Abstract

The invention relates to a method for continuously creating a bainite structure in a carbon steel, especially a strip steel. Said method comprises the following steps: the carbon steel (1) is austenitized (3) at a temperature exceeding the austenitizing temperature; the austenitized carbon steel (1) is introduced into a bath (2) containing a quenching agent (21) in order to cool the carbon steel (1) to a temperature lying below the austenitizing temperature; the carbon steel (1) is adjusted to the transformation temperature for bainite and is maintained (13) at said transformation temperature for a certain period of time; and the carbon steel is then cooled (17). In order to further develop said method, the carbon steel (1) penetrates a bath (2) containing a quenching agent (21) until a defined percentage of the bainite structure relative to the total structure of the carbon steel (1) has formed in the bath (2) containing the quenching agent (21) following the austenitizing process, residues of the quenching agent (21) are removed from the surface of the carbon steel (1) by blowing the same off when the carbon steel (1) is discharged from the bath (2), and the remaining structure components of the carbon steel (1) are then transformed into bainite in an isothermal tempering station (13) without deflecting the carbon steel (1) at all when the same penetrates the isothermal tempering station (13).

IPC Classes  ?

• C21D 1/20 - Isothermal quenching, e.g. bainitic hardening
• C21D 1/607 - Molten salts
• C21D 1/63 - Quenching devices for bath quenching
• C21D 9/56 - Continuous furnaces for strip or wire
• C21D 9/573 - Continuous furnaces for strip or wire with cooling
• C21D 9/58 - Continuous furnaces for strip or wire with heating by baths
• C21D 1/25 - Hardening, combined with annealing between 300 °C and 600 °C, i.e. heat refining ("Vergüten")
• C21D 8/02 - Modifying the physical properties by deformation combined with, or followed by, heat treatment during manufacturing of plates or strips
• C21D 8/04 - Modifying the physical properties by deformation combined with, or followed by, heat treatment during manufacturing of plates or strips to produce plates or strips for deep-drawing