DE102019213026A1 - Component for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid and method for its production - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention proposes a component for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid, the component having an austenitic precipitation-hardened steel, the austenitic precipitation-hardening steel having strength-increasing precipitates. Furthermore, the invention proposes a method for producing such a component, comprising the process steps of providing a component having an austenitic precipitation hardening steel, forming strength-increasing precipitates by a heat treatment process, the heat treatment process comprising the process steps solution annealing of the component at a solution annealing temperature, quenching of the component, especially at room temperature, precipitation hardening of the component at a precipitation hardening temperature. Such components are surprisingly suitable for applications at high pressures even with small wall thicknesses.

Description

The present invention relates to a component for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid and a method for its production, as well as the use of an austenitic precipitation-hardened steel for a component for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid.

Processes in which fluids are guided and / or stored often place special demands on the system components used. In particular, a particularly light weight, a particularly high temperature and / or pressure resistance, and a certain compatibility with existing components may be required.

EP 2 789 845 A1 describes a fuel rail arrangement for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, comprising a fuel rail with a fuel rail and injector receptacles branching off from the fuel rail. The fuel rail is constructed from duplex steel.

Disclosure of the invention

The present invention relates to a component for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid, the component having an austenitic precipitation-hardened steel, the austenitic precipitation-hardening steel having strength-increasing precipitates.

In contrast to known components, the components according to the invention have a higher strength and allow the realization of thin wall thicknesses. Thus, with components according to the invention, the power density of a system, in particular the power density of a gasoline engine, can be increased by increasing the pressure. At the same time, in contrast to known components, a thin wall thickness can be realized, whereby material and in particular weight can be saved. This makes these components particularly suitable for mobile applications. In addition, the components can be compatible with other components of the system, since their coefficient of thermal expansion is compatible with the material often used for existing components. The material of the existing components is often austenitic steel, for example.

A component for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid is to be understood in the context of the present invention as a component that is at least suitable for guiding a fluid or for storing a fluid. A fluid can particularly preferably be a gas or a liquid. A component for guiding a fluid has at least partially a closed cross section. For example, a component for guiding a fluid can be understood to mean a pipe. A component for storing a fluid is to be understood in the context of the present invention as an essentially closed container. The container can have inlets and outlets. For example, a component for storing a fluid can be understood to mean a tank or a bottle.

An austenitic precipitation-hardened steel is to be understood in the context of the present invention as an austenitic steel which has formed precipitates at a precipitation temperature.

Strength-increasing precipitates are to be understood in the context of the present invention as precipitates which at least increase the strength of the steel.

In this context, steels are materials whose iron mass fraction is greater than that of any other element and whose carbon content is generally less than 2% by weight. Steels within the meaning of the present invention can also have further alloy components such as chromium, nickel, molybdenum, manganese, niobium, vanadium, tungsten, titanium and / or copper.

It can particularly preferably be provided that the austenitic precipitation-hardened steel is a stainless steel.

In the context of the present invention, stainless steels are to be understood as meaning steels which are more resistant to corrosion and acids due to a high proportion of chromium. Stainless steels usually have a chromium content of more than 10.5% by weight.

A component is thus proposed for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid, characterized in that the component has an austenitic precipitation-hardened steel, the austenitic precipitation-hardening steel having strength-increasing precipitates.

The austenitic structure of the component means that the component is compatible with other components of a system with regard to its coefficient of thermal expansion. In contrast to known components made of, for example, duplex steel, no structural adaptations to the system are necessary when using the component according to the invention. By The strength-increasing precipitations can be achieved so that the component can have a small wall thickness, even if it is designed for high system pressures. It can thereby be achieved that the component can be lighter in comparison to known components.

It can preferably be provided that the component is a component for conducting and / or storing at least one fluid at an increased pressure, preferably at a pressure in a range from greater than or equal to 10 bar to less than or equal to 4000 bar, particularly preferably greater than or equal to 10 bar or equal to 100 bar to less than or equal to 3000 bar, in particular greater than or equal to 500 bar to less than or equal to 2000 bar.

