ARCELOR is developing different models to describe steel metallurgy and production processes based on physical descriptions of the phenomena. Further-more, a software workshop is in progress, aimed at permitting couplings of these models on a modular basis and dealing with various situations in terms of levels of description and dimensions of modeling. Some of these models have been applied to the case of coil coiling at the exit of a hot strip mill to evaluate the heterogeneities of temperature evolution in the product and their effect on mechanical properties through variations of precipitated fraction and precipitate size in a niobium microalloyed steel. In this way, variations obtained in industrial conditions are explained. The general accuracy of this simulation appears satisfactory even though some parameters are not yet precisely estimated and would require further validations. Of major interest with this integrated process metallurgy modeling is its use for predictive purposes, such as studies of sensitivity to process or composition modifications. Another one, due to its fine level of description, is to make available information on microstructural characteristics, which often cannot be obtained experimentally, such as precipitation kinetics in precise locations in the product. Likewise, the information obtained on mechanical properties is the complete behavior law from which the tensile curve can be deduced, rather than only specific values such as tensile strength or uniform elongation.
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