Abstract: The present invention relates to a high-cleanliness steel having a high fatigue strength and high cold workability, and a method of making the high-cleanliness steel. The method adds a Li—Si alloy having a Li content between 20 and 40% and/or Li2CO3 as a Li-containing substance to a molten steel. The Li-containing substance is added to the molten steel after the completion of a series of steps of a ladle refining process including composition adjustment, temperature adjustment and slag refining. The high-cleanliness steel has a total-Li content between 0.020 and 20 ppm by mass and contains 1.0 or below oxide inclusion particle having a major diameter of 20 ?m or above at a maximum in 50 g of the steel wire. The steel contains an oxide inclusion that has a CaO content between 15 and 55%, SiO2 content between 20 and 70%, an Al2O3 content of 35% or below, a MgO content of 20% or below and a Li2O content between 0.5 and 20%.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a high-cleanliness steel having a high fatigue strength and high cold workability, and a method of making the high-cleanliness steel. The method adds a Li—Si alloy having a Li content between 20 and 40% and/or Li2CO3 as a Li-containing substance to a molten steel. The Li-containing substance is added to the molten steel after the completion of a series of steps of a ladle refining process including composition adjustment, temperature adjustment and slag refining. The high-cleanliness steel has a total-Li content between 0.020 and 20 ppm by mass and contains 1.0 or below oxide inclusion particle having a major diameter of 20 ?m or above at a maximum in 50 g of the steel wire. The steel contains an oxide inclusion that has a CaO content between 15 and 55%, SiO2 content between 20 and 70%, an Al2O3 content of 35% or below, a MgO content of 20% or below and a Li2O content between 0.5 and 20%.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ultra clean spring steel which contains inclusions easily elongated and broken into fine particles by hot rolling and which is easily adaptive to cold rolling and yields springs excelling in fatigue characteristics.