Characteristic of Near-surface Microstructure and Its Effects on the Torsion Performance of Cold Drawn Pearlitic Steel Wires for Bridge Cables

Abstract

The characteristic of near-surface microstructure and its effects on the torsion performance of cold-drawn pearlitic steel wires for bridge cables were investigated by focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The samples with similar tensile strength before and after hot-dip galvanizing process are, respectively, characterized as delaminated and non-delaminated in torsion test which indicates that the tensile strength is independent of the toughness value (i e, reduction area and torsion ability). It is interesting to find that there exists submicron granular ferrite on near-surface of the wires, which can be attributed to dislocation rearrangement and sub-grains rotation during cold drawing and hot-dip galvanizing process. And their distribution can suggest homogeneousness of deformation degree to a certain extent: the closer to the surface of their distribution, the more homogeneous deformation of the wires. There is a close relationship between the thermal stability of the cementite layer and distribution of granular ferrite: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis shows that the sample is accompanied by submicron granular ferrite which is located closer to the surface has higher thermal stability under galvanizing temperature (450 °C). A new mechanism of the torsion delamination of pearlitic steel wires is discussed in terms of the thermal stability of the cementite layer and distribution of granular ferrite.

Keywords

cold-drawn pearlite steel wires / torsion performance / near-surface microstructure / submicron granular ferrite