Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Asahi

Hitoshi Asahi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9719615
    Abstract: The present invention provides high strength steel pipe for line pipe superior in low temperature toughness suppressed in drop of toughness of the HAZ and a method of production of the same, more particularly high strength steel plate for line pipe used as a material for high strength steel pipe for line pipe and a method of production of the same, in particular high strength steel pipe for line pipe superior in low temperature toughness characterized in that the chemical compositions of the base metal is, by mass %, C: 0.020 to 0.080%, Si: 0.01 to 0.50%, Mo: 0.01 to 0.15%, Al: 0.0005 to 0.030%, and Nb: 0.0001 to 0.030% contained in a range of C+0.25Si+0.1Mo+Al+Nb: 0.100% or less and the mixture of austenite and martensite present along prior austenite grain boundaries of the reheated part of the heat affected zone has a width of 10 ?m or less and a length of 50 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Hara, Hitoshi Asahi, Yoshio Terada
  • Patent number: 9188253
    Abstract: A steel pipe with dual phase structure includes, as chemical composition, by mass %, C: 0.07% to 0.15%, Si: 0.1% to 0.5%, Mn: 0.8% to 1.9%, Nb: 0.020% to 0.10%, P: limited to 0.05% or less, S: limited to 0.01% or less, Al: limited to 0.1% or less, and a balance consisting of iron and unavoidable impurities, wherein, when [X] is amount of element X in mass %, carbon equivalent Ceq defined by Equation of Ceq=[C]+[Mn]/6 is 0.25 to 0.40 and [Nb]×[C]?0.002 is satisfied, and includes, as metallographic structure, by area %, ferrite of 80% to 98% and martensite, residual austenite, or mixture thereof of 2% to 20% in total, wherein average grain size of ferrite is 1 ?m to less than 8 ?m and average grain size of martensite, residual austenite, or mixture thereof is 0.1 ?m to 2 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuru Sawamura, Hitoshi Asahi, Eiji Tsuru, Jun Agata
  • Patent number: 9126283
    Abstract: [Summary] [Object] There are provided electric resistance welded oil country tubular goods having strength corresponding to API specification 5CT P110 without a heat treatment being performed on the whole steel pipe and further having excellent toughness, and a manufacturing method of an electric resistance welded oil country tubular goods. [Solution] Electric resistance welded oil country tubular goods according to the present invention have a chemical composition that contains, in mass %, C: 0.05 to 0.12%, Si: 0.03 to 0.5%, Mn: 0.80 to 2.2%, P: 0.03% or less, S: 0.003% or less, Al: 0.08% or less, Nb: 0.01% to 0.10%, Ti: 0.005 to 0.03%, B: 0.0005 to 0.0030%, and N: 0.008% or less, and in which Ti>3.4 N is satisfied, its balance is composed of Fe and inevitable impurities, and, VC90 is 15 to 40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL AND SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuru Sawamura, Hitoshi Asahi
  • Patent number: 9050681
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of production of electric resistance welded steel pipe able to stably reduce weld defects due to oxides by firing plasma and furthermore able to reduce plasma jet noise and comprises shaping steel plate 1 into a tube and electric resistance welding the abutting end faces 4 during which blowing on at least the abutting end faces 4a in the region 6 at the welding upstream side from the weld point 9 where the temperature becomes 650° C. or more a reducing high temperature (pseudo) laminar plasma obtained by applying voltage to a reducing gas containing H2 gas: 2 to 50 vol % to which is added a balance of Ar gas alone or a mixed gas of Ar gas to which N2 gas, He gas, or both are added. At that time, it is preferable to make the applied voltage over 120V and the make the plasma blowing conditions satisfy the following formula (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Hamatani, Shinji Kodama, Nobuo Mizuhashi, Sunao Takeuchi, Tomohiro Nakaji, Takashi Miyakawa, Hitoshi Asahi, Michitoshi Tanimoto, Michimasa Mukai
  • Patent number: 8974610
    Abstract: A high-strength welded steel pipe is obtained by welding a seam weld portion of a steel plate that are formed in a pipe shape. In the high-strength welded steel pipe, a base metal of the steel plate includes, by mass %, C: 0.010% to 0.080%, Si: 0.01% to 0.50%, Mn: 0.50% to 2.00%, S: 0.0001% to 0.0050%, Ti: 0.003% to 0.030%, Mo: 0.05% to 1.00%, B: 0.0003% to 0.0100%, O: 0.0001% to 0.0080%, N: 0.006% to 0.0118%, P: limited to 0.050% or less, Al: limited to 0.008% or less, and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, Ceq is 0.30 to 0.53, Pcm is 0.10 to 0.20, [N]?[Ti]/3.4 is less than 0.003, the average grain size of the prior ? grains in heat affected zones in the steel plate is 250 ?m or less, and the prior ? grains include bainite and intragranular bainite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Taishi Fujishiro, Takuya Hara, Yoshio Terada, Shinya Sakamoto, Hitoshi Asahi
