With Working Step Patents (Class 148/504)
  • Publication number: 20140352850
    Abstract: A cold-rolled steel sheet includes, by mass %: C: 0.020% or more and 0.080% or less, Si: 0.20% or more and 1.00% or less; Mn: 0.80% or more and 2.30% or less: and Al: 0.010% or more and 0.100% or less; and further includes: one or more of Nb and Ti which satisfy a requirement of 0.005%?Nb+Ti<0.030%, in which a structure consists of, ferrite, bainite, and other phases, an area ratio of the ferrite is 80% or more and less than 95%, an area ratio of a non-recrystallization ferrite in the ferrite is 1% or more and less than 10%, an area ratio of the bainite is 5% or more and 20% or less, a total amount of the other phases is less than 8%, an equivalent circle diameter of a carbonitride including one or both of Nb and Ti is 1 nm or more and 10 nm or less, and a tensile strength is 590 MPa or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Yusuke Kondo, Kunio Hayashi, Toshio Ogawa, Naoki Matsutani, Koichi Goto
  • Publication number: 20140342184
    Abstract: The present invention provides a high-strength steel sheet having a tensile strength of 980 MPa or more and also excellent bending property stably over the entire steel sheet, due to a predetermined chemical composition in combination with a specific microstructure wherein an average crystallized grain diameter of ferrite phase is 10 ?m or less, a volume fraction of ferrite phase is within the range from 30% to 70%, a volume fraction of the total of martensite and retained austenite phases is 10% or less, and a ratio of interphases each having an interphase nano-hardness difference within 4 GPa is 90% or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shusaku Takagi, Shinjiro Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20140332119
    Abstract: A high strength cold rolled steel sheet has a chemical composition including, by mass %, C: 0.06 to 0.13%, Si: 1.2 to 2.3%, Mn: 0.6 to 1.6%, P: not more than 0.10%, S: not more than 0.010%, Al: 0.01 to 0.10% and N: not more than 0.010%, the balance comprising Fe and inevitable impurities. The steel sheet includes a microstructure containing not less than 90% in terms of volume fraction of ferrite with an average grain diameter of less than 20 ?m and 1.0 to 10% in terms of volume fraction of pearlite with an average grain diameter of less than 5 ?m. The ferrite has an average Vickers hardness of not less than 130. The steel sheet has a yield ratio of not less than 65% and a tensile strength of not less than 590 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Takashima, Yuki Toji, Kohei Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20140318672
    Abstract: The present invention has as its object the provision of hot rolled steel sheet (hot coil) for line pipe use in which API5L-X80 standard or better high strength and low temperature toughness and ductile fracture arrest performance are achieved and a method of production of the same. For this purpose, the hot rolled steel sheet of the present invention comprises C, Si, Mn, Al, N, Nb, Ti, Ca, V, Mo, Cr, Cu, and Ni in predetermined ranges and a balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities, in which the microstructure is a continuously cooled transformed structure, in which continuously cooled transformed structure, precipitates containing Nb have an average size of 1 to 3 nm and are included dispersed at an average density of 3 to 30×1022/m3, granular bainitic ferrite and/or quasi-polygonal ferrite are included in 50% or more in terms of fraction, furthermore, precipitates containing Ti nitrides are included, and they have an average circle equivalent diameter of 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Yokoi, Hiroshi Abe, Osamu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8871035
    Abstract: A process for producing grain oriented magnetic sheets by subjecting a steel slab ?100 mm, containing 2.5-3.5% si, to the following operations: optional first heating, to a temperature T1?1250° C.; first rough hot-rolling at T2 between 900 and 1200° C., the reduction ratio (% Rid) being at least 80% in the absence of a subsequent heating or, in the presence of a subsequent heating to T3?1300° C., at least 60% determined by % Rid=80?(T3?T2)/5; second finishing hot-rolling at T4<1300° C. to a rolled-section thickness of 1.5 3.0 mm; cold-rolling, in one or more stages with optional intermediate annealing and with a cold reduction ratio ?60% applied in the last stage; primary recrystallization annealing, optionally in a decarburizing atmosphere; second recrystallization annealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Centro Sviluppo Materiali S.p.A.
