EP 1 045 044 B1 Europaisches Patentamt (19) Oy European Patent Office Office européen des brevets (1) EP 1 045 044 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention ofthe grant ofthe patent: 31.05.2008. Bulletin 2008/22 (21) Application number: 99997950.6 (22) Date of fling: 04.03.1999 (61) inte c22c samo 2c sarpatemeo) c22¢ 38/600 C240 B/oor™00 (86) Intemational application numer: PCTIJP1999/001049, (87) Intemational publication number: WO 1999/045162 (10.09.1999 Gazette 1999/36) (64) STEELS FOR COLD FORGING AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME ‘STAHLE ZUM KALTSCHMIEDEN UND VERFAHREN ZU DEREN HERSTELLUNG ACIERS A FORGER A FROID ET LEUR PROCEDE DE FABRICATION (84) Designated Contracting States: DE FR GB (80) Priory: 04.03.1998 JP 6764198 04.03.1998 JP 6764298 (43) Date of publication of application: 18.10.2000 Bulletin 2000/42 (73) Proprietor: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION Tokyo 100-8071 (JP) (72) Inventors: + HASHIMURA, Masayuki Muroran city, Hokkaido 050-0087 (JP) + KANISAWA, Hideo Muroran city, Hokkaido 050-0087 (JP) + OKONOGI, Makoto, Nippon Steel Corp. Futtsu City, Chiba 299-0011 (JP) (74) Representative: Vossius & Partner Slebertstrasse 4 81675 Miinchen (DE) (56) References cited Wo-A-98/51834 Wo-A-98/54372 SP-A- 2145 745 JP-A-3 146 618 SP-A- 7 242 990 SP-A-8 283 847 SP-A- 8 291 366 SP-A-9 157 786 JP-B- 5 026 850 P-B- 7 005 960 US-A- 4.898 629 US-A-5 156 691 + PATENTABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol.014,n0.318 (C-0738), 9 July 1990 1990-07-09)-8 JP 02111842 A (KAWASAKI STEEL CORP), 24 April 1990 (1990-04-24) + PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1999, no. (03, 31 March 1999 (1999-03-31) -& JP 10 324947 ‘A (NIPPON STEEL CORP), 8 December 1998 (1999-12-08) Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant ofthe European patent, any person may give notice tothe European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted, Notice of opposition shal be fled in ‘written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed untl the oppostion fee has been pald, (At. 99(1) European Patent Convention).© EP 1 045 044 B1 Description [0001] This invention relates to structural stee! that is subjected to cold forging, ether as-rolled or after rolling and annealing, and a method of producing such a steel. [0002] Steels used for structural members are passed through various forming processes in order to impart required properties to them. Ragio-requency hardening, for hardening the surface layer, is one of these processes. Since such Structural members are required to have only a high surface layer hardness, in most cases, an increase in the number of processes results in an increase ofthe cost of production, and this has been one ef the problems in the past, Since a-rolled materials ofthe conventional structural steels have a low cooling rate, they have a ferrte-pearite structure in ‘most cases. However, their surface layer hardness is low and never reaches the level achievable by radio-frequency hardening. More often than not, the surface layer hardness is lower than the Internal hardness due to the Influence of decerburization, and so forth, Though ordinary members need not always have @ maximum hardness corresponding to the C (carbon) content brought forth by radio-frequency hardening, tis undeniable thet some of the members are required to have a hardness higher than that of the annealed materials. Therefore, the provision of steels having, as-rolled, a higher surface layer hardness than the internal hardness has been another problem. [0003] When complicated shapes are required, the steel materials are passed through forging and cutting processes. Because hot forging needs heating and has @ low forming accuracy, cold forging, having higher forming accuracy, has been preferred. Nonetheless, conventional as-roled materials are not suitable for cold forging because the hardness is. too high. Ordinary steels for cold forging are generally softened by spheroidizing cementite. The annealing time is extremely long and is as much as about 20 hours, [0004] The prior art reerences such as Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No, 9-140411 describe that Cold formabilty and cutabiity of even a steel having a carbon content equivalent to the level of carbon steels for cold forging can be improved by graphitizing carbon and converting the steel structure to a ferrte-graphite dual phase. However, annealing