Q960C Steel Plate Yield Standard, Quenching and Tempering Process, and Application Areas

Q960C steel plate is a high-strength low-alloy structural steel with extremely high yield strength and good toughness. "Q" stands for yield strength, "960" indicates its minimum yield strength is 960 MPa, and "C" signifies that the material has specific impact absorption energy requirements at 0°C.

Yield Standards

1. Yield Strength: The minimum yield strength of Q960C steel plate is 960 MPa, enabling it to withstand extremely high pressure without permanent deformation.
2. Tensile Strength: The tensile strength of Q960C typically ranges between 1000 and 1200 MPa, providing excellent tensile performance.
3. Elongation: Under standard thickness, the elongation of Q960C steel plate is generally not less than 10%, demonstrating good plastic deformation capability.
4. Impact Absorption Energy: At 0°C, the impact absorption energy requirement for Q960C steel plate is at least 34J, ensuring the material's toughness in low-temperature environments.
5. Chemical Composition: Q960C steel plate contains appropriate amounts of alloying elements such as manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), and trace carbon (C), which help enhance its strength and toughness.

Quenching and Tempering

Quenching and tempering is a critical step in the production process of Q960C steel plate, consisting of two main stages: quenching and tempering:

1. Quenching: After heating to a certain temperature, the Q960C steel plate is rapidly cooled, typically using water or oil as the cooling medium, to obtain a martensitic or bainitic microstructure, thereby increasing hardness and strength.
2. Tempering: The quenched steel plate undergoes tempering at a lower temperature to reduce quenching stress, restore toughness, and achieve a balance between the desired hardness and toughness.
3. Microstructure Optimization: After quenching and tempering, the Q960C steel plate has a fine grain and uniform microstructure, which helps improve its overall mechanical properties.
4. Performance Consistency: The quenching and tempering process ensures consistent and reliable performance of the steel plate, meeting the requirements for high strength and high toughness applications.

Application Areas

Due to its high strength and good toughness, Q960C steel plate is primarily used in:

1. Heavy Machinery: Such as excavators, cranes, bulldozers, etc., which need to withstand extremely high working loads.
2. Mining Machinery: Hydraulic supports, loaders, etc., which operate in harsh mining environments and require extremely high wear resistance and strength.
3. Building Structures: In high-rise buildings, bridges, and other large structures, Q960C steel plate can be used for key load-bearing components.
4. Shipbuilding: Used in the construction of hull structures, decks, etc., which need to withstand seawater corrosion and dynamic loads.
5. Military Equipment: Tanks, armored vehicles, etc., which require extremely high protective capability and durability.

The high yield strength and excellent performance after quenching and tempering make Q960C steel plate an ideal choice for many high-load and high-demand applications. Through precise chemical composition control and heat treatment processes, Q960C steel plate can maintain its performance in various harsh environments.