Deformation textures in wire drawn perlitic steel

Abstract

In this study, we followed the deformation microstructure and texture evolution during the cold wire drawing of a perlitic steel wire intended for civil engineering applications. The deformation level effect on the microstructure evolution and on the texture evolution is characterized. Wire drawing induces the lengthening of the perlitic grains along the drawing axis and leads to a strong hardness increase. X-ray texture measurements were performed. The reference state (initial wire) revealed an isotropic texture. The quantitative analysis show the development of the α fibre ( //ND (ND // wire) with the deformation. Moreover, the {001} orientation (rotated Cube) is also present. The experimental techniques used in this study are the: Optical Microscopy (OM), the Electron Back Scattered Diffraction (EBSD), the X-ray diffraction, the Neutron diffraction and the Vickers microhardness.