fora long time is necessary to achleve such a structure, and the problems of production efficiency ‘and production cost are left unsolved. In other words, the problem of shortening the annealing time is yet to be solved. [0005] In order to reduce the graphitization annealing time, a technique has been suggested which adds 8 and uses 'BN 2s precipitation nuctel. However, when such a specific precipitate is used, a temperature-retaining process, in the BBN precipitation temperature range, is necessary before annealing is conducted, and an additional annealing process becomes necessary. I this heat-treatment is conducted conjintl by rolling or hot forging, temperature control must be conducted extremely strictly untl annealing, and this is virtually impossible. [0006] In other words, the precipitation temperature of BN is believed to be from about 50 to about 900°C, but rling ‘and hot forging are actually carried out at a temperature higher than 1,000°C in many cases. Therefore, in order to use such a graphite-containing steel for cold forging, rolling and het forging, as prior processes, must be conducted at a temperature below 1,000°C. Hot forming at such a temperature lowers the service life of tools such as rolls and punches. ‘The increase of the number of limitations on the processes leads to the drop of production efficiency, and must be therefore avoided to restrict the increase ofthe production cost. From the aspects of stee! making and hot forging, as a prior process to cold forging, steel materials that do not need strict temperature control andcan be annesled andsoftened Within a short time have been required, [0007] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokel) No. 2-111842 teaches shortening the annealing time by restricting the graphite content within a short time. However, this technology does not provide a fundamental solution because cold forgeabilty and cuttabiity are deteriorated in proportion to the amount of cementite that remains in the stee! materials as a resutt of suppression of the graphite content. [0008] As described above, the conventional as-rolled materials are not entirely satisfactory because their surface layer hardness is not suficient when they are used as such, but its too high when they are subjected to cold forging ‘andeutting, From the viewpoint of production, on the other hand, there isthe fundamental problem thatthe steels should preferably be produced collectively by reducing the number of their Kinds in order to reduce the cost of production Therefore, it has been desired that the as-rlled materials have a sufficient surface hardness, the annealing time can be shortened when the as-rolled materials are subjected to cold forging, and they can exhibit excellent cold forgeabilty after annealing [0003] When strength is also further required, it may be possible, in principe, to add those elements which do not impede graphitization for improving hardenabilty but can improve hardenabilty. Particularly when the surtace hardness by radio-frequency hardening is necessary, hardenability becomes a more diferent problem because of an increase of the thickness of the hardened layer. However, since ordinary hardenabilty improving elements such as Cr.Mn, Mo, etc, hinder graphitization, the amounts of adltion are limited. When the graphitization annealing ime is shortened by forming BBN, B cannot be used as the hardenablity improving element, and the hardening depth cannot be sutfcienty secured, ether. [0010] Under the above-described condition, a steel which makes It possible to reduce the annealing time, and is ‘excellent in cold forgeabilty after annealing, hardenabiliy and cuttablity, has been required.© EP 1 045 044 B1 [0011] JP-A-02-111842 discloses a hot-rolled stee! excellent in machinablity and hardenebilty in which the steel before the heat treatment for graphitzation has a structure of ferite-peat. [0012] JP-A-08-283847 and JP-A-09-187786 disclose a graphite stee! for cold forging excellentin toughness, in which the steel is rapidly cooled with a cooling rate of 30-100 °Cis to the Ms point to obtain a complete martensite structure [0013] Its an object of the present invention to provide a stee! that has, as-rolled, excellent surface hardness, by regulating the chemical components of the steel and its microstructure, and can impart excellent cold forgeabiity within ‘an extremely shor softening/annealingtime before coldforging andeutting, andta