In a rolled steel bar or rolled wire rod for a cold-forged component having a predetermined chemical composition, Y1 represented by Y1=[Mn][Cr] and Y2 represented by Y2=0.134(D/25.4(0.50[C])/(0.50[C]) satisfy Y1>Y2, the tensile strength is 750 MPa or less, an internal structure is a ferrite-pearlite structure, and the ferrite fraction in the internal structure is 40% or greater.

A steel reinforcing bar contains 0.06 wt % to 0.11 wt % carbon, more than 0 and not more than 0.25 wt % silicon, 0.8 wt % or more and less than 2.0 wt % manganese, more than 0 and not more than 0.01 wt % phosphorus, more than 0 and not more than 0.01 wt % sulfur, 0.01 to 0.03 wt % aluminum, 0.50 to 1.00 wt % nickel, 0.027 to 0.125 wt % molybdenum, more than 0 and not more than 0.25 wt % chromium, more than 0 and not more than 0.28 wt % copper, more than 0 and not more than 0.01 wt % nitrogen, and the remainder being iron and unavoidable impurities. The reinforcing bar has a surface layer and a core. The surface layer has a hardened layer of tempered martensite, and the core has a mixed structure of bainite, ferrite and pearlite.

This invention provides a high-strength PC steel wire having a chemical composition containing, in mass %, C: 0.90 to 1.10%, Si: 0.80 to 1.50%, Mn: 0.30 to 0.70%, P: 0.030% or less, S: 0.030% or less, Al: 0.010 to 0.070%, N: 0.0010 to 0.010%, Cr: 0 to 0.50%, V: 0 to 0.10%, B: 0 to 0.005%, Ni: 0 to 1.0%, Cu: 0 to 0.50%, and the balance: Fe and impurities. A ratio between the Vickers hardness (Hv.sub.S) at a location (surface layer) that is 0.1D [D: diameter of steel wire] from the surface of the steel wire and the Vickers hardness (Hv.sub.I) of a region on the inner side relative to the surface layer satisfies the formula [1.10<Hv.sub.S/Hv.sub.I1.15]. An average carbon concentration in a region from the surface to a depth of 10 m (outermost layer region) of the steel wire is 0.8 times or less a carbon concentration of the steel wire. The steel micro-structure in the region on the inner side relative to the outermost layer region contains, in area %, a pearlite structure: 95% or more. The tensile strength of the steel wire is 2000 to 2400 MPa. The method of producing this high-strength PC steel wire is simple, and the high-strength PC steel wire is excellent in delayed fracture resistance characteristics.

A steel wire has a microstructure that is completely ferritic, a mixture of ferrite and cementite or a mixture of ferrite and pearlite and has a weight content of carbon C such that C<0.05% and a weight content of chromium Cr such that Cr<12%. The process for drawing the wire comprises: at least one first uninterrupted series of steps of drawing the wire from a diameter D to a diameter d, at least one second uninterrupted series of steps of drawing the wire of diameter d to a diameter d, and one or more intermediate steps between the first and second uninterrupted series of steps of drawing the wire, the wire having a temperature less than or equal to 300 C. during the or each intermediate step.

An oil tempered wire includes a steel wire and a lubricant coating disposed around an outer circumference of the steel wire, wherein the lubricant coating includes a lubricant component resin and a binder resin, the lubricant component resin is at least one selected from polyacetals, polyimides, melamine resins, acrylic resins and fluororesins, the deposited mass of the lubricant coating is not less than 1.0 g/m2 and not more than 4.0 g/m2, and the surface roughness Rz of the steel wire is not more than 8.0 m.

