Evolutions of Microstructure and Texture in Direct In-Line Patented High-Carbon Pearlitic Steel Wire during Cold Drawing Process

To investigate the texture evolution of direct in-line patented high-carbon steel wire rod (DLP) during cold drawing process, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) were used to analyzed the microstructure and texture of DLP wire rod and DLP pearlitic steel wires with different strains. The results indicate that with the increase of drawing strain, the cementite layer gradually turned to the direction of drawing; in addition, deformed pearlite microstructure which had angles of θ (45°<θ<90°) with the drawing axis was easier to form shear bands during drawing process. Crystal grain in DLP wire rods were equiaxed with random orientation and had slight texture. The intensity and composition of 〈110〉 ferritic fiber texture which formed and paralleled to the drawing direction during the drawing process increased with increasing of drawing strain. However, the distribution was inhomogeneous with higher enhancement extent in the centre than in the surface. With increasing of drawing strain, 110〈110〉 shear texture in the surface region increased gradually and in the centre remained the normal 〈110〉 fiber texture.