provide a method of producingthe steel [0014] tis another object of the present invention to provide a steel, for cold forging alter annealing that can shorten the annealing time, by regulating the chemical components of the steel, is excellent in cold formabilty and cuttabilty after annealing and has excellent strength and toughness after hardening and tempering. [0015] The objects above can be achieved by the feetures defined in the claims, [0016] The invention is described in dell n connection withthe drawings, In which; Fig. 1 is an explanatory view showing the outline of a pearite ratio measuring method, Fig. 2 is a graph showing the relation between a pearlte area ratio and an annealing time until softening in an embodiment of a 0.20% class, Fig. is @ graph showing the relation between the pearite area ratio and the annealing time until softening in an embodiment of a 0.35% class, Fig. 4 is @ graph showing the relation between the pearite area ratio and the annealing time until softening in an embodiment of a 0.45% class, Fig. 5 is a graph showing the relation between the peerite area ratio and the annealing time untl softening in an embodiment of 0.55% class, Fig. 6 is @ graph showing the relation between a recuperative temperature and a surtace layer hardiness, Fig. 7 is @ graph showing the relation between the recuperetive temperature and the pearite area ratio, Fig. Bis @ graph showing the relation between solid solution ritrogen and the annealing time unti softening, Fig. 9 is a graph showing the relation between a maximum crystal grain diameter and a hardening time by rado- frequency heating in an embodiment of a 0.55% C class, Fig. 10 is a graph showing the relation between a mean crystal grain diameter and the hardening time by racio- frequency heating in an embodiment ofthe 0.86 C class, and Fig. 11 is @ graph showing the relation between the mean crystal grain diameter and the hardening time by racio ‘requency heating in an embodiment of the 0.25% C class, [0017] Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail. [0018] Intialy, the steel structure used forthe steel{for coldforging according to the present invention, and'ts contents, willbe explained [0019] Atleast 0.19% of C (carbon) must be contained in order to secure strength as components after hardening and tempering. The upper limit is set to 0.85% to prevent fring cracking. [0020] Si (silicon) has the function of promoting graphitization by increasing carbon activity inthe steel. ts lower limit 's preferably at least 0.1% from the aspect of graphtizaton. if the Si content exceeds 2.0%, problems such as the increase of ferite hardness and the loss of toughness of the steel become remarkable. Therefore, the upper limit is 2.0%. Sicanbe used as the element that reguiates the graphitization ratio. The smallerits content, the smaller becomes the graphitzation rato after annealing, When the graphitization ratiois lowered by decreasing the Sicontent, the hardness of the ferrite phase drops. Therefore, the hardness of the steel material does not increase within the range described ‘above, and cold forgeabily is not lowered, [0021] Mn (manganese) must be added in the total amount of the amount required for fixing and dispersing S in the steel as MnS and the amount required for securing the strength after hardening by causing Mn to undergo solid solution Inthe mati, Its lower lit value is 0,01%. The hardness ofthe base becomes higher with the increase ofthe Mn content, ‘and cold formabilty drops, Mn is also a graphitization-mpeding element. When the amount of addition inereases, the annealing tm is likely to become longer. Therefore, the upper limit is set to 1.50%. [0022] P (phosphorus) increases the hardness of the base metel in the steel and lowers cold formablity. Therefore, Its upper limit must be 0.100%, [0023] _$ (sulfur) exists as Mn inclusions as it combines with Mn, From the aspect of cold formabilty, its upper limit ‘must be set to 0.500%, [0024] Solid solution ritragen, that does not exist as nitrides, dissolves in cementite and impedes decomposition of ‘cementite. Therefore, its a graphitization-impeding element. Therefore, the present invention stipulates N as sol. N. If the sol. N content exceeds 0.005%, the annealing ime necessary for graphitization becomes extremely ong. Therefore, the upper imit of so, Nis 0.005%, This is because sol. N hinders the diffusion of , retards graphitization and enhances the ferte hardness.