This invention provides a high-strength PC steel wire having a chemical composition containing, in mass %, C: 0.90 to 1.10%, Si: 0.80 to 1.50%, Mn: 0.30 to 0.70%, P: 0.030% or less, S: 0.030% or less, Al: 0.010 to 0.070%, N: 0.0010 to 0.010%, Cr: 0 to 0.50%, V: 0 to 0.10%, B: 0 to 0.005%, Ni: 0 to 1.0%, Cu: 0 to 0.50%, and the balance: Fe and impurities. A ratio between the Vickers hardness (Hv.sub.S) at a location (surface layer) that is 0.1D [D: diameter of steel wire] from the surface of the steel wire and the Vickers hardness (Hv.sub.I) of a region on the inner side relative to the surface layer satisfies the formula [1.10<Hv.sub.S/Hv.sub.I1.15]. The steel micro-structure in the region from the surface of the steel wire to 0.01D (outermost layer region) consists of, in area %, a pearlite structure: less than 80%, and the balance: a ferrite structure and/or a bainitic structure. The steel micro-structure in the region on the inner side relative to the outermost layer region contains, in area %, a pearlite structure: 95% or more. The tensile strength of the steel wire is 2000 to 2400 MPa. The method of producing this high-strength PC steel wire is simple, and the high-strength PC steel wire is excellent in delayed fracture resistance characteristics.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a wire rod and a steel wire which are for springs and have excellent corrosion fatigue resistance properties, and a method for producing same, the wire rod and steel wire containing, in wt o, 0.40-0.70% of C, 1.20-2.30% of Si, 0.20-0.80% of Mn, 0.20-0.80% of Cr, 0.015% or less of P, 0.015% or less of S, and 0.010% or less of N, with the remainder comprising Fe and other unavoidable impurities, along with at least one among 0.01-0.20% of V and 0.01-0.10% of Nb, wherein the V and Nb satisfy relational expression 1 below, the average grain size of prior austenite is no greater than 20 pm, and the surface decarburization depth is no greater than 0.1 mm. [Relational expression 1] [V]+[Nb]0.08 (where the V and Nb contents are in wt %)

A predetermined composition is had, when a C content is represented by (C %), in a case of (C %) being not less than 0.35% nor more than 0.65%, a volume fraction of pearlite is 64(C %)+52% or more, and in a case of (C %) being greater than 0.65% and 0.85% or less, the volume fraction of pearlite is not less than 94% nor more than 100%, and a structure of the other portion is composed of one or two of proeutectoid ferrite and bainite. Further, in a region to a depth of 1.0 mm from a surface, a volume fraction of pearlite block having an aspect ratio of 2.0 or more is not less than 70% nor more than 95%, and a volume fraction of pearlite having an angle between an axial direction and a lamellar direction on a cross section parallel to the axial direction of 40 or less is 60% or more with respect to all pearlite.

A predetermined composition is had, when a C content is represented by (C %), in a case of (C %) being not less than 0.35% nor more than 0.65%, a volume fraction of pearlite is 64(C %)+52% or more, and in a case of (C %) being greater than 0.65% and 0.85% or less, the volume fraction of pearlite is not less than 94% nor more than 100%, and a structure of the other portion is composed of one or two of proeutectoid ferrite and bainite. Further, in a region to a depth of 1.0 mm from a surface, a volume fraction of pearlite block having an aspect ratio of 2.0 or more is not less than 70% nor more than 95%, and a volume fraction of pearlite having an angle between an axial direction and a lamellar direction on a cross section parallel to the axial direction of 40 or less is 60% or more with respect to all pearlite.

A method of making a small diameter elongated steel article such as wire or strip is disclosed. The method includes the step of melting a steel alloy having the following weight percent composition TABLE-US-00001 C 0.88-1.00 Mn 0.20-0.80 Si 0.50 max. P 0.050 max. S 0.010-0.100 Cr 0.15-0.90 Ni 0.10-0.50 Mo 0.25 max. Cu 0.08-0.23 V 0.025-0.15 N 0.060 max. O 0.040 max.
and the balance is iron and usual impurities. The method includes melting the alloy, atomizing the molten alloy to make a pre-alloyed metal powder, consolidating the metal powder to substantially full density, and then hot working the consolidated metal powder to form an intermediate elongated article. The method further includes a multi-step heat treating process. A small diameter, elongated steel article having enhanced machinability is also disclosed.