    Inventors: Stefano Fortunati, Giuseppe Abbruzzese, Stefano Cicale′
  • Publication number: 20140311631
    Abstract: This high-strength steel sheet includes: in terms of percent by mass, 0.03 to 0.10% of C; 0.01 to 1.5% of Si; 1.0 to 2.5% of Mn; 0.1% or less of P; 0.02% or less of S; 0.01 to 1.2% of Al; 0.06 to 0.15% of Ti; and 0.01% or less of N; and contains as the balance, iron and inevitable impurities, wherein a tensile strength is in a range of 590 MPa or more, and a ratio between the tensile strength and a yield strength is in a range of 0.80 or more, a microstructure includes bainite at an area ratio of 40% or more and the balance being either one or both of ferrite and martensite, a density of Ti(C,N) precipitates having sizes of 10 nm or smaller is in a range of 1010 precipitates/mm3 or more, and a ratio (Hvs/Hvc) of a hardness (Hvs) at a depth of 10 ?m from a surface to a hardness (Hvc) at a center of a sheet thickness is in a range of 0.85 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Kunio Hayashi, Toshimasa Tomokiyo, Nobuhiro Fujita, Naoki Matsutani, Koichi Goto
  • Publication number: 20140311632
    Abstract: A method for producing a steel tube of high strength and toughness for air bag subjects a steel tube to high-frequency induction heating such that the outer surface temperature T1 (° C.) of the tube measured at the end of high-frequency induction heating is within the range defined by TAc3+40° C.?T1?1100° C., TAc3 is the temperature (° C.) of Ac3 transformation point. Using the measured outer surface temperature of the tube, time x (second) elapsed from when the outer surface temperature of steel tube reaches the temperature of Ac3 transformation point by high-frequency induction heating is calculated. Based on the calculated time x, time t (second) required from measurement of the outer surface temperature of steel tube to the start of rapid cooling is controlled so that the time t is within the range defined by 0 (sec)<t?10 (sec)?x.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Uchida, Takeshi Miki
  • Publication number: 20140299236
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of a seamless quenched and tempered steel pipe which can have a wall thickness WT higher than or equal to 6 mm and lower than or equal to 35 mm. Some embodiments of the steel pipe can have a chemical composition comprising C, Mn, Si, Cr, Ni, Mo, Al, N, Ca, Nb, Ti, V, Zr, and Ta based on the composition weight, the remaining being iron and impurities. In some embodiments, wherein (V+Nb) content is lower than 0.07 wt %; defining a first parameter P1=(60×C)+Cr+[5×e(35×Mo/WT)]+50×(V+Nb), the chemical composition satisfies a first condition P1?14.5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Dalmine S.p.A.
    Inventors: Ettore Anelli, Emanuele Paravicini Bagliani, Stefano Fare, José Enrique Garcia Gonzales, Victor Blancas Garcia, Héctor Manuel Quintanilla Carmona
  • Publication number: 20140299235
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of a seamless quenched and tempered steel pipe having a wall thickness (WT) higher than or equal to 35 mm and lower than or equal to 80 mm. Embodiments of the steel pipe can comprise C, Mn, Cr, Ni, Mo, Al, Ca, N, Nb, Ti, Zr, and Ta. Further, for some embodiments of the steel pipe wherein, defining a first parameter P1=50×C+Cr+10×Mo+70×V, the chemical composition can satisfy a first condition P1?8.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Dalmine S.p.A.
    Inventors: Ettore Anelli, Emanuele Paravicini Bagliani, Stefano Fare
  • Patent number: 8840738
    Abstract: A cold-rolled steel sheet of the present invention which has a composition containing, in terms of % by mass, C: 0.05-0.30%, Si: 3.0% or less (including 0%), Mn: 0.1-5.0%, P: 0.1% or less (including 0%), S: 0.010% or less (including 0%), and Al: 0.001-0.10%, and remainder being mainly iron, and which has a structure comprising, in terms of area ratio, 10-80% ferrite, less than 5% (including 0%) of the sum of retained austenite and martensite, and a hard phase as the remainder. The steel sheet gives a KAM value frequency distribution curve in which the relationship between the proportion of frequency having a KAM value ?0.4, XKAM?0.4°, and the area ratio of ferrite, V? satisfies XKAM?0.4°/V??0.8 and the proportion of frequency having a KAM value in the range of 0.6-0.8, XKAM=0.6-0.8° is 10-20%. In the hard phase adjoining the ferrite, cementite, grains having an equivalent circle diameter of 0.1 ?m or larger exist so that three or less such cementite grains are dispersed per ?m2 of the hard phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Murakami, Akira Ibano, Hideo Hata, Kenji Saito
  • Publication number: 20140255725
    Abstract: A high-strength alloyed hot-dip galvanized steel sheet obtained by subjecting the surface of a high-strength steel sheet to alloyed hot-dip galvanization, and formed from a steel sheet containing, in mass %, main components, and containing at least 40 vol % bainite and/or martensite, 8-60 vol % retained austenite, and less than 40 vol % ferrite, with the remainder comprising unavoidable structures. In the alloyed hot-dip galvanized steel sheet, the total thickness of the Gamma1 layer and the Gamma layer (Tgamma1+Tgamma) is 2 ?m or less in the alloy layers formed by hot-dip galvanization, and the Gamma1 phase/Gamma phase thickness ratio (Tgamma1/Tgamma) is 1 or less. A tensile strength of 980 MPa or above can be easily imparted to the alloyed hot-dip galvanized steel sheet. The alloyed hot-dip galvanized steel sheet has excellent coating adherence, and coating separation during machining can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Inventors: Shintaro Yamanaka, Soshi Fujita, Koichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20140255724
