Delamination crack and microstructure refinement in wire-drawn pearlitic steels

Abstract

Wire-drawn fully pearlitic steel was twisted at room temperature. A delamination crack was propagated along the longitudinal direction of the wire. Backscattered electron images indicate that the cementite lamellar beneath the delamination crack was vanished and fine grain structure was observed. It indicates that the delamination fracture is not brittle one but ductile shear one associated with severe plastic deformation.