EP0265273A2 - Acier à haute résistance, pour ressorts - Google Patents

Acier à haute résistance, pour ressorts Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0265273A2
EP0265273A2 EP87309368A EP87309368A EP0265273A2 EP 0265273 A2 EP0265273 A2 EP 0265273A2 EP 87309368 A EP87309368 A EP 87309368A EP 87309368 A EP87309368 A EP 87309368A EP 0265273 A2 EP0265273 A2 EP 0265273A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
less
steel
weight
spring steel
quenching
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP87309368A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0265273A3 (fr
Inventor
Tomohito Iikubo
Yukio Ito
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Daido Steel Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Daido Steel Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Daido Steel Co Ltd filed Critical Daido Steel Co Ltd
Publication of EP0265273A2 publication Critical patent/EP0265273A2/fr
Publication of EP0265273A3 publication Critical patent/EP0265273A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22CALLOYS
    • C22C38/00Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys
    • C22C38/18Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys containing chromium
    • C22C38/34Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys containing chromium with more than 1.5% by weight of silicon

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a spring steel, and more particularly, to a high-strength spring steel adapted for suspension coil springs of automobiles and the like.
  • Spring steel is used as a material for valve springs, suspension springs, etc., in internal combustion engines of automobiles and the like. With increase of the demand for lighter, higher-speed versions of engines, therefore, spring steel has come to require higher strength. Thus, there is an increasing demand for the development of high-strength spring steel with satisfactory fatigue strength and relaxation resistance or sag-resistance, in particular.
  • springs are produced in the following manner, with use of the spring steel of this type.
  • the steel In the case of hot forming, the steel is hot-coiled, quenched, tempered, shot-peened, and preset.
  • the material In the case of cold forming, the material is quenched and tempered, cold-coiled, shot-peened, and preset.
  • the steps of quenching and tempering are inevitably included in both cold and hot forming processes. If the amount of additives, such as nickel or other alloying elements, is increased to improve the strength and toughness of the material, retained austenite remains in the structure, thereby exerting a bad influence to the fatigue strength.
  • the inventors hereof have previously proposed a method for removing the retained austenite (Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 60-89553).
  • Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 60-89553 Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-89553.
  • the amount of addition of nickel is increased, and the retained austenite is left intentionally by quenching for higher ductility. After quenching, the material is cold-coiled, taking advantage of the improved ductility. Thereafter, the retained austenite is removed by tempering.
  • this method requires more steps of heat treatment, and therefore, is complicated. Moreover, this method is not applicable to hot spring forming.
  • the principal object of the present invention is to provide a high-strength spring steel improved in fatigue strength and relaxation resistance.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a high-strength spring steel which can be subjected to both the conventional hot and cold spring forming processes, without requiring any complicated special heat treatment, thus permitting mass production of springs.
  • the present invention is based on a finding that high-strength spring steel with satisfactory fatigue strength can be obtained by the conventional spring forming process, only if the amount of retained austenite is restricted to less than 10 % after quenching, with use of a properly adjusted chemical composition.
  • a high-strength spring steel which contains 0.30 to 0.75 % carbon, 1.0 to 4.0 % silicon, 0.5 to 1.5 % manganese, 0.1 to 2.0 % chromium, and 2.0 % or less nickel, all by weight, and iron and unavoidable impurities for the remainder.
  • the spring steel further contains 0.05 to 0.5 % vanadium and/or 0.05 to 2.0 % molybdenum, as required.
  • the spring steel of the invention produces retained austenite less than 10 % in content by weight after quenching in steps of quenching and tempering, and has high fatigue strength and relaxation resistance.
  • the retained-austenite content can be easily set to less than 10 % by adjusting the carbon, silicon, and nickel contents as follows: 35 ⁇ C (%) + 2 ⁇ Si (%) + Ni (%) ⁇ 23 %.
  • the fatigue strength of the steel is further improved by restricting the oxygen and nitrogen contents thereof to 0.0010 % or less and 0.005 % or less, respectively.
  • Carbon is an effective element for the improvement of the mechanical strength of steel. If the carbon content of steel is less than 0.30 %, however, the material cannot enjoy a necessary strength for a high-­strength spring. If the carbon content exceeds 0.75 %, on the other hand, net-cementite is liable to be produced, so that the fatigue strength of the spring is lowered. Thus, the proper carbon content ranges from 0.30 to 0.75 %.
  • Silicon tends to be solid-dissolved in ferrite, thereby increasing the strength of the material, and is effective for the improvement of the relaxation resistance of the spring. To attain this, the silicon content must be 1.0 % or more. If it exceeds 4.0 %, however, the toughness of the spring is lowered, and free carbon may possibly be produced by heat treatment. Thus, the proper silicon content ranges from 1.0 to 4.0 %.