    Abstract: A high-strength hot-dip galvanized steel sheet which includes a steel sheet that comprises major components and that contains at least 40 vol. % the sum of bainite and martensite, 8-60 vol. % retained austenite, and less than 40 vol. % ferrite, with the remainder comprising an incidental structure. The hot-dip galvanized steel sheet has, at the interface between the deposit layer formed by hot-dip galvanization and the base steel sheet, an intermetallic compound constituted of Fe, Al, Zn, and incidental impurities and having an average thickness of 0.1-2 ?m, the intermetallic compound having a crystal grain diameter of 0.01-1 ?m. After the deposit layer formed by hot-dip galvanization was removed, the surface of the base steel sheet has an arithmetic average roughness Ra of 0.1-2.0 ?m and gives a roughness curve in which the contour elements have an average length RSm of 5-300 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Inventors: Shintaro Yamanaka, Soshi Fujita, Koichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20140241829
    Abstract: A steel wire for high-strength bolts is used for a non heat-treatment bolt with an excellent cold forgeability for which quenching and tempering steps have been omitted after bolt formation, and which has a tensile strength of 1200 MPa or more and an excellent delayed fracture resistance. The steel wire includes C, Si, Mn, P, S, Cr, Al, N, and B, at least one selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, and Nb with the balance consisting of iron and inevitable impurities. The steel wire has a microstructure wherein ferrite and perlite have a total area rate of 98% or more, perlite lamellar spacing is 250 nm or less, and an area rate of the perlite is more than 40%, and 80% or less. The steel wire has a tensile strength of 1300 MPa or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicants: SUGITA WIRE, LTD., Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Masamichi Chiba, Yousuke Matsumoto, Ichiro Sugita, Masaru Tanimoto
  • Publication number: 20140242415
    Abstract: Provided is a high-strength hot-dip galvanized steel sheet having small material anisotropy and excellent formability with an ultimate tensile strength of 980 MPa or more. The hot-dip galvanized steel sheet includes a hot-dip galvanized layer formed on a surface of a base steel plate. The base steel plate contains, by mass %, C: 0.1 to less than 0.40%, Si: 0.5 to 3.0%, Mn: 1.5 to 3.0%, O: limited to 0.006% or less, P: limited to 0.04% or less, S: limited to 0.01% or less, Al: limited to 2.0% or less, N: limited to 0.01% or less, and a balance including Fe and inevitable impurities. A microstructure of the base steel sheet contains ferrite of 40% or more, residual austenite of 8 to less than 60%, by volume fraction, and a balance being bainite or martensite. In a sheet thickness range of ? to ? from the surface of the base steel sheet, a pole density of specific crystal orientation is within a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Inventors: Masafumi Azuma, Chisato Wakabayashi, Takayuki Nozaki, Nobuhiro Fujita, Manabu Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20140234660
    Abstract: Steel contains each of C, Si, Mn, P, S, Al, N, O, at a range from ? thickness centered around a ¼ sheet thickness from a surface to ? thickness centered around the ¼ sheet thickness from the surface at a base steel sheet, a structure of the base steel sheet contains, in volume fraction, 3% or more of a retained austenite phase, 50% or less of a ferrite phase, and 40% or more of a hard phase, average dislocation density is 5×1013/m2 or more, solid-solution C amount contained in the retained austenite phase is in mass % 0.70 to 1.00%, X-ray random intensity ratio of FCC iron in an texture of the retained austenite phase is 3.0 or less, ratio between a grain diameter relative to a rolling direction and a grain diameter relative to a sheet width direction of the retained austenite phase is 0.75 to 1.33.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawata, Naoki Maruyama, Akinobu Murasato, Akinobu Minami, Takeshi Yasui, Takuya Kuwayama, Hiroyuki Ban, Kaoru Hiramatsu
  • Publication number: 20140234659
    Abstract: A hot-dip galvanizing layer or an alloyed hot dip galvanizing layer is formed on the surface of a base steel sheet in which in volume fraction, 40 to 90% of a ferrite phase and 5% or less of a retained austenite phase are contained, and a ratio of non-recrystallized ferrite to the entire ferrite phase is 50% or less in volume fraction, and further a grain diameter ratio being a value of, of crystal grains in the ferrite phase, an average grain diameter in the rolling direction divided by an average grain diameter in the sheet width direction is 0.75 to 1.33, a length ratio being a value of, of hard structures dispersed in island shapes, an average length in the rolling direction divided by an average length in the sheet width direction is 0.75 to 1.33, and an average aspect ratio of inclusions is 5.0 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawata, Naoki Maruyama, Akinobu Murasato, Akinobu Minami, Takeshi Yasui, Takuya Kuwayama, Hiroyuki Ban, Kaoru Hiramatsu
  • Publication number: 20140205855
    Abstract: [Summary] The present invention provides a high-strength steel sheet excellent in impact resistance. The high-strength steel sheet contains predetermined contents of C, Si, Mn, P, S, Al, Ti, N, and O, with the balance being iron and inevitable impurities, and has a steel sheet structure in which, in a ? thickness to ? thickness region across ¼ of a sheet thickness, 1 to 8% retained austenite is contained in volume fraction, an average aspect ratio of the retained austenite is 2.0 or less, an amount of solid-solution Mn in the retained austenite is 1.1 times an average amount of Mn or more, and TiN grains having a 0.5 ?m average grain diameter or less are contained, and a density of AlN grains with a 1 ?m grain diameter or more is 1.0 pieces/mm2 or less, wherein a maximum tensile strength is 900 MPa or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawata, Naoki Maruyama, Akinobu Murasato, Akinobu Minami, Hajime Hasegawa, Chisato Wakabayashi, Tsuyoshi Oki
