IP Library Granted Patent US 12,480,171
Granted Patent B2
US 12,480,171 · App. 17/414,064 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Ultra-thick structural steel having excellent brittle crack initiation resistance, and manufacturing method therefor

Inventor: Hak-Cheol Lee (Pohang-si, KR)
Assignee: POSCO CO., LTD
C21D8/0226C21D6/001C21D6/005C21D8/0205C22C38/002C22C38/04C22C38/08C22C38/12C22C38/14C22C38/16C21D2211/001C21D2211/002C21D2211/005C21D2211/008C21D2211/009
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,480,171
App. No.
17/414,064
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides an ultra-thick structural steel having excellent brittle crack initiation resistance, and a manufacturing method therefor, the ultra-thick structural steel comprising, by wt %, 0.03-0.08% of C, 1.6-2.2% of Mn, 0.6-1.3% of Ni, 0.005-0.03% of Nb, 0.005-0.02% of Ti, 0.1-0.4% of Cu, 100 ppm or less of P, 40 ppm or less of S, 1.5 ppm or less of H, and the balance of Fe and other inevitable impurities, wherein the sum of acicular ferrite and granular bainite in the microstructure is 80% or more by area fraction, the sum of the total length of cracks having a size of 30 μm or more per unit area of 1 mm2 in a ±1 mm region on the basis of the thickness center of the steel is 130 μm or less, and the yield strength is 500 MPa or more.

Claims (18)

1 . A structural steel material comprising, by weight %, 0.03 to 0.08% of carbon (C), 1.6 to 2.2% of manganese (Mn), 0.6 to 1.3% of nickel (Ni), 0.005 to 0.03% of niobium (Nb), 0.005 to 0.02% of titanium (Ti), 0.1 to 0.4% of copper (Cu), 100 ppm or less of phosphorus (P), 40 ppm or less of sulfur (S), 1.5 ppm or less of hydrogen (H), and a balance of iron (Fe) and inevitable impurities,

wherein a sum of acicular ferrite and granular bainite in a microstructure is 80% or more by area fraction,

a sum of total lengths of cracks having a size of 30 μm or more per unit area of 1 mm 2 in regions of ±1 mm from a thickness center of the steel material is 130 μm or less, and

yield strength is 500 MPa or more.

2 . The structural steel material of claim 1 , wherein a balance structure of the microstructure is one type or more of upper bainite, a martensite-austenite (MA) constituent, and degenerated pearlite.

3 . The structural steel material of claim 1 , wherein the steel material has a crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) average value of 0.4 mm or more at a temperature of −10° C., and an impact transition temperature of a central portion of the steel material is −40° C. or less.

4 . The structural steel material of claim 1 , comprising 0.8 to 1.5 ppm of hydrogen (H).

5 . The structural steel material of claim 1 , comprising, by weight %, 1.23 to 1.3% of nickel (Ni).

6 . A method of manufacturing the structural steel material of claim 1 , the method

preparing molten steel including, by weight %, 0.03 to 0.08% of carbon (C), 1.6 to 2.2% of manganese (Mn), 0.6 to 1.3% of nickel (Ni), 0.005 to 0.03% of niobium (Nb), 0.005 to 0.02% of titanium (Ti), 0.1 to 0.4% of copper (Cu), 100 ppm or less of phosphorus (P), 40 ppm or less of sulfur(S), 1.5 ppm or less of hydrogen (H), and a balance of iron (Fe) and inevitable impurities;

continuously casting the molten steel to obtain a steel slab;

reheating the steel slab to a temperature of 1000 to 1150° C.;

rough-rolling the reheated steel slab at a temperature of 900 to 1150° C.;

finish-rolling the rough-rolled steel slab at a temperature of Ar3 or higher to obtain a hot-rolled steel material; and

cooling the hot-rolled steel material to a temperature of 300 to 600° C. at a cooling rate of 3° C./sec or more,

wherein the preparing of the molten steel includes RH-refining the molten steel for 15 to 40 minutes.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein a total cumulative reduction ratio during the rough-rolling is 30% or more.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein a total cumulative reduction ratio during the finish-rolling is 40% or more.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2022
From: POSCO HOLDINGS INC.
To: POSCO CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 061777/0937 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 28, 2022
From: POSCO
To: POSCO HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 061561/0730 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2021
From: LEE, HAK-CHEOL
To: POSCO
Reel/Frame 056552/0836 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2018-0165448 · Dec 19, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220056544A1 · Feb 24, 2022
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