  • Manganese serves not only as a deoxidizing element but also as an effective element for the improvement of hardenability. To attain this, the manganese content must be 0.5 % or more. If it exceeds 1.5 %, however, the hardenability becomes so high that the spring is lowered in toughness and is also deformed in quenching. Thus, the proper manganese content ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 %.
  • Nickel is an effective element for the improvement of toughness after quenching and tempering. If the nickel content exceeds 2 %, however, too much austenite is retained after quenching, thereby lowering the fatigue strength. Thus, nickel should be added at 2 % or less.
  • vanadium and/or molybdenum may be added as required to improve the spring characteristics.
  • Vanadium in particular, has a substantial micro-­crystallization effect at the time of low-temperature rolling, thus ensuring improved spring characteristics and reliability.
  • vanadium is conducive to precipitation hardening at the time of quenching and tempering.
  • molybdenum is an effective element for the improvement of relaxation resistance. Vanadium and molybdenum are added within content ranges of 0.05 to 0.5 % and 0.05 to 2.0 %, respectively. If the vanadium content exceeds its upper limit, the toughness and spring characteristics are lowered. If the molybdenum content exceeds its upper limit, complex carbide is formed which cannot be dissolved in austenite. If the carbide increases, thus forming a bulky mass, it is as harmful as nonmetallic inclusions, and may possibly lower the fatigue strength.
  • Oxygen in particular, produces oxide-based inclusions, which are liable to be an initiation site of fatigue fracture. Preferably, therefore, the oxygen content is restricted to 0.0010 % or less, by weight.
  • Nitrogen on the other hand, produces TiN-based inclusions, thereby lowering the fatigue strength, so that the nitrogen content is preferably restricted to 0.005 % or less, by weight.
  • the spring steel of the chemical composition described above can be formed into springs by the conventional hot or cold spring forming process, including steps of quenching and tempering.
  • the amount of retained austenite after quenching must be less than 10 %. If the austenite content is less than 10 %, it has no substantial influence on the fatigue strength.
  • a retained-austenite content of 10 % or more may be reduced to less than 10 % by, for example, subjecting the material to sub-zero treatment after quenching. This method is not advisable, however, in view of the simplicity of processes for mass production of springs.
  • the carbon, silicon, and nickel contents should be restricted as follows: 35 ⁇ C (%) + 2 ⁇ Si (%) + Ni (%) ⁇ 23 %.
  • the amount of retained austenite produced after quenching, in the conventional spring forming processes can be easily set to lower than 10 %.
  • a rolled rod of 16 mm ⁇ was manufactured by a conventional method, using a steel of the chemical composition (% by weight) shown in Table 1.
  • Test pieces for tension, relaxation, and fatigue tests were cut out from the rolled rod. They were oil-­quenched after being heated at 900 °C for 30 minutes, whereupon the test pieces were tempered at 350 °C for 0.1 hour, and finish-machined. All the test pieces were thermal refined to be adjusted to H RC 55.
  • Table 1 shows test results for the Y-value and endurance limit, and Fig. 2 shows those for the relaxation resistance. Table 1 also shows results of tests on the amount of retained austenite after quenching and the residual shearing strain.
  • Fig. 3 A torsional creep tester of a dead-weight type (max. torque: 25 kgf ⁇ m) shown in Fig. 3 was used for the tests on the relaxation resistance.
  • Figs. 4 and 5 show the size and shape of the test pieces used in these tests.
  • the test conditions were as follows: Test temperature: 80 °C, Test time: 72 hr, Applied stress: 110 kgf/mm2, Shearing prestrain: 0.1 %, Hardness: H RC 55.
  • the torsional creep tester comprises a test piece holder 2, a loading arm 3, and a dead weight 5 suspended from the distal end of the arm 3.
  • One end of a test piece 10 is fixedly supported by the test piece holder 2, while the other end is fixed to the proximal end of the loading arm 3.
  • the dead weight 5, which has a predetermined weight, is hung down gently from the loading arm 3 by using a jack 6. While keeping this state, the creep strain was measured by means of a dial gage 4.
  • the test pieces were heated by being surrounded by small-sized heating furnaces.
  • Fig. 1 is a graph showing, by plotting, the relationship between the endurance shown in Table 1 and the amount of retained austenite ⁇ R after quenching. As seen from Fig. 1, the endurance limit is reduced considerably when the amount of retained austenite reaches 10 % or more. All of sample steels according to the present invention exhibited a retained-austenite content of less than 10 %, thus ensuring satisfactory fatigue strength. The relationship between the endurance limit and the content ratios of different impurities, i.e., oxygen and nitrogen, was examined for some of the sample steels. Sample No. 2a, which contains 0.0020 % oxygen and 0.0100 % nitrogen, as shown in Table 1, exhibited a endurance limit of 75 kgf/mm2, while Sample No.
  • suspension springs depends considerably on their relaxation resistance.
  • the warm relaxation resistance of the suspension springs has recently become the object of public attention.
  • a torsional creep test was conducted under the aforementioned conditions.
  • the steel according to the present invention proved much superior to the currently used material, JIS SUP 7 (equivalent to AISI 9260), in shearing creep strain after 72 hours of testing and in relaxation resistance.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Heat Treatment Of Articles (AREA)
  • Springs (AREA)
EP87309368A 1986-10-24 1987-10-22 Acier à haute résistance, pour ressorts Withdrawn EP0265273A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP25297886A JPH0796697B2 (ja) 1986-10-24 1986-10-24 高強度ばね用鋼