  • Patent number: 8920583
    Abstract: The invention provides a steel pipe excellent in deformation characteristics, most notably a steel pipe for expandable-pipe oil well and a low-yield-ratio line pipe, and a method of producing the same without conducting water cooling requiring large-scale heat treatment equipment, namely a method of producing a steel pipe excellent in deformation characteristics whose microstructure is a two-phase structure including a martensite-austenite constituent at an area fraction of 2 to 10% and a soft phase, which method comprises: heating at Ac1+10° C. to Ac1+60° C. and thereafter cooling a precursor steel pipe which contains, in mass %, C: 0.04 to 0.10% and Mn: 1.00 to 2.50%, is limited to Si: 0.80% or less, P: 0.03% or less, S: 0.01% or less, Al: 0.10% or less and N: 0.01% or less, further contains one or more of Ni: 1.00% or less, Mo: 0.60% or less, Cr: 1.00% or less and Cu: 1.00% or less, where content of Mn and content of one or more of Cr, Ni, Mo and Cu satisfy Mn+Cr+Ni+2Mo+Cu?2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Asahi, Tetsuo Ishitsuka, Motofumi Koyuba, Toshiyuki Ogata
  • Patent number: 8815024
    Abstract: The present invention provides steel plate or steel pipe with small occurrence of the Bauschinger effect and methods of production of the same, particularly steel pipe used for steel pipe for oil wells or line pipe with a small drop in the compression strength in the circumferential direction due to the Bauschinger effect when expanded and methods of production of the same, that is steel plate or steel pipe with small occurrence of the Bauschinger effect characterized by having a dual-phase structure substantially comprising a ferrite structure and fine martensite which is dispersed in the ferrite structure. Further, this steel plate or steel pipe contains, by mass %, C: 0.03 to 0.30%, Si: 0.01 to 0.8%, Mn: 0.3 to 2.5%, P: 0.03% or less, S: 0.01% or less, Al: 0.001 to 0.01%, and N: 0.01% or less and a balance of iron and unavoidable impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Asahi, Eiji Tsuru
  • Publication number: 20140227126
    Abstract: The present invention provides high strength steel pipe for line pipe superior in low temperature toughness suppressed in drop of toughness of the HAZ and a method of production of the same, more particularly high strength steel plate for line pipe used as a material for high strength steel pipe for line pipe and a method of production of the same, in particular high strength steel pipe for line pipe superior in low temperature toughness characterized in that the chemical compositions of the base metal is, by mass %, C: 0.020 to 0.080%, Si: 0.01 to 0.50%, Mo: 0.01 to 0.15%, Al: 0.0005 to 0.030%, and Nb: 0.0001 to 0.030% contained in a range of C+0.25Si+0.1Mo+Al+Nb: 0.100% or less and the mixture of austenite and martensite present along prior austenite grain boundaries of the reheated part of the heat affected zone has a width of 10 ?m or less and a length of 50 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Hara, Hitoshi Asahi, Yoshio Terada
  • Patent number: 8764918
    Abstract: The present invention provides high strength steel pipe for line pipe superior in low temperature toughness suppressed in drop of toughness of the HAZ and a method of production of the same, more particularly high strength steel plate for line pipe used as a material for high strength steel pipe for line pipe and a method of production of the same, in particular high strength steel pipe for line pipe superior in low temperature toughness characterized in that the chemical compositions of the base metal is, by mass %, C: 0.020 to 0.080%, Si: 0.01 to 0.50%, Mo: 0.01 to 0.15%, Al: 0.0005 to 0.030%, and Nb: 0.0001 to 0.030% contained in a range of C+0.25Si+0.1Mo+Al+Nb: 0.100% or less and the mixture of austenite and martensite present along prior austenite grain boundaries of the reheated part of the heat affected zone has a width of 10 ?m or less and a length of 50 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Hara, Hitoshi Asahi, Yoshio Terada
  • Patent number: 8715430
    Abstract: The present invention provides high strength steel plate and high strength welded pipe excellent in ductile fracture characteristic and methods of production of the same, that is, high strength steel plate excellent in ductile fracture characteristic, and high strength welded pipe using that steel plate as a base material, having a tensile strength corresponding to the X100 class of the API standard, containing, by mass %, C: 0.01 to 0.5%, Si: 0.01 to 3%, Mn: 0.1 to 5%, P: 0.03% or less, and S: 0.03% or less and a balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities, having a microstructure comprised of, by area ratio, 1 to 60% of ferrite and the balance of bainite and martensite, having a maximum value of the {100} accumulation degree of the cross-section rotated 20 to 50° from the plate thickness cross-section about the rolling direction as an axis of 3 or less, and having plate thickness parallel cracks measured by ultrasonic flaw detection of less than 1 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Hara, Yasuhiro Shinohara, Hitoshi Asahi, Yoshio Terada
