab within a temperature range of 1200-1300° C., hot rolling the soaked steel slab in a roughing treatment and producing a transfer bar, and hot rolling the transfer bar in a finishing treatment and producing hot rolled strip. The hot rolled strip is cold rolled with at least a 55% reduction in thickness. The cold rolled sheet is intercritically annealed at a temperature between 790-840° C. and rapidly cooled to a temperature between 450-500° C. The rapidly cooled sheet has a ferrite plus martensite microstructure, a 0.2% yield strength of at least 550 MPa, a tensile strength of at least 980 MPa and a total elongation to failure of at least 10%.

Abstract: Dual-phase steels and a process for producing a family of dual-phase steels that have a low YS/TS ratio and tensile strength above 590 MPa. The process includes employing low annealing temperatures combined with specific cooling strategies using gas jet rapid cooling equipped with “Ultra Rapid Cooling” (URC) capacity in the cooling tower. The process can also include the production of dual-phase steels with tensile strengths of at least 690 MPa by processing steels with specific cooling strategies using the URC having a refined Mo content towards the higher end of the chemical composition range mentioned in the current stated invention.

Abstract: A bake hardenable steel and a process for manufacture of a bake hardenable steel. Steel alloy slabs with a predefined chemical composition are hot rolled into hot rolled strip. The hot rolled strip is cold rolled and continuously annealed on a continuous annealing line and then rapidly cooled to at least 600° C. using a cooling rate of between 20-100 K/sec, and optionally cooled to at least 140° C. using a cooling rate of between 3-20 K/sec. As such, the cold rolled and annealed sheet is not subjected to an overageing treatment and yet still exhibits excellent and well defined bake hardening values. For example BH2 values between 25 and 45 MPa are exhibited by the low alloy steel grades. In addition, the bake hardeneable steel sheet has a minimum yield strength of 220 MPa and in some instances has a minimum yield strength as high as 380 MPa.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing hot rolled high strength dual phase steels. In some instances, hot rolled strip is continuously cooled to less than 100° C. prior to coiling using a cooling rate between 40-70° C./second. In other instances, hot rolled strip is cooled to less than 100° C. prior to coiling using a step cooling treatment. In yet other instances, hot rolled strip is continuously cooled to less than 100° C. prior to coiling using a cooling rate between 70-100° C./second. For hot rolled strip subjected to a cooling rate between 40-70° C./second, or subjected to the step cooling treatment, hot rolled steel sheet with a tensile strength greater than 590 MPa is produced. For hot rolled strip subjected to a cooling rate between 70-100° C./second, hot rolled steel sheet with a tensile strength greater than 690 MPa is produced. Also, the hot rolled steel sheet has a ferrite plus martensite microstructure free of pearlite and bainite.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a cold rolled high strength dual phase steel. The process includes soaking a steel slab within a temperature range of 1200-1300° C., hot rolling the soaked steel slab in a roughing treatment and producing a transfer bar, and hot rolling the transfer bar in a finishing treatment and producing hot rolled strip. The hot rolled strip is cold rolled with at least a 55% reduction in thickness. The cold rolled sheet is intercritically annealed at a temperature between 790-840 ° C. and rapidly cooled to a temperature between 450-500 ° C. The rapidly cooled sheet has a ferrite plus martensite microstructure, a 0.2% yield strength of at least 550 MPa, a tensile strength of at least 980 MPa and a total elongation to failure of at least 10%.

Abstract: A coated dual-phase steel and process for producing the coated dual-phase steel is provided. The process includes providing a steel slab with a desired chemistry, soaking the slab at an elevated temperature and then hot rolling the slab to produce hot-rolled strip. The hot-rolled strip is coiled and has a ferrite-pearlite microstructure. The coiled hot-rolled strip is cold-rolled into cold-rolled sheet with at least a 60% reduction in thickness compared to the thickness of the coiled hot-rolled strip. The cold-rolled sheet is subjected to an intercritical anneal followed by rapid cooling with the absence of an isothermal heat treatment or hold after rapid cooling near the molten metal pot temperature—during which, before or after which the steel is coated. The coated steel sheet has a dual-phase ferrite-martensite microstructure, a yield strength of at least 310 MPa, a tensile strength of at least 580 MPa and a total elongation to failure of at least 18%.

Abstract: Dual-phase steels and a process for producing a family of dual-phase steels that have a low YS/TS ratio and tensile strength above 590 MPa. The process includes employing low annealing temperatures combined with specific cooling strategies using gas jet rapid cooling equipped with “Ultra Rapid Cooling” (URC) capacity in the cooling tower. The process can also include the production of dual-phase steels with tensile strengths of at least 690 MPa by processing steels with specific cooling strategies using the URC having a refined Mo content towards the higher end of the chemical composition range mentioned in the current stated invention.