It can thereby be achieved that the strength of the component can be used particularly advantageously. In particular, a higher system pressure can be achieved with given wall thicknesses compared to known components with a compatible thermal expansion coefficient or a thinner wall thickness of the component can be achieved with a given system pressure, which results in material and weight savings. This can be of particular advantage for mobile applications. For example, the energy requirement of the vehicles can be reduced by reducing the weight of motor vehicles. Thus, for example, in motor vehicles with an internal combustion engine, fuel savings can advantageously result, as a result of which the environment can be protected.

It can preferably be provided that the component is a component for a fuel injection system, in particular a fuel distributor or a fuel distributor strip.

As a result, it can advantageously be achieved that fuel injection systems can be provided for an increase in the performance of the system through higher pressure with a low weight. As a result, a lower weight can be achieved, especially in motor vehicles, and fuel can be saved if necessary.

It can preferably be provided that the component has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is compatible with a coefficient of thermal expansion of add-on parts, in particular of add-on parts comprising an austenitic steel. This can in particular be achieved in that the component also has an austenitic steel, so that the coefficient of thermal expansion of the component can only differ slightly from the coefficient of thermal expansion of attachments having an austenitic steel.

As a result, it can be achieved that for systems in which the components according to the invention are to be used, no structural changes need to be made to the rest of the system compared to the components previously used.

It can particularly preferably be provided that the austenitic precipitation-hardened steel consists of carbon in a range of greater than or equal to 0.03% by weight to less than or equal to 0.1% by weight, silicon in a range of greater than or equal to 0% by weight .-% to less than or equal to 1% by weight, manganese in a range from greater than or equal to 0% by weight to less than or equal to 2% by weight, phosphorus in a range from greater than or equal to 0% by weight to less than or equal to 0.045% by weight, sulfur in a range from greater than or equal to 0% by weight to less than or equal to 0.03% by weight, chromium in a range from greater than or equal to 13.5% by weight to less than or equal to 22% by weight, molybdenum in a range from greater than or equal to 1% by weight to less than or equal to 3% by weight, nickel in a range from greater than or equal to 7% by weight to less than or equal to 27 % by weight, vanadium in a range from greater than or equal to 0% by weight to less than or equal to 0.8% by weight, titanium in a range greater than or equal to 0% by weight % to less than or equal to 2.5% by weight, boron in a range from greater than or equal to 0.003% by weight to less than or equal to 0.2% by weight, at least one of niobium or tantalum together in one range from greater than or equal to 0% by weight to less than or equal to 1.5% by weight, with the remainder being iron.

In this way, it can advantageously be achieved that precipitates that increase strength can be formed particularly well by precipitation hardening. It can thus be achieved that a particularly high strength of the components according to the invention can be set and the advantages described above develop particularly effectively.

It can particularly preferably be provided that the austenitic precipitation-hardened steel is a grade of 1.4980 or 1.4986.

Due to these grades, the strength-increasing precipitations can be particularly pronounced.

It can very particularly preferably be provided that the component is a component for a fuel injection system and the austenitic precipitation-hardened steel is a grade of 1.4980 or 1.4986.

With regard to further features and advantages of the component, please refer to the description of the Method, use, figures and example are referred to.

The invention also proposes a method for producing a component described above. The method comprises the method steps: providing a component having an austenitic precipitation hardening steel, forming strength-increasing precipitates by a heat treatment method, the heat treatment method comprising the method steps, solution annealing of the component at a solution annealing temperature, quenching of the component, in particular to room temperature, and precipitation hardening of the component at a precipitation hardening temperature.

It can thereby be achieved that the component has particularly good strength. In addition, the above-described method can ensure that the product is particularly well defined and can be implemented particularly easily in terms of process technology.

The component, comprising an austenitic precipitation hardening steel, is solution annealed in one process step. In this way it can be achieved that microsegregations in the component are dissolved. For the purposes of the present invention, microscopic segregation is to be understood as microscopic segregation of an alloy, which results in differences in the concentration of the various alloying elements within a component. The heating can be carried out according to a conventional method known to the person skilled in the art. For example, the component can be heated to the solution annealing temperature in a chamber in a furnace.

In a further process step, the component is quenched.