  • Patent number: 8784577
    Abstract: A high-tensile-strength hot-rolled steel sheet is provided having a composition which contains 0.02 to 0.08% C, 0.01 to 0.10% Nb, 0.001 to 0.05% Ti and Fe and unavoidable impurities as a balance, wherein the steel sheet contains C, Ti and Nb in such a manner that (Ti+(Nb/2))/C<4 is satisfied, and the steel sheet has a structure where a primary phase of the structure at a position 1 mm away from a surface in a sheet thickness direction is one selected from a group consisting of a ferrite phase, tempered martensite and a mixture structure of a ferrite phase and tempered martensite, a primary phase of the structure at a sheet thickness center position is formed of a ferrite phase, and a difference ?V between a structural fraction (volume %) of a secondary phase at the position 1 mm away from the surface in the sheet thickness direction and a structural fraction (volume %) of a secondary phase at the sheet thickness center position is 2% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Chikara Kami, Hiroshi Nakata, Kinya Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20140193667
    Abstract: A high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet having excellent stretch flangeability and precision punchability containing predetermined components and a balance being composed of iron and inevitable impurities, in which in a range of ? to ? in sheet thickness from the surface of the steel sheet, an average value of pole densities of the {100}<011> to {223}<110> orientation group represented by respective crystal orientations of {100}<011>, {116}<110>, {114}<110>, {113}<110>, {112}<110>, {335}<110>, and {223}<110> is 6.5 or less, and a pole density of the {332}<113> crystal orientation is 5.0 or less, and a metal structure contains, in terms of an area ratio, greater than 5% of pearlite, the sum of bainite and martensite limited to less than 5%, and a balance composed of ferrite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shuto, Nobuhiro Fujita, Tatsuo Yokoi, Riki Okamoto, Kazuaki Nakano, Shinichiro Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20140182748
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a high-strength galvanized steel sheet includes hot-rolling a slab to form a steel sheet; during continuous annealing, heating the steel sheet to a temperature of 750° C. to 900° C. at an average heating rate of at least 10° C./s at a temperature of 500° C. to an A1 transformation point; holding that temperature for at least 10 seconds; cooling the steel sheet from 750° C. to a temperature of (Ms point—100° C.) to (Ms point—200° C.) at an average cooling rate of at least 10° C./s; reheating the steel sheet to a temperature of 350° C. to 600° C.; holding that temperature for 10 to 600 seconds; and galvanizing the steel sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventor: JFE Steel Corporation
  • Patent number: 8747576
    Abstract: This high-carbon pearlitic steel rail having excellent ductility, includes: in terms of percent by mass, C: more than 0.85% to 1.40%; Si: 0.10% to 2.00%; Mn: 0.10% to 2.00%; Ti: 0.001% to 0.01%; V: 0.005% to 0.20%; and N: less than 0.0040%, with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, wherein contents of Ti and V fulfill the following formula (1), and a rail head portion has a pearlite structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Teruhisa Miyazaki, Masaharu Ueda, Suguru Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20140144552
    Abstract: A high-tensile-strength hot-rolled steel sheet is provided having a composition which contains 0.02 to 0.08% C, 0.01 to 0.10% Nb, 0.001 to 0.05% Ti and Fe and unavoidable impurities as a balance, wherein the steel sheet contains C, Ti and Nb in such a manner that (Ti+(Nb/2))/C<4 is satisfied, and the steel sheet has a structure where a primary phase of the structure at a position 1 mm away from a surface in a sheet thickness direction is one selected from a group consisting of a ferrite phase, tempered martensite and a mixture structure of a ferrite phase and tempered martensite, a primary phase of the structure at a sheet thickness center position is formed of a ferrite phase, and a difference ?V between a structural fraction (volume %) of a secondary phase at the position 1 mm away from the surface in the sheet thickness direction and a structural fraction (volume %) of a secondary phase at the sheet thickness center position is 2% or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Chikara Kami, Hiroshi Nakata, Kinya Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20140144551
    Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet having improved HIC resistance and fracture resistance even when it is thick has a chemical composition comprising, in mass %, C: 0.02-0.07%, Si: 0.05-0.50%, Mn: 1.10-1.60%, P: at most 0.015%, S: at most 0.0030%, Nb: 0.005-0.030%, Ti: 0.005-0.020%, Al: 0.005-0.060%, Ca: 0.0005-0.0060%, N: 0.0015-0.0070%, at least one of Cu, Ni, Cr, and Mo in a total of greater than 0.1% to less than 1.5%, and a remainder of Fe and impurities and a steel structure composed of at least 10% by area of bainite and a remainder of ferrite and pearlite. The degree of segregation is less than 1.6 for Nb and less than 1.4 for Mn in the central portion of the thickness of the steel sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Inventors: Izuru Minato, Nobuaki Takahashi, Akio Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20140124101
