Deformability of Oxide Inclusions in Tire Cord Steels

The deformation of oxide inclusions in tire cord steels during hot rolling was analyzed, and the factors influencing their deformability at high and low temperatures were evaluated and discussed. The aspect ratio of oxide inclusions decreased with the increasing reduction ratio of the steel during hot rolling owing to the fracture of the inclusions. The aspect ratio obtained after the first hot-rolling process was used to characterize the high-temperature deformability of the inclusions. The deformation first increased and then decreased with the increasing (MgO + Al2O3)/(SiO2 + MnO) ratio of the inclusions. It also increased with the decreasing melting temperatures of the inclusions. Young's modulus was used to evaluate the low-temperature deformability of the inclusions. An empirical formula was fitted to calculate the Young's moduli of the oxides using the mean atomic volume. The moduli values of the inclusions causing wire fracture were significantly greater than the average. To reduce fracture in tire cord steel wires during cold drawing, it is proposed that inclusions be controlled to those with high SiO2 content and extremely low Al2O3 content. This proposal is based on the hypothesis that the deformabilities of oxides during cold drawing are inversely proportional to their Young's moduli. The future study thus proposed includes an experimental confirmation for the abovementioned predictions.