Effect of cementite morphology on pearlitic wire drawing deformation

A comparative study was conducted on the effects of lamellar cementites and globular cementites on the cold drawing process and the mechanical properties of pearlitic wire steel, with the help of metallographic microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, tensile tester and hardness tester. The lamellar cementites showed the deformation capacity to some extent during the cold drawing process. As the drawing strain increased, the pearlitic wire with globular cementites evolved into the fibrous form gradually and no obvious defects were found in the microstructure. The globular cementites turned to the drawing direction without any deformation of itself during the deformation process. And micro- cracks occurred in the cementite/ferrite interface due to stress concentration caused by pinning dislocations in spherical cementites. The strength and hardness of both pearlitic wires gradually increased as the drawing strain rose. And the pearlitic wire with lamellar cementites had a higher drawing hardening rate. The ferrite <110> texture formed in both pearlitic wires during the cold drawing process. Compared with the globular pearlite, the pearlitic wire with lamellar cementites had higher ferrite <110> texture intensity. And the difference of their ferrite <110> texture intensity became bigger and bigger as the drawing strain increased.