    Abstract: This high-strength hot-rolled steel sheet having excellent local deformability contains, in mass %, C: 0.07% to 0.20%; Si: 0.001% to 2.5%; Mn: 0.01% to 4.0%; P: 0.001% to 0.15%; S: 0.0005% to 0.03%; Al: 0.001% to 2.0%; N: 0.0005% to 0.01%; and O: 0.0005% to 0.01%; and a balance being composed of iron and inevitable impurities, in which an area ratio of bainite in a metal structure is 95% or more, at a sheet thickness center portion being a range of 5/8 to 3/8 in sheet thickness from the surface of the steel sheet, an average value of pole densities of the {100}<011> to {223}<110> orientation group is 4.0 or less, and a pole density of the {332}<113> crystal orientation is 5.0 or less, and a mean volume diameter of crystal grains in the metal structure is 10 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Suwa, Kazuaki Nakano, Kunio Hayashi, Riki Okamoto, Nobuhiro Fujita, Kohichi Sano
  • Publication number: 20140110022
    Abstract: A hot-rolled steel sheet satisfies that average pole density of orientation group of {100}<011> to {223}<110> is 1.0 to 5.0 and pole density of crystal orientation {332}<113> is 1.0 to 4.0. Moreover, the hot-rolled steel sheet includes, as a metallographic structure, by area %, ferrite and bainite of 30% to 99% in total and martensite of 1% to 70%. Moreover, the hot-rolled steel sheet satisfies following Expressions 1 and 2 when area fraction of the martensite is defined as fM in unit of area %, average size of the martensite is defined as dia in unit of ?m, average distance between the martensite is defined as dis in unit of ?m, and tensile strength of the steel sheet is defined as TS in unit of MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohichi Sano, Kunio Hayashi, Kazuaki Nakano, Riki Okamoto, Nobuhiro Fujita
  • Publication number: 20140102596
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a high strength cold rolled steel sheet includes hot-rolling and cold-rolling a steel slab annealing the steel sheet at an annealing temperature of 750° C. to 830° C.; subjecting the steel sheet to first cooling at an average cooling rate of 3° C./sec to 40° C./sec in a temperature range from the annealing temperature to 480° C.; subjecting the steel sheet to second cooling at an average cooling rate of 8° C./sec to 80° C./sec in a temperature range from 480° C. to Tc (° C.) given by formula (6): Tc=435?40×[% Mn]?30×[% Cr]?30×[% V](6) wherein [% A] is the content (% by mass) of alloying element A; and subjecting the steel sheet to third cooling at an average cooling rate of 0.3° C./sec to 30° C./sec in a temperature range from Tc (° C.) to 200° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Ono, Kenji Takahashi, Kaneharu Okuda, Shoichiro Taira, Michitaka Sakurai, Yusuke Fushiwaki
  • Patent number: 8696834
    Abstract: A method for suppressing shock and storage cracking when manufacturing seamless steel pipes comprises hot piercing and hot rolling a billet consisting of, by mass percent controlled amounts of C, Si, Mn, Cr, Mo, Ti, and Al, with the balance being Fe and impurities of Ni, P, S, N, and O also in controlled amounts. Further heat treatment is performed, wherein a hot rolled steel pipe is direct quenched from a temperature of not lower than the Ar3 transformation point and the pipe is then subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of not lower than 450° C. and not higher than the Ac1 transformation point in heat treatment equipment for performing direct quenching. The steel pipe subjected to the heat treatment is reheated, quenched from a temperature of not lower than the Ac3 transformation point, and tempered at a temperature of not higher than the Ac1 transformation point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Kondo, Toshiharu Abe, Kunio Kondo, Yuichi Yano, Yuji Arai
  • Publication number: 20140087208
    Abstract: A cold-rolled steel sheet satisfies that an average pole density of an orientation group of {100}<011> to {223}<110> is 1.0 to 5.0, a pole density of a crystal orientation {332}<113> is 1.0 to 4.0, a Lankford-value rC in a direction perpendicular to a rolling direction is 0.70 to 1.50, and a Lankford-value r30 in a direction making an angle of 30° with the rolling direction is 0.70 to 1.50. Moreover, the cold-rolled steel sheet includes, as a metallographic structure, by area %, a ferrite and a bainite of 30% to 99% in total and a martensite of 1% to 70%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Inventors: Yuri Toda, Riki Okamoto, Nobuhiro Fujita, Kohichi Sano, Hiroshi Yoshida, Toshio Ogawa, Kunio Hayashi, Kazuaki Nakano
  • Publication number: 20140050941
    Abstract: A high strength steel sheet including, by mass, C: 0.03% or more and 0.25% or less, Si: 0.4% or more and 2.5% or less, Mn: 3.5% or more and 10.0% or less, P: 0.1% or less, S: 0.01% or less, Al: 0.01% or more and 2.5% or less, N: 0.008% or less, Si+Al: 1.0% or more, the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities. The area ratio of ferrite is 30% or more and 80% or less, the area ratio of martensite is 0% or more and 17% or less, the volume fraction of retained austenite is 8% or more, and the average grain size of retained austenite is 2 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Inventors: Yoshiyasu Kawasaki, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Shinjiro Kaneko, Yasunobu Nagataki
  • Publication number: 20140030546
