STABILIZATION OF THE HARDENED CONDITION OF COLD-WORKED LOW-CARBON STEEL

Various methods, including cold working (strain hardening), are used for sub-structural hardening. However, substructural hardening of such a type is unstable, especially in heating. In a number of works the stability of steels in the strain hardened condition has been investigated but after small degrees of working. In this work the stability of normal low-carbon straight-carbon steel after working by drawing by a significant degree (80%) was investigated. Stabilization of such a condition of steel is obtained by use of cyclic working by bending.