The mechanical properties of two 18-8 type stainless steel wires were studied. Steel A contained 0.056%C, 0.039%N, 8.02%Ni, 16.77%Cr, while steel C 0.060%C, 0.033%N, 9.91%Ni, 18.80%Cr. The variations of the proportional limit and the yield point due to cold drawing and subsequent annealing were mainly investigated. The following conclusions may be drawn from the experimental results : (a) The steel A can be transformed nearly 100% into α phase only by drawing at room temperature. The γ→α transformation occurs most remarkably in the range of about 40∼60% reduction, and takes place in the interior earlier than the exterior of the wire, while in steel C, the transformation is no more than 20% by drawing of 90% reduction. (b) Although the Vickers hardness (Hv) and the tensile strength (σ
B) increase with the increase of rate of drawing in both steels, the proportional limit (σ
P) does not. σ
P of cold-drawn wires, therefore, is very low in spite of their high Hv and σ
B. For steel C, this is more remarkable, and its σ
P is independent of the degree of cold working ranging from about 20 to 90% reduction. (c) The hardening by annealing after cold drawing proceeds in two stages: at the temperatures of 200° and 400° for steel A, and 250° and 450∼550° for steel C. (d) Annealing after cold drawing is very effective for increasing σ
P, the effect being more pronounced in steel A in a highly cold drawn state. For example, σ
P is 120 kg/mm
2 for steel A and 50 kg/mm
2 for steel C, when they are cold drawn about 60% in reduction of area and annealed for 1/2 hr at 400° and 450° respectively.
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