  • Patent number: 8685182
    Abstract: This high-strength steel pipe includes, by mass %, C: 0.02% to 0.09%, Mn: 0.4% to 2.5%, Cr: 0.1% to 1.0%, Ti: 0.005% to 0.03%, Nb: 0.005% to 0.3%, and a balance consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities, in which Si, Al, P, S, and N are limited to 0.6% or less, 0.1% or less, 0.02% or less, 0.005% or less, 0.008% or less, respectively, the bainite transformation index BT is 650° C. or less, and the microstructure thereof is a single bainite microstructure including first bainite and second bainite, the first bainite being a gathered microstructure of bainitic ferrite including no carbide, and the second bainite being a mixed microstructure of bainitic ferrite including no carbide and cementite between the bainitic ferrites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Kensuke Nagai, Yasuhiro Shinohara, Shinya Sakamoto, Takuya Hara, Hitoshi Asahi
  • Patent number: 8653400
    Abstract: The present invention provides a high strength welded steel pipe superior in weld zone embrittlement crack characteristics and a method of production of the same, that is, a method of production of a welded steel pipe superior in hydrogen embrittlement cracking resistance of weld metal characterized by seam welding from the inner and outer surfaces by a tensile strength of 850 MPa or more, then expanding or reducing the size of the pipe for correction, which method of production of welded steel pipe characterized in that the hydrogen concentration of the preceding weld metal is 0.2 cc or less per 100 g at ordinary temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Tsuru, Takuya Hara, Hitoshi Asahi, Hiroshi Morimoto, Yoshio Terada, Tatsuya Yoshida, Kouichi Shinada
  • Publication number: 20130118632
    Abstract: A steel pipe with dual phase structure includes, as chemical composition, by mass %, C: 0.07% to 0.15%, Si: 0.1% to 0.5%, Mn: 0.8% to 1.9%, Nb: 0.020% to 0.10%, P: limited to 0.05% or less, S: limited to 0.01% or less, Al: limited to 0.1% or less, and a balance consisting of iron and unavoidable impurities, wherein, when [X] is amount of element X in mass %, carbon equivalent Ceq defined by Equation of Ceq=[C]+[Mn]/6 is 0.25 to 0.40 and [Nb]×[C]?0.002 is satisfied, and includes, as metallographic structure, by area %, ferrite of 80% to 98% and martensite, residual austenite, or mixture thereof of 2% to 20% in total, wherein average grain size of ferrite is 1 ?m to less than 8 ?m and average grain size of martensite, residual austenite, or mixture thereof is 0.1 ?m to 2 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuru Sawamura, Hitoshi Asahi, Eiji Tsuru, Jun Agata
  • Publication number: 20130092280
    Abstract: [Summary] [Object] There are provided electric resistance welded oil country tubular goods having strength corresponding to API specification 5CT P110 without a heat treatment being performed on the whole steel pipe and further having excellent toughness, and a manufacturing method of an electric resistance welded oil country tubular goods. [Solution] Electric resistance welded oil country tubular goods according to the present invention have a chemical composition that contains, in mass %, C: 0.05 to 0.12%, Si: 0.03 to 0.5%, Mn: 0.80 to 2.2%, P: 0.03% or less, S: 0.003% or less, Al: 0.08% or less, Nb: 0.01% to 0.10%, Ti: 0.005 to 0.03%, B: 0.0005 to 0.0030%, and N: 0.008% or less, and in which Ti>3.4 N is satisfied, its balance is composed of Fe and inevitable impurities, and, VC90 is 15 to 40.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuru Sawamura, Hitoshi Asahi
  • Publication number: 20120291907
    Abstract: A high-strength welded steel pipe is obtained by welding a seam weld portion of a steel plate that are formed in a pipe shape. In the high-strength welded steel pipe, a base metal of the steel plate includes, by mass %, C: 0.010% to 0.080%, Si: 0.01% to 0.50%, Mn: 0.50% to 2.00%, S: 0.0001% to 0.0050%, Ti: 0.003% to 0.030%, Mo: 0.05% to 1.00%, B: 0.0003% to 0.0100%, O: 0.0001% to 0.0080%, N: 0.006% to 0.0118%, P: limited to 0.050% or less, Al: limited to 0.008% or less, and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, Ceq is 0.30 to 0.53, Pcm is 0.10 to 0.20, [N]—[Ti]/3.4 is less than 0.003, the average grain size of the prior ? grains in heat affected zones in the steel plate is 250 ?m or less, and the prior ? grains include bainite and intragranular bainite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Taishi Fujishiro, Takuya Hara, Yoshio Terada, Shinya Sakamoto, Hitoshi Asahi
