Development and Application of On‐Line Solution Annealing Process for 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel.

After hot rolling, 304 austenitic stainless steel requires a solution annealing treatment to prevent intergranular corrosion and eliminate work hardening effects. Compared to traditional offline processes, on‐line solution annealing offers advantages in terms of cost and time savings. However, both recrystallization behavior and M23C6 carbide precipitation behavior are significantly influenced by the cooling process after rolling, which poses conflicting requirements. This study investigates the precipitation behavior of M23C6 carbides and the recrystallization softening behavior during the continuous cooling process of hot‐rolled samples. The kinetics equations are derived using the Scheil's additivity rule. The temperature profiles in different regions of the plate are studied using finite element analysis. A practical approach for online solution annealing is proposed and applied in industrial testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]