IP Library Granted Patent US 12,378,628
Granted Patent B2
US 12,378,628 · App. 17/269,793 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Wire rod and steel wire for spring, having enhanced toughness and corrosion fatigue properties, and respective manufacturing methods therefor

Inventor: Kwan Ho Kim (Pohang-si, KR)
Assignee: POSCO CO., LTD
C21D9/525C21D6/002C21D6/005C21D6/008C21D8/065C21D9/02C22C38/02C22C38/04C22C38/42C22C38/44C22C38/46C22C38/48C22C38/50F16F1/021
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,378,628
App. No.
17/269,793
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wire rod for springs with improved toughness and corrosion fatigue properties is disclosed. The disclosed wire rod comprises by weight percent, carbon (C): 0.4 to 0.7%, silicon (Si): 1.2 to 2.3%, manganese (Mn): 0.2 to 0.8%, chromium (Cr): 0.2 to 0.8%, and a balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, and a grain size is 13.2 μm or less, and a Charpy impact energy value is 38 J/cm 2 or more.

Claims (52)

1. A wire rod for springs with improved toughness and corrosion fatigue properties, the wire rod comprising, by weight percent:

carbon (C): 0.4 to 0.7%,

silicon (Si): 1.2 to 2.3%,

manganese (Mn): 0.2 to 0.69%,

chromium (Cr): 0.2 to 0.8%, and

a balance of iron (Fe) and inevitable impurities, and

wherein a grain size of ferrite and colony is 13.2 μm or less,

wherein a grain size of the colony is 8.0 μm or less, and

wherein a Charpy impact energy is 38 J/cm 2 or more.

2. The wire rod of claim 1 , wherein a microstructure of the wire rod comprises by an area fraction, 5 to 37% of ferrite, and

the remainder is a mixed structure comprising pearlite.

3. The wire rod of claim 2 , wherein

the wire rod further comprises one or more elements selected from among copper (Cu): 0.01 to 0.4 wt % and nickel (Ni): 0.01 to 0.6 wt %.

4. The wire rod of claim 1 , wherein

the wire rod further comprises one or more elements selected from among vanadium (V): 0.01 to 0.2 wt %, niobium (Nb): 0.01 to 0.1 wt %, titanium (Ti): 0.01 to 0.15 wt %, and molybdenum (Mo): 0.01 to 0.4 wt %.

5. The wire rod of claim 1 , wherein

the wire rod further comprises one or more elements selected from among copper (Cu): 0.01 to 0.4 wt % and nickel (Ni): 0.01 to 0.6 wt %.

6. The wire rod of claim 1 , comprising, by weight percent, silicon (Si): 1.2 to 1.65%.

7. The wire rod of claim 1 , comprising, by weight percent, silicon (Si): 1.2 to 1.52%.

8. The wire rod of claim 1 , comprising, by weight percent, manganese (Mn): 0.56 to 0.69%.

9. The wire rod of claim 1 , wherein the grain size of the colony is 1.7 to 5.6 μm.

10. A steel wire for springs with improved toughness and corrosion fatigue properties, the steel wire comprising, by weight percent:

carbon (C): 0.4 to 0.7%,

silicon (Si): 1.2 to 2.3%,

manganese (Mn): 0.2 to 0.69%,

chromium (Cr): 0.2 to 0.8%, and

a balance of iron (Fe) and inevitable impurities, and

a grain size of ferrite and colony is 10.3 μm or less,

a grain size of the colony is 8.0 μm or less, and

a Charpy impact energy value is 45 J/cm 2 or more.

11. A wire rod for springs with improved toughness and corrosion fatigue properties, the wire rod consisting of, by weight percent:

carbon (C): 0.4 to 0.7%,

silicon (Si): 1.2 to 2.3%,

manganese (Mn): 0.2 to 0.8%,

chromium (Cr): 0.2 to 0.8%, and

a balance of iron (Fe) and inevitable impurities,

wherein a grain size of ferrite and colony is 13.2 μm or less,

wherein a grain size of the colony is 8.0 μm or less, and

wherein a Charpy impact energy is 38 J/cm 2 or more.

12. A method of manufacturing the wire rod for springs with improved toughness and corrosion fatigue properties of claim 1 , the method comprising: manufacturing a billet comprising, by weight percent: carbon (C): 0.4 to 0.7%, silicon (Si): 1.2 to 2.3%, manganese (Mn): 0.2 to 0.69%, chromium (Cr): 0.2 to 0.8%, and a balance of iron (Fe) and inevitable impurities;

heating the billet at 800 to 950° C.;

finishing rolling the heated billet at 700 to 1,100° C. and winding to manufacture a wire rod; and

cooling the wire rod at a cooling rate of 4.8° C./s or less.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein

the billet further comprises one or more elements selected from among vanadium (V): 0.01 to 0.2 wt %, niobium (Nb): 0.01 to 0.1 wt %, titanium (Ti): 0.01 to 0.15 wt %, and molybdenum (Mo): 0.01 to 0.4 wt %.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein

the billet further comprises one or more elements selected from among copper (Cu): 0.01 to 0.4 wt % and nickel (Ni): 0.01 to 0.6 wt %.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein

a cooling start temperature of the wire rod may be 820° C. or less.

16. A method of manufacturing the steel wire for springs with improved toughness and corrosion fatigue properties of claim 9 , the method comprising: drawing a wire rod comprising, by weight percent: carbon (C): 0.4 to 0.7%, silicon (Si): 1.2 to 2.3%, manganese (Mn): 0.2 to 0.8%, chromium (Cr): 0.2 to 0.8%, and a balance of iron (Fe) and inevitable impurities to manufacture the steel wire;

austenitizing the steel wire by heating the steel wire in a range of 850 to 1,000° C. and then maintaining it for at least 1 second; and

quenching the austenitized steel wire in a range of 25 to 80° C. and tempering in a range of 350 to 500° C.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2022
From: POSCO HOLDINGS INC.
To: POSCO CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 061777/0937 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 28, 2022
From: POSCO
To: POSCO HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 061561/0730 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 22, 2021
From: KIM, KWAN HO
To: POSCO
Reel/Frame 055348/0233 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2018-0097262 · Aug 21, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210180152A1 · Jun 17, 2021
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