Effect of Deformation Rate on the Microstructure and Drawability of Medium-Carbon Steel

The effect of deformation rate on the evolution of microstructure and the drawability of a wire from medium-carbon steel D45-2 to at a true strain epsilon(t) = 1.70 and epsilon(t) = 2.70 is investigated. The microstructure of the wires is studied by scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, crystallographic analysis of texture and tensile tests. It is shown that the behavior of the structure and the deformability of the wires under drawing depend much on the deformation rate. The drawing refines the grains and stretches them in the drawing direction (WDD). A crystallographic fibrous texture // WDD develops especially intensely at the higher strain rate epsilon(t) = 2.70; the tensile strength grows considerably due to elevation of the dislocation density. The wire from the medium-carbon steel is shown to undergo high deformation without failure during the drawing.