Study on the formation mechanism and influencing factors of banded structures in steel materials

The formation mechanism and influencing factors of banded structures in steel materials are investigated through homogenization treatment tests and slow cooling experiments, combined with optical microscopy and electron probe micro-analyzer. The results indicate that banded structures primarily form within the temperature range of the two-phase region, and their banding characteristics become more pronounced with decreasing cooling temperatures. Homogenization treatment effectively reduces the segregation of Mn elements, thereby inhibiting the formation of banded structures. Specifically, under a slow cooling rate of 0.05 ℃/s, short-term homogenization treatment (1 h) weakens the banding characteristics, while long-term homogenization treatment (≥2 h) completely eliminates the banded structures. However, after slow cooling at a rate of 0.02 ℃/s, banded structures still appear in samples even after long-term homogenization treatment (≥2 h). In conclusion, the combined effects of cooling rate and homogenization treatment significantly influence the formation of banded structures in steel materials.