Influence of Vanadium on Fracture Splitting Property of Medium Carbon Steel

The fracture splitting property of medium carbon steel 37MnSiS microalloyed with V up to 0. 45% was investigated by using simulated fracture splitting test, for the development of new crackable medium carbon steel to manufacture high performance connecting rod. Conventional high carbon steel C70S6 was used for comparison. The results show that the volume fraction of both ferrite and V-rich M(C,N) particles increases, and the pearlite interlamellar spacing decreases with increasing V content, which in turn results in gradual increase of strength and decrease of ductility and impact energy. The fracture splitting property of the tested steel could be improved significantly due to the increase of V content mainly through the precipitation hardening mechanism of fine M(C,N) precipitates. The fraction of brittle cleavage fracture in the crack initiation area increases noticeably with increasing V content and full brittle cleavage fracture surface could be obtained when V content was increased to 0. 45%. It is concluded that medium carbon steel with V content higher than about 0. 28% possesses not only comparable or even higher mechanical properties with those of conventional steel C70S6, but also excellent fracture splitting property, and therefore, is more suitable to fabricate high performance fracture splitting connecting rod.