In the context of the present invention, quenching the component is understood to mean a rapid reduction in the temperature of the component. In principle, the component can be quenched using quenching methods known to those skilled in the art.

This ensures that the steel continues to be a homogeneous alloy and that no thermodynamically more stable compounds are deposited that could impair the mechanical properties of the component.

In a further process step, the component is precipitation hardened. Strength-increasing precipitates form, through which the advantages described above can be achieved.

It can thus be achieved that the component has a particularly high strength.

It can preferably be provided that the provision of the component comprises at least one of soldering or forging.

By soldering or forging, specially defined components for guiding and / or storing a fluid can be produced using known methods. Using the method described above, the component can advantageously be soldered or forged without suffering any loss of strength.

It can preferably be provided that the solution annealing temperature is a temperature in a range from greater than or equal to 900 ° C. to less than or equal to 1300 ° C., preferably from greater than or equal to 950 ° C. to less than or equal to 1150 ° C., in particular from greater than or equal to 1000 ° C to less than or equal to 1100 ° C.

A particularly high degree of homogeneity of the component can thereby be achieved. It can thus be ensured particularly well that the component has the same advantageous strength at all points. In this way, for example, the long-term use of such components can also be improved.

It can preferably be provided that the solution heat treatment is carried out for a duration in a range from greater than or equal to 15 minutes to less than or equal to 4 hours, preferably from greater than or equal to 30 minutes to less than or equal to 3 hours.

As a result, it can be achieved that a large part of microsegregations in the component is dissolved, whereby the mechanical properties of the component can be adjusted particularly well, and a particularly high strength with homogeneous properties is possible.

It can preferably be provided that the quenching is a liquid quenching or gas quenching.

In this way, particularly rapid and controlled quenching can advantageously be achieved, whereby a particularly good homogeneity of the component can also be achieved.

It can preferably be provided that the gas quenching is carried out with an inert gas at a quenching pressure in a range from greater than or equal to 1 bar to less than or equal to 20 bar, preferably greater than or equal to 5 bar to less than or equal to 15 bar.

It can thereby be achieved that the quenching is particularly rapid and thus a particularly high level of homogeneity of the component can also be achieved.

It can preferably be provided that the precipitation hardening temperature is a temperature in a range from greater than or equal to 300 ° C. to less than or equal to 800 ° C., preferably from greater than or equal to 350 ° C. to less than or equal to 750 ° C., in particular from greater than or equal to 420 ° C to less than or equal to 720 ° C.

It can thereby be achieved that the strength-increasing precipitates form particularly effectively and homogeneously. In this way, good strength can still be achieved with a very thin wall thickness.

It can preferably be provided that the precipitation hardening is carried out for a duration in a range from greater than or equal to 1 hour to less than or equal to 20 hours, preferably from greater than or equal to 4 hours to less than or equal to 16 hours.

It can thereby be achieved that the entire component has a sufficient amount of strength-increasing precipitates. In particular, it can be achieved that the strength-increasing precipitations are also formed homogeneously in the interior of the component. As a result, the advantages described above can also be achieved particularly effectively in the case of components with thicker walls.

With regard to further features and advantages of the method, reference is made to the description of the component, the use, the figures and the example.

The invention also proposes the use of an austenitic precipitation-hardened steel for a component for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid. The austenitic precipitation-hardened steel has strength-increasing precipitates. The use for a component can preferably be provided for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid at an increased pressure. It can preferably be provided that the component is a component for a fuel injection system, in particular a fuel distributor or a fuel distributor strip.

With regard to further features and advantages of the use, reference is made to the description of the method, the component, the figures and the example.

Further advantages and advantageous configurations of the method and component according to the invention are illustrated by the figure and the example and explained in the following description. It should be noted that the figure and the example are only intended to be of a descriptive nature and are not intended to restrict the invention in any way.

• 1 ein Flussdiagramm des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens.

It shows:

• 1 a flow chart of the method according to the invention.

