Influence of Controlled Rolling and Cooling Process on the Mechanical Properties of Low Carbon Cold Forging Steel

In the present paper, controlled rolling and cooling processing was conducted by using a laboratory hot rolling mill. The influence of different processing parameters on the mechanical properties of low carbon cold forging steel was investigated. The results show that the faster cooling after the deformation (especially in low temperature rolling conditions) leads to the refinement of the ferrite grain. The specimen exhibits very good mechanical properties owing to the finer ferrite grains. The pearlite morphologies can also affect the mechanical properties of low carbon cold forging steel. The mechanical properties increase with decreasing final cooling temperature within the range from 650 degrees C to 570 degrees C due to the finer interlamellar spacing of pearlite colony. The mechanical properties of the specimens with fast cooling after the conventional rolling are not only better than those of the specimens with slow cooling after low temperature rolling, but also almost similar to those of the specimens with fast cooling after low temperature rolling. It is suggested that fast cooling after high temperature rolling (the conventional rolling) process would be of important industrial value.