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0265273A2 true EP0265273A2 (fr) 1988-04-27
EP0265273A3 EP0265273A3 (fr) 1989-01-18

Family

ID=17244799

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP87309368A Withdrawn EP0265273A3 (fr) 1986-10-24 1987-10-22 Acier à haute résistance, pour ressorts

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0265273A3 (fr)
JP (1) JPH0796697B2 (fr)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0400564A1 (fr) * 1989-05-29 1990-12-05 Aichi Steel Works, Ltd. Acier pour ressorts, présentant une haute durabilité et une bonne résistance à l'affaissement
FR2682124A1 (fr) * 1991-10-02 1993-04-09 Kobe Steel Ltd Acier a ressort a haute resistance.
EP0614994A1 (fr) * 1993-02-17 1994-09-14 Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Fils d'acier à ressort et procédé pour leur fabrication
EP0657557A1 (fr) * 1993-11-04 1995-06-14 Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho Acier à ressort à résistance mécanique et résistance à la corrosion élevée
DE4480344T1 (de) * 1993-12-29 1996-02-22 Po Hang Iron & Steel Federstahl von hoher Festigkeit und hoher Zähigkeit, sowie Herstellungsverfahren dafür
WO1997045565A1 (fr) * 1996-05-29 1997-12-04 Datec Scherdel Datentechnik, Forschungs- Und Entwicklungs-Gmbh Ressort d'acier resistant au relachement
FR2784119A1 (fr) * 1998-10-01 2000-04-07 Nippon Steel Corp Fil d'acier pour ressorts et son procede de production

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0830246B2 (ja) * 1987-03-05 1996-03-27 大同特殊鋼株式会社 高強度ばね用鋼
JPH0713269B2 (ja) * 1990-08-01 1995-02-15 新日本製鐵株式会社 高疲労強度ばねの製造法
JPH04311529A (ja) * 1991-04-10 1992-11-04 Sugita Seisen Kojo:Kk 高強度高靱性ばね用オイルテンパー鋼線の連続熱処理方法
JPH08158013A (ja) 1994-10-03 1996-06-18 Daido Steel Co Ltd 耐食性バネ用鋼

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2914401A (en) * 1958-02-24 1959-11-24 Crucible Steel Co America Alloy steel
GB1179074A (en) * 1967-05-24 1970-01-28 Int Nickel Ltd Steel
JPS6089553A (ja) * 1983-10-19 1985-05-20 Daido Steel Co Ltd 高強度ばね用鋼および前記鋼を使用した高強度ばねの製造方法
US20110188071A1 (en) 2007-12-12 2011-08-04 Kenji Yoshida Information input device, information processing device, information input system, information processing system, two-dimensional format information server, information input method, control program, and recording medium

