Development of Cu Added Hot-Rolled Steel Sheets with High Cold Formability and High Hardenability by Short-Time Heating

Nippon Steel Corp. has developed a new hot-rolled steel sheet which is characterized by 1.0 to 1.6% copper addition to extra low carbon steel.

This steel is worked while it is in a low strength state and thereafter the worked part is heat treated to increase the strength of it.

The copper added steel sheet has a capability to increase tensile strength up to 600Mpa level from 400Mpa level by being heated to the temperature range of 750 to 950K for less than 600s. When copper remains in the solid solution state, the steel sheet exhibits as much formability as the conventional steel of the same strength level.

The ductility ratio is higher than that of the conventional steel of the same strength level. This offers a greater freedom in the design of spot-weld structural joints.

The fatigue properties of the base metal is as good as those of the conventional steel of the same strength level, and becomes much longer when heat treated.