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Mechanical Properties of TC-128B Steel during Multiple Stages of Tank Car Fabrication

Document Series
Technical Reports
Author
Federal Railroad Administration
Report Number
DOT/FRA/ORD-22/04
Office
RDI-22
Subject Hazardous Materials
Keywords
Steel, TC-128B, tank cars, fabrication, post-weld heat treatment, PWHT, transportation safety, fabrication, tensile testing, mechanical properties, material characterization

This report describes a testing program examining the effects of different stages of tank car fabrication on the mechanical properties of TC-128B steel. This work focused on two procedures: cold-working associated with rolling a flat plate of steel into the cylindrical tank shell and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center developed a plan and executed a contract for tensile tests on TC-128B steel samples. TC-128B was provided in four different conditions by two different tank car builders: an “as-received” flat plate, a flat plate put through PWHT, a cold-worked shell, and a cold-worked shell put through PWHT. By characterizing the material properties at different stages of fabrication, the effect of each manufacturing process on the material’s behavior could be isolated. Cold-working did not have a consistent effect on strength or ductility, while PWHT increased ductility but reduced ultimate tensile strength.


Last updated: Thursday, February 3, 2022