Effect of Deformational Processing on Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of Medium Carbon Steel Wires

Medium carbon steel wires have a wide range of applications during which it can be undergone to different kinds of external impacts. The aim of this research is to study microstructure and corrosion resistance of medium carbon steel wires (0.5% C) after different deformational processes. The wires were plastically deformed by drawing combined with bending and torsion, at different deformation degrees. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to study the microstructure of the as-received wires and of the samples after different deformational processes. Aqueous solution 0.1 M Na2SO4 + 0.05 M NaCl was used for corrosion tests. The results show that the combination of bending deformation with torsion results in increasing both strength and ductile properties of medium carbon steel wires as compared with the same properties after drawing. This result is in accordance with the observed microstructural changes. Moreover, corrosion resistance of medium carbon steel wires after bending and torsion does not change significantly as compared with drawn wires.