    Abstract: This high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet contains, in mass %, C: 0.02% to 0.20%; Si: 0.001% to 2.5%; Mn: 0.01% to 4.0%; P: 0.001% to 0.15%; S: 0.0005% to 0.03%; Al: 0.001% to 2.0%; N: 0.0005% to 0.01%; and O: 0.0005% to 0.01%; in which Si+Al is limited to less than 1.0%, and a balance being composed of iron and inevitable impurities, in which an area ratio of bainite in a metal structure is 95% or more, at a sheet thickness center portion being a range of ? to ? in sheet thickness from the surface of the steel sheet, an average value of pole densities of the {100}<011> to {223}<110> orientation group is 4.0 or less, and a pole density of the {332}<113> crystal orientation is 5.0 or less, and a mean volume diameter of crystal grains in the metal structure is 7 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Suwa, Kazuaki Nakano, Kunio Hayashi, Riki Okamoto, Nobuhiro Fujita, Kohichi Sano
  • Publication number: 20140027022
    Abstract: In a hot-rolled steel sheet, an average pole density of an orientation group of {100}<011> to {223}<110>, which is represented by an arithmetic average of pole density of each orientation of {100}<011>, {116}<110>, {114}<110>, {112}<110>, and {223}<110> in a center portion of a sheet thickness which is a range of the sheet thickness of ? to ? from a surface of the steel sheet, is 1.0 or more and 4.0 or less, the pole density of a crystal orientation of {332}<113> is 1.0 or more and 4.8 or less, an average grain size in a center in the sheet thickness is 10 ?M or less, and a microstructure includes, by a structural fraction, pearlite more than 6% and ferrite in the balance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Tatsuo Yokoi, Hiroshi Shuto, Riki Okamoto, Nobuhiro Fujita, Kazuaki Nakano, Takeshi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20140014236
    Abstract: Disclosed is a hot-rolled steel sheet including, by mass %, C:0.02% to 0.5% of C, and the sum of the content of Si and the content of Al is 1.0% to 4.0%. An average pole density of an orientation group from {100}<011> to {223}<110> is 1.0 to 6.5, and a pole density of a crystal orientation {332}<113> is 1.0 to 5.0. A microstructure includes, by of an area ratio, 2% to 30% of retained austenite, 20% to 50% of ferrite, and 10% to 60% of bainite. rC that is a Lankford value in a direction orthogonal to a rolling direction is 0.70 to 1.10, and r30 that is a Lankford value in a direction forming an angle of 30° with the rolling direction is 0.70 to 1.10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Nozaki, Manabu Takahashi, Nobuhiro Fujita, Hiroshi Yoshida, Shinichiro Watanabe, Takeshi Yamamoto, Chisato Wakabayashi, Riki Okamoto, Kohichi Sano
  • Publication number: 20140014237
    Abstract: In a hot-rolled steel sheet, an average pole density of an orientation group {100}<011> to {223}<110>, which is represented by an arithmetic mean of pole densities of orientations {100}<011>, {116}<110>, {114}<110>, {112}<110>, and {223}<110> is 1.0 to 4.0 and a pole density of a crystal orientation {332}<113> is 1.0 to 4.8, in a thickness center portion which is a thickness range of ? to ? from the surface of the steel sheet; an average grain size in the thickness center portion is less than or equal to 10 ?m and a grain size of cementite precipitating in a grain boundary of the steel sheet is less than or equal to 2 ?m; and an average grain size of precipitates containing TiC in grains is less than or equal to 3 nm and a number density per unit volume is greater than or equal to 1×1016 grains/cm3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuo Yokoi, Hiroshi Shuto, Riki Okamoto, Nobuhiro Fujita, Kazuaki Nakano, Takeshi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20140000765
    Abstract: This is a cold-rolled steel sheet includes, by mass %, C: 0.02% to 0.4%, Si: 0.001% to 2.5%, Mn: 0.001% to 4.0%, and Al: 0.001% to 2.0%. The sum of the Si content and the Al content is 1.0% to 4.5%. An average pole density of an orientation group from {100}<011> to {223}<110> is 1.0 to 6.5, and a pole density of a crystal orientation {332}<113> is 1.0 to 5.0. A microstructure includes, by an area ratio %, 5% to 80% of ferrite, 5% to 80% of bainite, and 2% to 30% of retained austenite. In the microstructure, by an area ratio %, martensite is limited to 20% or less, pearlite is limited to 10% or less, and tempered martensite is limited to 60% or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Takayuki Nozaki, Manabu Takahashi, Nobuhiro Fujita, Hiroshi Yoshida, Shinichiro Watanabe, Takeshi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20140000766
    Abstract: The issue of the present invention is to provide a hot-rolled steel sheet with excellent press formability and method for producing the steel sheet, wherein the steel sheet has not only hole expandability but also stretch flanging workability by not assessing hole expandability for stretch flanging as conventional but an actual phenomena of side-bend elongation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Daisuke Maeda, Osamu Kawano, Kazuya Otsuka
  • Publication number: 20130295410
    Abstract: A high strength galvanized steel sheet is provided comprising steel containing C: 0.06% or more and 0.20% or less, Si: less than 0.50%, Mn: 0.5% or more and less than 2.0%, P: 0.05% or less, S: 0.02% or less, Al: 0.60% or more and 2.00% or less, N: less than 0.004%, Cr: 0.10% or more and 0.40% or less and B: 0.003% or less, satisfying the relationships 0.8?Mneq?2.0 and Mneq+1.3[% Al]?2.8, and a microstructure containing a ferrite phase and a second phase whose volume fraction is 15% or less, the second phase having a martensite phase whose volume fraction is 3% or more, a retained austenite phase whose volume fraction is 3% or more and a sum of the volume fractions of a pearlite phase and a bainite phase being equal to or less than the volume fraction of the martensite phase and the volume fraction of the retained austenite phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Takahashi, Kaneharu Okuda, Yoshihiko Ono
  • Patent number: 8562762
