A method of manufacturing a steel sheet plated with an Al—Fe alloy for hot forming. The method includes: aluminum-plating and coiling a base steel sheet to obtain an aluminum-plated steel sheet, where an amount of the aluminum-plating is 30 to 200 g/m.sup.2 based on one surface of the base steel sheet, and tension in the coiling is 0.5 to 5 kg/mm.sup.2; after the aluminum-plating, performing cooling to 250° C. at a rate of 20° C./sec or less; annealing the aluminum-plated steel sheet to obtain the steel sheet plated with the Al—Fe alloy; and cooling the steel sheet plated with the Al—Fe alloy. The annealing is carried out for 30 minutes to 50 hours within a heating temperature range of 550 to 750° C. in a batch annealing furnace.

A steel sheet has a predetermined chemical composition and a metal structure represented by, in area fraction, polygonal ferrite: 40% or less, martensite: 20% or less, bainitic ferrite: 50% to 95%, and retained austenite: 5% to 50%. In area fraction, 80% or more of the bainitic ferrite is composed of bainitic ferrite grains that have an aspect ratio of 0.1 to 1.0 and have a dislocation density of 8×10.sup.2 (cm/cm.sup.3) or less in a region surrounded by a grain boundary with a misorientation angle of 15° or more. In area fraction, 80% or more of the retained austenite is composed of retained austenite grains that have an aspect ratio of 0.1 to 1.0, have a major axis length of 1.0 μm to 28.0 μm, and have a minor axis length of 0.1 μm to 2.8 μm.

The rail having a chemical composition containing C: 0.70-1.00 mass %, Si: 0.50-1.60 mass %, Mn: 0.20-1.00 mass %, P: ≤0.035 mass %, S: ≤0.012 mass %, Cr: 0.40-1.30 mass %, where Ceq defined by the formula (1) is 1.04-1.25,
Ceq=[% C]+([% Si]/11)+([% Mn]/7)+([% Cr]/5.8)  (1) where [% M] is the content in mass % of the element M, the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, where Ceq(max) is ≤1.40, where the Ceq(max) is determined by the formula (2) using maximum contents of C, Si, Mn, and Cr obtained by subjecting a region between specified positions to EPMA line analysis; and a pearlite area ratio in the region is 95% or more,
Ceq(max)=[% C(max)]+([% Si(max)]/11)+([% Mn(max)]/7)+([% Cr(max)]/5.8)  (2) where [% M(max)] is the maximum content of the element M.

The present invention relates to the application of at least partially bainitic or interstitial martensitic heat treatments on steels, often tool steels or steels that can be used for tools. The first tranche of the heat treatment implying austenitization is applied so that the steel presents a low enough hardness to allow for advantageous shape modification, often trough machining. Thus a steel product is obtained which can be shaped with ease and whose hardness can be raised to a higher working hardness with a simple heat treatment at low temperature (below austenitization temperature).

The present invention relates to the application of at least partially bainitic or interstitial martensitic heat treatments on steels, often tool steels or steels that can be used for tools. The first tranche of the heat treatment implying austenitization is applied so that the steel presents a low enough hardness to allow for advantageous shape modification, often trough machining. Thus a steel product is obtained which can be shaped with ease and whose hardness can be raised to a higher working hardness with a simple heat treatment at low temperature (below austenitization temperature).

A steel sheet includes a predetermined chemical composition and a metal structure represented by, in area fraction, ferrite: 50% to 95%, granular bainite: 5% to 48%, martensite: 2% to 30%, and upper bainite, lower bainite, tempered martensite, retained austenite, and pearlite: 5% or less in total.

A steel sheet has a tensile strength of 1310 MPa or higher, a specified chemical composition, and a steel microstructure containing martensite at an area ratio of 70% or more, bainite at an area ratio of 30% or less, and ferrite and retained austenite at a total area ratio of 10% or less, in which, at a ¼ thickness position of the steel sheet, a number density of carbides having long axes of 0.5 μm or more is 60000 carbides/mm.sup.2 or less, in a ¼-to-¾ thickness region of the steel sheet, a number density of inclusion grains having equivalent circle diameters of 4.0 μm or more is 10 grains/mm.sup.2 or more and 30 grains/mm.sup.2 or less, and, in a surface-to-¼ thickness region of the steel sheet, a number density of inclusion grains having equivalent circle diameters of 4.0 μm or more is 27 grains/mm.sup.2 or less.

A heat treated and cold rolled steel sheet having a composition including of the following elements 0.09%≤Carbon≤0.15%, 1.8%≤Manganese≤2.5%, 0.2%≤Silicon≤0.7%, 0.01%≤Aluminum≤0.1%, 0%≤Phosphorus≤0.09%, 0%≤Sulfur≤0.09%, 0%≤Nitrogen≤0.09%, 0%≤Niobium≤0.1%, 0%≤Titanium≤0.1%, 0%≤Chromium≤1%, 0%≤Molybdenum≤1%, 0%≤Vanadium≤0.1%, 0%≤Calcium≤0.005%, 0%≤Boron≤0.01%, 0%≤Cerium≤0.1%, 0%≤Magnesium≤0.05%, 0%≤Zirconium≤0.05% the remainder composition being composed of iron and unavoidable impurities caused by processing, the microstructure of said steel sheet comprising in area fraction, 65 to 85% Tempered Martensite, 0% to 5% Residual Austenite and a cumulative presence of Ferrite and Bainite between 15 and 35%.

A grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise: by weight %, 2.0-4.0% of Si, 0.04-0.2% of Mn, 0.010% or less (exclusive of 0%) of N, 0.01-0.05% of Sb, 0.005% or less (exclusive of 0%) of C, 0.03-0.08% of Sn, 0.01-0.2% of Cr, and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities; and precipitates which have an average particle size of 5-50 nm and contain at least one of AIN, (Al, Si)N, (Al, Si, Mn)N, Mns, and CuS.

A grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise: by weight %, 2.0-4.0% of Si, 0.04-0.2% of Mn, 0.010% or less (exclusive of 0%) of N, 0.01-0.05% of Sb, 0.005% or less (exclusive of 0%) of C, 0.03-0.08% of Sn, 0.01-0.2% of Cr, and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities; and precipitates which have an average particle size of 5-50 nm and contain at least one of AIN, (Al, Si)N, (Al, Si, Mn)N, Mns, and CuS.