The present invention provides a rolled steel sheet, for press hardening, for which the chemical composition includes, with contents expressed by weight, 0.24%≦C≦0.38%, 0.40%≦Mn≦3%, 0.10%≦Si≦0.70%, 0.015%≦Al≦0.070%, 0%≦Cr≦2%, 0.25%≦Ni≦2%, 0.015%≦Ti≦0.10%, 0%≦Nb≦0.060%, 0.0005%≦B≦0.0040%, 0.003%≦N≦0.010%, 0.0001%≦S≦0.005%, 0.0001%≦P≦0.025%, it being understood that the titanium and nitrogen content satisfy: Ti/N>3.42, and that the carbon, manganese, chromium and silicon content satisfy:

[00001]$2.6.Math..Math.C+\frac{\mathrm{Mn}}{5.3}+\frac{\mathrm{Cr}}{13}+\frac{\mathrm{Si}}{15}\ge 1.1.Math.\%,$

with the chemical composition optionally including one or more of the following elements: 0.05%≦Mo≦0.65%, 0.001%≦W≦0.30%, 0.0005%≦Ca≦0.005%, with the remainder made up of iron and inevitable impurities coming from preparation. The sheet includes a nickel content Ni.sub.surf at any point of the steel near the surface of said sheet over a depth Δ, such that Ni.sub.surf>Ni.sub.nom, where Ni.sub.nom designates the nominal nickel content of the steel, and such that Ni.sub.max designates the maximum nickel content within Δ:

[00002]$\frac{\left({\mathrm{Ni}}_{\max }+{\mathrm{Ni}}_{\mathrm{nom}}\right)}{2}\times \left(\Delta \right)\ge 0.6$

and such that:

[00003]$\frac{\left({\mathrm{Ni}}_{\max }+{\mathrm{Ni}}_{\mathrm{nom}}\right)}{\Delta }\ge 0.01,$

with the depth Δ expressed in microns and the Ni.sub.max and Ni.sub.nom contents expressed in percentages by weight.

There is provided a hot-rolled steel sheet in which a composition contains: in mass %, C: 0.01% to 0.2%; Si: 2.5% or less; Mn: 4.0% or less; P: 0.10% or less; S: 0.03% or less; Al: 0.001% to 2.0%; N: 0.01% or less; O: 0.01% or less; Ti: 0.01 to 0.30%; and the balance being composed of iron and impurities and a structure is composed of by volume fraction, 90% or more of tempered martensite with an average aspect ratio of 2 or less, or 90% or more in total of both tempered martensite and lower bainite.

There is provided a hot-rolled steel sheet in which a composition contains: in mass %, C: 0.01% to 0.2%; Si: 2.5% or less; Mn: 4.0% or less; P: 0.10% or less; S: 0.03% or less; Al: 0.001% to 2.0%; N: 0.01% or less; O: 0.01% or less; Ti: 0.01 to 0.30%; and the balance being composed of iron and impurities and a structure is composed of by volume fraction, 90% or more of tempered martensite with an average aspect ratio of 2 or less, or 90% or more in total of both tempered martensite and lower bainite.

A method for producing a patterned stainless steel sheet with improved visual characteristics in the wavelength area of visible light including providing a deformed stainless steel sheet; performing a heat treatment on the deformed stainless steel sheet, wherein the heat treatment is conducted at a temperature of 900-1200° C.; performing a mechanical treatment on at least one surface of the heat treated stainless steel sheet; transferring the mechanically treated stainless steel sheet to a patterning process, wherein, in the patterning process, at least one side of the mechanically treated stainless steel sheet is patterned using a patterning roll having a surface with an emboss depth of up to 100 micrometers to provide a patterned stainless steel sheet; and performing a heat treatment on the patterned stainless steel sheet, wherein the heat treatment is conducted at a temperature range of 900-1200° C., wherein the mechanical treatment is carried out by blasting.

A method for producing a patterned stainless steel sheet with improved visual characteristics in the wavelength area of visible light including providing a deformed stainless steel sheet; performing a heat treatment on the deformed stainless steel sheet, wherein the heat treatment is conducted at a temperature of 900-1200° C.; performing a mechanical treatment on at least one surface of the heat treated stainless steel sheet; transferring the mechanically treated stainless steel sheet to a patterning process, wherein, in the patterning process, at least one side of the mechanically treated stainless steel sheet is patterned using a patterning roll having a surface with an emboss depth of up to 100 micrometers to provide a patterned stainless steel sheet; and performing a heat treatment on the patterned stainless steel sheet, wherein the heat treatment is conducted at a temperature range of 900-1200° C., wherein the mechanical treatment is carried out by blasting.

A first steel strip and a second steel strip (7) are rolled in succession in at least one roll stand (1) of a cold rolling mill. A rolling pause, in which no steel strip is rolled, is provided between the rolling of the first and the second steel strip (7). The first steel strip s fed over a first path starting from a first pay-off reel (2), and the second steel strip (7) is fed over a second path starting from the first pay-off reel (2), or from a second pay-off reel different from the first pay-off reel (2). The first steel strip is not heated as it is fed to the rolling mill (1), whereas, by contrast, the second steel strip (7) is heated. The second path is longer than the first path.

A first steel strip and a second steel strip (7) are rolled in succession in at least one roll stand (1) of a cold rolling mill. A rolling pause, in which no steel strip is rolled, is provided between the rolling of the first and the second steel strip (7). The first steel strip s fed over a first path starting from a first pay-off reel (2), and the second steel strip (7) is fed over a second path starting from the first pay-off reel (2), or from a second pay-off reel different from the first pay-off reel (2). The first steel strip is not heated as it is fed to the rolling mill (1), whereas, by contrast, the second steel strip (7) is heated. The second path is longer than the first path.

Provided are a high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet that has a tensile strength of 1320 MPa or more, excellent ductility and stretch flangeability, and a low failure rate in a hole expanding test, and a method for manufacturing the same. A high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet comprises a specific composition, wherein a total area ratio of ferrite and bainitic ferrite is 10% to 50%, an area ratio of retained austenite (RA) is more than 15% and 50% or less, an area ratio of tempered martensite is more than 15% and 60% or less, a ratio of RA with an aspect ratio of 0.6 or less is 70% or more, a ratio of RA with an aspect ratio of 0.6 or less in ferrite grain boundaries is 50% or more, and an average KAM value of bcc phase is 1° or less.

Provided are a high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet that has a tensile strength of 1320 MPa or more, excellent ductility and stretch flangeability, and a low failure rate in a hole expanding test, and a method for manufacturing the same. A high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet comprises a specific composition, wherein a total area ratio of ferrite and bainitic ferrite is 10% to 50%, an area ratio of retained austenite (RA) is more than 15% and 50% or less, an area ratio of tempered martensite is more than 15% and 60% or less, a ratio of RA with an aspect ratio of 0.6 or less is 70% or more, a ratio of RA with an aspect ratio of 0.6 or less in ferrite grain boundaries is 50% or more, and an average KAM value of bcc phase is 1° or less.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing strips of stainless steel, comprising hot rolling in an initial process (A) and subsequently cold rolling in a cold rolling line (B). The hot rolling is stopped when the strip thickness has been reduced to a thickness between 2.0 mm and 6.5 mm. The subsequent cold rolling is passed at least one time through said cold rolling line, which comprises in the following order: At least one cold rolling mill (11-13) in the initial part of the line, at least one annealing section (17), a scale breaking step (21), a shot blasting step (23) and at least one pickling section (26, 27) utilizing a mixture of nitric acid HNO.sub.3, hydrofluoric acid HF and optionally sulphuric acid H.sub.2SO.sub.4.