Effect of various processing and metallurgical parameters on the fatigue resistance of carbon steel wire

The effects, on the fatigue resistance of carbon steel wire, of specimen straightening technique, cooling medium after patenting, decarburization, tempering temperature (after drawing), carbon and manganese content, percent reduction by drawing , surface condition and mean stress are reviewed. Achievement of wire mechanical properties by heat treatment versus cold-drawing is discussed. Various. single wire test techniques are compared and correlations with wire rope fatigue tests are presented .For a given tensile strength, the fatigue limit of carbon steel wire may be increased by removal of the decarburized layer from the bar prior to drawing and/or by tempering the wire after the final draft. However, the correlation between single wire and wire rope fatigue tests indicates that sizable increases in single wire fatigue resistance must be accomplished to achieve more than just a minimal increase in wire rope fatigue resistance. Although heat-treated wire is not deemed satisfactory for structural applications due to past performance, proper bar surface preparation prior to drawing and heat-treatment and baking after cleaning may produce a wire that is equivalent to cold-drawn wire .

Author: Harold S. Reemsnyder