  • Publication number: 20120118425
    Abstract: This high-strength steel pipe includes, by mass%, C: 0.02% to 0.09%, Mn: 0.4% to 2.5%, Cr: 0.1% to 1.0%, Ti: 0.005% to 0.03%, Nb: 0.005% to 0.3%, and a balance consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities, in which Si, Al, P, S, and N are limited to 0.6% or less, 0.1% or less, 0.02% or less, 0.005% or less, 0.008% or less, respectively, the bainite transformation index BT is 650° C. or less, and the microstructure thereof is a single bainite microstructure including first bainite and second bainite, the first bainite being a gathered microstructure of bainitic ferrite including no carbide, and the second bainite being a mixed microstructure of bainitic ferrite including no carbide and cementite between the bainitic ferrites.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Kensuke Nagai, Yasuhiro Shinohara, Shinya Sakamoto, Takuya Hara, Hitoshi Asahi
  • Patent number: 8110292
    Abstract: The present invention provides high strength steel plate with excellent low temperature toughness, high strength steel pipe using this as a base metal, and methods of production of the same. The steel plate of the present invention contains Mo: 0.05 to 1.00% and B: 0.0003 to 0.0100%, has a Ceq of 0.30 to 0.53, has a Pcm of 0.10 to 0.20, and has a metal structure which has an area percentage of polygonal ferrite of 20 to 90% and has a balance of a hard phase comprised of one or both of bainite and martensite. To obtain this steel plate, strain-introducing rolling is performed with a start temperature of not more than Ar3+60° C., an end temperature of Ar3 or more, and a reduction ratio of 1.5 or more, then the plate is air-cooled and then acceleratedly cooled from Ar3?100° C. to Ar3?10° C. in temperature by 10° C./s or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Taishi Fujishiro, Shinya Sakamoto, Takuya Hara, Hitoshi Asahi
  • Patent number: 8084144
    Abstract: The present invention provides high strength thick welded steel pipe for line pipe superior in low temperature toughness, and a method of production of the same. A base material steel plate containing C: 0.010 to 0.050%, Si: 0.01 to 0.50%, Mn: 0.50 to 2.00%, Al: 0.020% or less, Ti: 0.003 to 0.030%, and Mo: 0.10 to 1.50%, having a carbon equivalent Ceq of 0.30 to 0.53, having a crack susceptability parameter Pcm of 0.10 to 0.20, satisfying formula 3, comprised an area ratio of 20% or less of polygonal ferrite and an area ratio of 80% or more of bainite, and having an effective crystal grain size of 20 ?m or less is formed into a pipe shape, then seam welded to make the effective crystal grain size of the heat affected zone 150 ?m or less: 10C+100Al+5Mo+5Ni<3.3??formula 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Hara, Hitoshi Asahi
  • Patent number: 8070887
    Abstract: The present invention provides a line pipe of, e.g., the API standard X60 to X100 class. The line pipe has an excellent deformability, as well as excellent low temperature toughness and high productivity, a steel plate used as the material of the steel pipe. Methods for producing the steel pipe and the steel plate are also provided. In particular, a high-strength steel plate excellent in the deformability has a ferrite phase is dispersed finely, and accounts for 5% to 40% in area percentage in a low temperature transformation structure mainly composed of a bainite phase. For example, most grain sizes of the ferrite phase are smaller than the average grain size of the bainite phase. A high-strength steel pipe excellent in deformability is also provided, in which a large diameter steel pipe is produced through forming the steel plate into a pipe shape. The steel pipe has the above-referenced structure, and satisfies the conditions that YS/TS is 0.95 or less and YS×uEL is 5,000 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Asahi, Yasuhiro Shinohara, Takuya Hara
  • Patent number: 8049131
    Abstract: The present invention, in a welded joint of steel sheets and a steel pipe body having a tensile strength of 800 MPa or more (over X100 in API Standards), provides: the welded joint of the steel sheets and the steel pipe produced by forming a steel sheet into a cylindrical shape and welding both the ends thereof, both excellent in cold cracking resistance; and methods for producing them. The present invention includes an ultrahigh strength welded joint and an ultrahigh strength welded steel pipe excellent in the cold cracking resistance of a weld metal, characterized in that the amount of non-diffusible hydrogen in the inner side weld metal is 0.01 ppm or more. It is preferable that the ratio of the non-diffusible hydrogen amount to the total hydrogen amount in said inner side weld metal is 0.5% or more. Further, it is preferable that Mo carbide is contained by not less than 1 piece/?m2 in said inner side weld metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Hara, Hitoshi Asahi