A device and a method for continuous temperature gradient heat treatment of a rod-shaped material are disclosed. The furnace body of the device includes an upper heating zone and a lower heating zone inside, which are independently controlled in temperature by means of an upper heating power supply and a lower heating power supply. Moreover, both the upper heating zone and the lower heating zone are closed heating zones. The closed heat insulation plates could prevent heat loss and ensure precise temperature control of the upper heating zone and the lower heating zone. In the device, a vacuum pumping equipment is included; an annular radiation screen is configured between the upper heating zone and the lower heating zone, and the rod-shaped material is not in contact with the annular radiation screen. The rod-shaped material conducts one-dimensional heat transfer along the axial direction.

The method is for use with a strip or plate of steel, the steel being of a composition and temperature suitable for heat treatment, and comprising the following steps: ustenizing the strip or plate to produce austenitized material; quenching the austenized material to produce hardened steel; thermally tempering the hardened steel to produce tempered steel; and stretching and leveling the tempered steel to produce heat treated steel.

The method is for use with a strip or plate of steel, the steel being of a composition and temperature suitable for heat treatment, and comprising the following steps: ustenizing the strip or plate to produce austenitized material; quenching the austenized material to produce hardened steel; thermally tempering the hardened steel to produce tempered steel; and stretching and leveling the tempered steel to produce heat treated steel.

This hot-rolled wire rod includes, as a chemical composition, by mass %: C: 0.90% to 1.10%; Si: 0.50% to 0.80%; Mn: 0.10% to 0.70%; Cr: 0.10% to 0.40%; P: 0.020% or less; S: 0.015% or less; N: 0.0060% or less; O: 0.0040% or less; and a remainder consisting of Fe and impurities, in which Formulas (1) and (2) are satisfied by mass %, the structure of the hot-rolled wire rod consists of pearlite in an area ratio of 95.0% or more and a remainder, and TS, which is a tensile strength in unit of MPa, and TS*, which is determined from the C content, the Si content, and the Cr content, satisfy Formula (3),

0.50≤[Si]+[Cr]≤0.90  (1)

0.40≤[Cr]+[Mn]≤0.80  (2)

−50<TS−TS*<50  (3) where the TS* is calculated by Formula (3′),

TS*=1000×[C]+100×[Si]+125×[Cr]+150  (3′).

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.

Provided is a steel sheet for a hot press formed member having excellent coating adhesion, and a method for manufacturing the same. A steel sheet for hot press forming is an aluminum alloy plated steel sheet, wherein an average Fe content in a plating layer may be 40 wt % or more, and a concentration gradient of a section having a Fe content of 45 wt % to 80 wt % in the plating layer may 7 wt %/μm or less of a concentration gradient at a section having an Fe content of 45% to 80% in the plating layer in a thickness direction from a surface of the plating layer according to a result of GDS analysis.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing high-carbon bearing steel, which include: heating a billet at a temperature of about 950 to 1,050° C. for about 70 to 120 minutes, rolling the billet to manufacture a wire rod, winding the wire rod to manufacture a wire rod coil, cooling the wire rod coil, and subsequently heat treating the wire rod coil for spheroidizing and carbonitriding, respectively. The bearing steel may include an amount of about 0.9 to 1.3 wt % of carbon (C), an amount of about 1.1 to 1.6 wt % of silicon (Si), an amount of about 1.0 to 1.5 wt % of manganese (Mn), an amount of about 1.5 to 1.9 wt % of chromium (Cr), an amount of about 0.2 to 0.6 wt % of nickel (Ni), an amount of about 0.1 to 0.3 wt % of molybdenum (Mo), and the balance iron (Fe) based on the total weight thereof.

Disclosed is a continuous thermal treatment line for a steel strip. The strip passes through consecutive thermal treatment chambers, is quickly cooled in at least one of the chambers by spraying liquid onto the strip, or by spraying a fluid made up of gas and liquid or spraying a combination of gas and liquid forming a mist. After quick cooling, a protective metal layer is deposited on the strip by dip coating. The cooling fluid strips iron oxides or other alloy elements contained in the steel to be treated, minimizing oxidation and reducing the oxides on the strip. Spray pressure and distance are chosen to facilitate the stripping property and the mechanical action of the sprayed fluid, reducing the layer of oxides on the strip. The temperature of the strip at the end of the cooling step is the temperature necessary for carrying out the desired treatment cycle.

Disclosed is a continuous thermal treatment line for a steel strip. The strip passes through consecutive thermal treatment chambers, is quickly cooled in at least one of the chambers by spraying liquid onto the strip, or by spraying a fluid made up of gas and liquid or spraying a combination of gas and liquid forming a mist. After quick cooling, a protective metal layer is deposited on the strip by dip coating. The cooling fluid strips iron oxides or other alloy elements contained in the steel to be treated, minimizing oxidation and reducing the oxides on the strip. Spray pressure and distance are chosen to facilitate the stripping property and the mechanical action of the sprayed fluid, reducing the layer of oxides on the strip. The temperature of the strip at the end of the cooling step is the temperature necessary for carrying out the desired treatment cycle.