1 shows a flowchart of the method for producing a component for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid, comprising an austenitic precipitation-hardened steel, the austenitic precipitation-hardening steel having strength-increasing precipitates. The method includes the step 1 , Providing a component comprising an austenitic precipitation hardening steel. In a further step 2 Strength-increasing precipitates are formed in the component by a heat treatment process. In the heat treatment process 2 is the component initially in one step 3rd solution heat treated at a solution heat treatment temperature. In one step 4th the component is then quenched, especially to room temperature. In one step 5 the component is then precipitation hardened at a precipitation temperature, the strength-increasing precipitations being formed.

Example A:

A fuel rail made from steel 1.4980 with a small wall thickness was solution-annealed in a furnace for 2 hours at a solution annealing temperature of 1000 ° C. for 2 hours. The solution-annealed component was then quenched to room temperature by gas quenching with air at 10 bar. The component was then precipitation hardened at 720 ° C. for 15 hours.

The component heat-treated according to the invention had strength-increasing precipitates, as a result of which the component could be used for a pressure of 2000 bar despite its small wall thickness.

As a result, the method according to the invention surprisingly made it possible to produce components which are suitable for particularly high pressures.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• EP 2789845 A1 [0003]

Claims (10)

Component for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid, characterized in that the component has an austenitic precipitation-hardened steel, the austenitic precipitation-hardening steel having strength-increasing precipitates. Component after Claim 1 , characterized in that the component is a component for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid at an increased pressure, preferably at a pressure in a range from greater than or equal to 10 bar to less than or equal to 4000 bar. Component according to one of the Claims 1 or 2 , characterized in that the component is a component for a fuel injection system, in particular a fuel distributor or a fuel distributor strip. Component according to one of the Claims 1 to 3rd , characterized in that the austenitic precipitation-hardened steel consists of carbon in a range of greater than or equal to 0.03 wt .-% to less than or equal to 0.1 wt .-%, silicon in a range of greater than or equal to 0 wt .-% % to less than or equal to 1% by weight, manganese in a range from greater than or equal to 0% by weight to less than or equal to 2% by weight, phosphorus in a range from greater than or equal to 0% by weight to less than or equal to equal to 0.045% by weight, sulfur in a range from greater than or equal to 0% by weight to less than or equal to 0.03% by weight, chromium in a range from greater than or equal to 13.5% by weight to less than or equal to 22% by weight, molybdenum in a range from greater than or equal to 1% by weight to less than or equal to 3% by weight, nickel in a range from greater than or equal to 7% by weight to less than or equal to 27% by weight. -%, vanadium in a range from greater than or equal to 0% by weight to less than or equal to 0.8% by weight, titanium in a range from greater than or equal to 0% by weight to less or equal to 2.5% by weight, boron in a range from greater than or equal to 0.003% by weight to less than or equal to 0.2% by weight, at least one of niobium or tantalum together in a range greater than or equal to 0 wt .-% to less than or equal to 1.5 wt .-%, and the remainder iron. Method for producing a component according to one of the Claims 1 to 4th , characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: a. Providing a component comprising an austenitic precipitation hardening steel, b. Forming strength-increasing precipitates by a heat treatment process, the heat treatment process comprising the process steps: c. Solution heat treatment of the component at a solution heat treatment temperature, d. Quenching the component, in particular to room temperature, and e. Precipitation hardening of the component at a precipitation hardening temperature. Procedure according to Claim 5 , characterized in that the solution annealing temperature is a temperature in a range from greater than or equal to 900 ° C to less than or equal to 1300 ° C. Method according to one of the Claims 5 or 6th , characterized in that the solution heat treatment is carried out for a duration in a range from greater than or equal to 15 minutes to less than or equal to 4 hours. Method according to one of the Claims 5 to 7th , characterized in that the precipitation hardening temperature is a temperature in a range from greater than or equal to 300 ° C to less than or equal to 800 ° C. Method according to one of the Claims 5 to 7th , characterized in that the precipitation hardening is carried out for a duration in a range from greater than or equal to 1 hour to less than or equal to 20 hours. Use of an austenitic precipitation-hardened steel, the austenitic precipitation-hardened steel having strength-increasing precipitates for a component for guiding and / or storing at least one fluid, in particular at an increased pressure, the component preferably being a component for a fuel injection system, in particular a fuel distributor or a Fuel rail.

Images