    Abstract: The present invention provides high strength hot rolled steel plate for line-pipes superior in low temperature toughness, and a method of production of the same, containing, by mass %, C: 0.01 to 0.1%, Si: 0.05 to 0.5%, Mn: 1 to 2%, P: ?0.03%, S: ?0.005%, O: ?0.003%, Al: 0.005 to 0.05%, N: 0.0015 to 0.006%, Nb: 0.005 to 0.08%, and Ti: 0.005 to 0.02%, where N?14/48×Ti>0% and Nb?93/14×(N?14/48×Ti)>0.005%, and a balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities, said steel plate characterized in that its microstructure is a continuously cooled transformed structure, a reflected X-ray intensity ratio {211}/{111} of the {211} plane and {111} plane parallel to the plate surface in the texture at the center of plate thickness is 1.1 or more, and an in-grain precipitate density of the precipitates of Nb and/or Ti carbonitrides is 1017 to 1018/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Yokoi, Masanori Minagawa, Takuya Hara, Osamu Yoshida, Hiroshi Abe
  • Publication number: 20130240093
    Abstract: A steel for high-strength spring has an Ac3 transformation temperature as an indicator of the decarburization performance, which is calculated by Equation (1) below, is from 859 to 885° C., a maximum hardened diameter DI as an indicator of the hardening performance, which is calculated by Equation (2) below, is from 70 to 238 mm, and a temper hardness HRC as an indicator of the spring performance, which is calculated by Equation (3) below, is from 50 to 55. Ac3=910?203×?{square root over (C)}?15.2Ni+44.7Si+104V+31.5Mo+13.1W??(1) DI=DO×fSi×fMn×fP×fS×fCu×fNi×fCr??(2) HRC=38.99+17.48C+2.55Si?2.28Ni+2.37Cr+8.04Ti??(3) wherein, D0=8.65×?{square root over (C)}, fSi=1+0.64×% Si, fMn=1+4.10×% Mn, fP=1+2.83×% P, fS=1?0.62×% S, fCu=1+0.27×% Cu, fNi=1+0.52×% Ni, and fCr=1+2.33×% Cr.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki OKADA, Akira TANGE, Koichi TANGO, Isao SUMIYOSHI
  • Publication number: 20130174940
    Abstract: A method for the production of hot-rolled steel strip comprising the following steps: providing a steel slab comprising, in weight percentages: Si: 2.5 to 3.5%, C: 0.05 to 0.1%, Mn: 0:05 to 0.1%, Als: 0.015 to 0.026%, N: 0.0050 to 0.0100%, and further comprising S and/or Se so that S+ (32/79) Se is in an amount of 0.018 to 0.030%, and optionally comprising one or more elements chosen among Sb in an amount of 0.015 to 0.035%, Cu in an amount of 0.08% to 0.25%, Sn in an amount of 0.06% to 0.15%, P in an amount of 0.005% to 0.015%, the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities, reheating said slab to a temperature between 1300° C. and 1430° C., roughing hot-rolling said slab to produce a blank having a thickness below 50 mm, finishing hot-rolling of said blank to produce a hot rolled strip in three rolling passes or more, the temperature of said blank during the first pass being above 1150° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventors: Stefano Cicale, Giuseppe Abbruzzese, Marco Antonio Da Cunha, Helcio De Araujo Quintao, Ronaldo Claret Ribeiro Silva, Angelo Jose De Faria Fonseca
  • Publication number: 20130167980
    Abstract: This high-strength steel sheet includes by mass percentage: 0.05 to 0.4% of C; 0.1 to 2.5% of Si; 1.0 to 3.5% of Mn; 0.001 to 0.03% of P; 0.0001 to 0.01% of S; 0.001 to 2.5% of Al; 0.0001 to 0.01% of N; 0.0001 to 0.008% of O; and a remainder composed of iron and inevitable impurities, wherein a steel sheet structure contains by volume fraction 10 to 50% of a ferrite phase, 10 to 50% of a tempered martensite phase, and a remaining hard phase, wherein a 98% hardness is 1.5 or more times as high as a 2% hardness in a range from ? to ? of a thickness of the steel sheet, wherein a kurtosis K* of the hardness distribution between the 2% hardness and the 98% hardness is ?1.2 to ?0.4, and wherein an average crystal grain size in the steel sheet structure is 10 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawata, Naoki Maruyama, Akinobu Murasato, Naoki Yoshinaga, Chisato Wakabayashi, Noriyuki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20130153091
    Abstract: A hot-rolled steel sheet has an average value of the X-ray random intensity ratio of a {100} <011> to {223} <110> orientation group at least in a sheet thickness central portion that is in a sheet thickness range of ? to ? from a steel sheet surface of 1.0 to 6.0, an X-ray random intensity ratio of a {332} <113> crystal orientation of 1.0 to 5.0, rC which is an r value in a direction perpendicular to a rolling direction of 0.70 to 1.10, and r30 which is an r value in a direction that forms an angle of 30° with respect to the rolling direction of 0.70 to 1.10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Fujita, Kunio Hayashi, Riki Okamoto, Manabu Takahashi, Tetsuo Kishimoto, Hiroshi Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20130092295
    Abstract: A hot-rolled steel sheet according to the present invention is a steel sheet containing a predetermined components, and satisfying O<S/Ca<0.8, N?14/48×Ti?“0” (zero) %. It is a high-strength hot-rolled steel sheet for a spiral pipe excellent in low-temperature toughness in which a pro-eutectoid ferrite fraction is 3% or more and 20% or less, and the other is a low-temperature transformation phase in a microstructure at a depth of a half thickness of a sheet thickness from a steel sheet surface, a number average crystal grain size of a whole of the microstructure is 2.5 ?m or less, an area average grain size is 9 ?m or less, a standard deviation of the area average grain size is 2.3 ?m or less, and a reflected X-ray intensity ratio {211}/{111} in a {211} direction and in a {111} direction relative to a plane in parallel to the steel sheet surface at the depth of the half thickness of the sheet thickness from the steel sheet surface is 1.1 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventors: Tatsuo Yokoi, Hiroshi Abe, Osamu Yoshida, Yasuhiro Miyatani, Shinichi Araki, Osamu Kawano
