Influence of the pearlite fineness on the mechanical properties, deformation behavior, and fracture characteristics of carbon steel

Specific features of plastic deformation and tensile failure of a plain carbon (C = 0.62%) pearlitic-ferritic steel with various pearlite fineness have been investigated. It is shown that the steels with coarse lamellar pearlite and fine lamellar pearlite have similar strain-hardening coefficients, but the relative elongation of the former steel is higher. Deformation results in a uniform dislocation distribution in the fine pearlite and in the formation of a cellular substructure in the coarse pearlite. It is established that the fine pearlite undergoes plastic deformation and ductile failure as a single structure, while the coarse pearlite exhibits a structure discontinuity upon deformation. A model of microplastic pearlite deformation and the initial stage of macroplastic pearlite deformation is proposed. It is established that the strain-hardening coefficient of pearlite at the initial deformation stage does not depend on its dispersity. A size effect, which manifests itself in the dependence of the dislocation structure formed in the ferrite interlayers on their thickness, is shown to be characteristic of pearlite deformation.