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0400564A1 (fr) * 1989-05-29 1990-12-05 Aichi Steel Works, Ltd. Acier pour ressorts, présentant une haute durabilité et une bonne résistance à l'affaissement
US5009843A (en) * 1989-05-29 1991-04-23 Aichi Steel Works, Ltd. Spring steel having good durability and sag-resistance
FR2682124A1 (fr) * 1991-10-02 1993-04-09 Kobe Steel Ltd Acier a ressort a haute resistance.
US5286312A (en) * 1991-10-02 1994-02-15 Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho High-strength spring steel
EP0614994A1 (fr) * 1993-02-17 1994-09-14 Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Fils d'acier à ressort et procédé pour leur fabrication
US5904830A (en) * 1993-02-17 1999-05-18 Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Process for finishing steelwire
EP0657557A1 (fr) * 1993-11-04 1995-06-14 Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho Acier à ressort à résistance mécanique et résistance à la corrosion élevée
US5508002A (en) * 1993-11-04 1996-04-16 Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho Spring steel of high strength and high corrosion resistance
DE4480344T1 (de) * 1993-12-29 1996-02-22 Po Hang Iron & Steel Federstahl von hoher Festigkeit und hoher Zähigkeit, sowie Herstellungsverfahren dafür
WO1997045565A1 (fr) * 1996-05-29 1997-12-04 Datec Scherdel Datentechnik, Forschungs- Und Entwicklungs-Gmbh Ressort d'acier resistant au relachement
FR2784119A1 (fr) * 1998-10-01 2000-04-07 Nippon Steel Corp Fil d'acier pour ressorts et son procede de production

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS63109144A (ja) 1988-05-13
EP0265273A3 (fr) 1989-01-18
JPH0796697B2 (ja) 1995-10-18

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5286312A (en) High-strength spring steel
JP3233188B2 (ja) 高靱性ばね用オイルテンパー線およびその製造方法
EP0838533B1 (fr) Alliage réfractaire pour soupape d'échappement et procédé pour la fabrication de la soupape d'échappement
EP1491647B1 (fr) Fil d'acier pour un ressort etire presentant d'excellentes caracteristiques de resistance a la fatigue et au tassement
EP0643148B1 (fr) Materiau en acier pour partie d'arbre trempee par induction et partie d'arbre ainsi produite
US4409026A (en) Spring steel for vehicles
JP2003105485A (ja) 耐水素疲労破壊特性に優れた高強度ばね用鋼およびその製造方法
US5225008A (en) Method for manufacturing a high-strength spring
KR960005230B1 (ko) 고강도 고인성 스프링용강의 제조방법
EP1612287B1 (fr) Utilisation d'acier pour ressort presentant une excellente resistance a la fatigue et d'excellentes caracteristiques de fatigue
JP4403624B2 (ja) 軟窒化用非調質鋼及び軟窒化非調質クランク軸とその製造方法
EP0124348B1 (fr) Aciers résistant aux températures élevées
US5258082A (en) High strength spring
JP3918587B2 (ja) 冷間成形用ばね鋼
JPS6250542B2 (fr)
JPS63109144A (ja) 高強度ばね用鋼
JPWO2000068450A1 (ja) 耐硫化物割れ性に優れた高強度油井用鋼材及びその製造方法
JP2650225B2 (ja) ばね用鋼
CN105861940A (zh) 大型锻造用钢及大型锻造部件
JP3720750B2 (ja) コネクティングロッドの製造方法およびコネクティングロッド
Assefpour-Dezfuly et al. Parameters affecting sag resistance in spring steels
JP2739713B2 (ja) 高強度ボルト
JPH064904B2 (ja) ばね用▲高▼強度オイルテンパー線
JPH05148581A (ja) 高強度ばね用鋼および高強度ばねの製造方法
JPH0830246B2 (ja) 高強度ばね用鋼

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 19890812

RIN1 Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected)

Inventor name: IIKUBO, TOMOHITO

Inventor name: ITO, YUKIO