Anisotropy of Dynamic Compressive Properties of Non-Heat-Treating Cold-Heading-Quality Steel Bars

Abstract

In the current study, a non-heat-treating cold-heading-quality steel bar was fabricated by cold drawing of a rolled bar, and anisotropic mechanical properties of the as-rolled and cold-drawn bars were investigated by quasistatic and dynamic compressive tests of 0 deg (longitudinal)-, 45 deg-, and 90 deg (transverse)-orientation specimens. Under the dynamic compressive loading, the trend of strength variation was similar to that of the quasistatic compressive loading, while the strength level was considerably increased by the strain rate hardening effect. Stress–strain curves of the cold-drawn bar specimens showed the nearly same strain hardening behavior, irrespective of specimen orientation and strain rate, but the yield stress and compressive flow stress increased in the order of the 0 deg-, 90 deg-, and 45 deg-orientation specimens. In the 45 deg- and 90 deg-orientation specimens, the pearlite bands had the stronger resistance to the stress acting on the maximum shear stress plane than in the 0 deg-orientation specimens, thereby resulting in the higher strengths. In some dynamically compressed specimens, pearlite bands were dissolved to form bainitic microstructures. Locations of these bainitic microstructures were well matched with hemispherical-shaped heat-trap zones, which confirmed that bainitic microstructures were formed by the temperature rise occurring during the dynamic compressive loading.