Grain Size Distribution of DP 600 Steel Using Single-Pass Asymmetrical Wedge Test

Grain size distribution after the completion of a phase transformation was studied through the laboratory-controlled hot-plastic deformation of dual phase 600 (DP 600) steel using a specially prepared asymmetric single-pass hot-rolling wedge test with a refined reheating grain size instead of the usual coarse-grained starting microstructure observed in practice. The experiment was performed to reduce generally needed experimental trials to observe the microstructure development at elevated temperatures, where stable and unstable conditions could be observed as in the industrial hot-rolling practice. For this purpose, experimental stress–strain curves and softening behaviors were used concerning FEM simulations to reproduce in situ hot-rolling conditions to interpret the grain size distribution. The presented study revealed that the usual approach found in the literature for microstructure investigation and evolution with a hot-rolling wedge test was deficient concerning the observed field of interest. The degree of potential error concerning the implemented deformation per notch position, as well as the stress–strain rate and related mean flow stresses, were highly related to the geometry of the specimen and the material behavior itself, which could be defined by the actual hardening and softening kinetics (recrystallization and grain growth at elevated temperatures and longer interpass times). The grain size distribution at 1100–1070 °C was observed up to a 3.45 s−1 strain rate and, based on its stable forming behavior according to the FEM simulations and the optimal refined grain size, the optimal deformation was positioned between e = 0.2 and e = 0.5.