Ultrafine Grained Steel Wire and its Formability

Abstract

While uniform elongation is a measure of ductility of the material, reduction in area in tensile tests is also an important measure of ductility. Ultrafine-grained steels with different carbon contents from ultralow carbon to high carbon were produced through warm caliber rolling. It was found that the reduction in area- tensile strength balance is far better than the conventional ferrite+pearlite steels and even superior to martensite steels for all materials. Formability of ultrafine-grained steel is examined by applying to form a M 1.7 micro screw using these ultrafine-grained steels. Screws are formed through the process of cold heading and rolling. Relationship between cold heading, rolling, uniform elongation and reduction in area are investigated to clarify the formability of ultrafine-grained steels. Low-carbon ultrafine-grained steel has excellent cold headability and favorable rolling properties, i.e., excellent formability. Reduction in area is a measure to determine formability on cold heading. Ultrafine grained steel wire with length of several hundred meter were developed with the technology of warm continuous multi-directional rolling. This wire also have a good formability which can form microscrews.