Steel pipe for an airbag inflator and a process for its manufacture

1. A steel pipe for use in an airbag inflator, which has a steel composition comprising, in mass %, C: 0.05-0.20%, Si: 0.1-1.0%, P: at most 0.025%,S: at most 0.010%, Cr: 0.05-1.45%, Al: at most 0.10%, one or both of Ti and Mn in amounts satisfying the following equations (1) and (2),

Ti≦0.02%   (1)

0.4% ≦Mn +40Ti ≦1.2%  (2)

Mo: 0-1.0%, Ni: 0-1.5%, V: 0-0.2%,B: 0-0.005%, Cu: 0-0.5%, Nb: 0-0.1%, Ca: 0-0.01%, Mg: 0-0.01%, REM: 0-0.01%, and a remainder of Fe and impurities, wherein the ratio (referred to below as {110}L/T) of the X-ray integrated intensity ratio for the {110}plane measured in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction L of the steel pipe to the X-ray integrated intensity ratio for the {110}plane measured in a cross section perpendicular to the circumferential direction T of the steel pipe is at least 13.4 and at most 50, and the steel pipe has a tensile strength of at least 900 MPa and a low temperature toughness corresponding to a value of vTrs100 of −40 degrees C. or below.

2. A steel pipe as claimed in claim 1 wherein the steel composition contains one or more elements selected from at least one group of the following groups (I), (II), and (III):

(I) one or more of Mo: 0.05-1.0%, Ni: 0.05-1.5%, V: 0.01-0.2%, and B: 0.0003-0.005%,

(II) one or both of Cu: 0.05-0.5% and Nb: 0.003-0.1%, and

(III) one or more of Ca: 0.0003-0.01%, Mg: 0.0003-0.01%, and REM: 0.0003-0.01%.

3. A steel pipe as claimed in claim 1 wherein the steel composition contains at least 0.2 mass % of Mn.

4. A steel pipe as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ratio {110}L/T is at least 13.4 and at most 30.

5. A steel pipe as claimed in claim 4 having a tensile strength of at least 1000 MPa and wherein the ratio {110}L/T is at least 13.4 and at most 20.

6. A steel pipe as claimed in claim 1 which has not undergone heat treatment at a temperature of the Ac 1 transformation point of the steel or higher after cold working.

7. A process of manufacturing a steel pipe for use in an airbag system as claimed in claim 1 comprising making an initial pipe from a steel having a prescribed steel composition, heating the pipe to a temperature of at least the Ac 1 transformation point of the steel followed by quenching, tempering the quenched pipe at a temperature lower than the Ac 1 transformation point, and then performing cold working on the pipe.

8. A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein the pipe is subjected to stress relief annealing at a temperature lower than the Ac 1 transformation point after cold working.

9. A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein the heating temperature before quenching is a temperature of the Ac 3 transformation point of the steel or higher.

10. A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the heating temperature is in the range of 900-1000° C.

11. A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein heating to the heating temperature is carried out at a rate of temperature increase of at least 10° C./sec.

12. A process as claimed in claim 11 wherein the heating is performed by high frequency induction heating.

13. A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein the quenching is performed such that the cooling rate at least in the temperature range of 850° C. to 500° C. is at least 20° C./sec.

14. A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein the cold working is performed such that it produces a reduction of area of at most 65%.

15. A process as claimed in claim 14 wherein the reduction of area is at most 40%.

16. An airbag inflator comprising a steel pipe as claimed in claim 1 .