  • Patent number: 8409375
    Abstract: A method of producing a copper alloy wire rod, containing: a casting step for obtaining an ingot by pouring molten copper of a precipitation strengthening copper alloy into a belt-&-wheel-type or twin-belt-type movable mold; and a rolling step for rolling the ingot obtained by the casting step, which steps are continuously performed, wherein an intermediate material of the copper alloy wire rod in the mid course of the rolling step or immediately after the rolling step is quenched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Yoshida, Tsukasa Takazawa
  • Patent number: 8353992
    Abstract: Steel sheet having a composition of ingredients containing substantially, by mass %, C: 0.005 to 0.200%, Si: 2.50% or less, Mn: 0.10 to 3.00%, N: 0.0100% or less, Nb: 0.005 to 0.100%, and Ti: 0.002 to 0.150% and satisfying the relationship of Ti?48/14×N?0.0005, having a sum of the X-ray random intensity ratios of the {100}<001> orientation and the {110}<001> orientation of a ? sheet thickness part of 5 or less, having a sum of the maximum value of the X-ray random intensity ratios of the {110}<111> to {110}<112> orientation group and the X-ray random intensity ratios of the {211}<111> orientation of 5 or more, and having a high rolling direction Young's modulus measured by the static tension method and a method of production of the same are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Natsuko Sugiura, Naoki Maruyama, Manabu Takahashi, Yohji Nakamura, Koji Hanya
  • Publication number: 20120298265
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing grain oriented electrical steel sheets from a slab, controlling the steel sheet temperature so as to satisfy T (t)<FDT?(FDT?700)×t/6 (wherein T (t): steel sheet temperature (° C.), FDT: finishing temperature (° C.) and t: time (sec) after the completion of finish rolling) throughout the entire length of a coil during cooling after the completion of finish rolling in hot rolling, and controlling the steel sheet temperature of a tip portion of the coil representing 10% of the length of the coil to be not less than 650° C. at a lapse of 3 seconds from the completion of hot rolling, thus manufacturing a grain oriented electrical steel sheet exhibiting excellent magnetic properties throughout the entire coil length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenichi Sadahiro
  • Patent number: 8263234
    Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet includes a stress-strain diagram obtained by a tensile test of the steel, and a gradient of stress in the stress-strain diagram, wherein the gradient d?/d? in 3 to 7% of true strain is 5000 MPa or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Okitsu
  • Publication number: 20120180909
    Abstract: A multiphase steel sheet has a steel composition containing, in percent by mass, more than 0.015% to less than 0.100% of carbon, less than 0.40% of silicon, 1.0% to 1.9% of manganese, more than 0.015% to 0.05% of phosphorus, 0.03% or less of sulfur, 0.01% to 0.3% of soluble aluminum, 0.005% or less of nitrogen, less than 0.30% of chromium, 0.0050% or less of boron, less than 0.15% of molybdenum, 0.4% or less of vanadium, 0.02% or less of titanium, wherein [Mneq] is 2.0 to 2.8, the balance being iron and incidental impurities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Ono, Kenji Takahashi, Kaneharu Okuda, Shoichiro Taira, Michitaka Sakurai, Yusuke Fushiwaki
  • Publication number: 20120145285
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a component, made of an iron-chromium alloy that precipitates Laves phases and/or particles containing Fe and/or particles containing Cr and/or particles containing Si and/or carbides, by subjecting a semi-finished product made of the alloy to a thermomechanical treatment, wherein in a first step, the alloy is solution heat treated at temperatures?the solution heat treatment temperature and is subsequently quenched in stationary protective gas or air, moving (blown) protective gas or air, or water. In a second step, a mechanical forming of the semi-finished product in a range from 0.05 to 99% is performed, and in a subsequent step, Laves phases Fe2(M, Si) or Fe7(M, Si)6 and/or particles containing Fe and/or particles containing Cr and/or particles containing Si and/or carbides are precipitated in a specific and finely distributed manner in that the component produced from the formed semi-finished product is brought to an application temperature between 550° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: THYSSENKRUPP VDM GMBH
    Inventors: Heike Hattendorf, Osman Ibas
  • Patent number: 8177924
    Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet comprises a metallic structure consisting of a ferrite phase and a hard second phase dispersed in the ferrite phase, the hard second phase in the metallic structure having an area ratio of 30 to 70%, and the ferrite of which grain sizes are not more than 1.2 ?m having an area ratio of 15 to 90% in the ferrite phase. The term ds is an average grain size of the ferrite of which grain sizes are not more than 1.2 ?m, the term dL is an average grain size of ferrite of which grain sizes are more than 1.2 ?m, and the ds and the dL satisfy the following equation (1): dL/ds?3??(1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Okitsu
  • Patent number: 8157933
    Abstract: This hot rolled steel contains, in terms of mass %, C: 0.01 to 0.1%, Si: 0.01 to 0.1%, Mn: 0.1 to 3%, P: not more than 0.1%, S: not more than 0.03%, Al: 0.001 to 1%, N: not more than 0.01%, Nb: 0.005 to 0.08%, and Ti: 0.001 to 0.2%, with a remainder being iron and unavoidable impurities, wherein a formula: [Nb]×[C]?4.34×10?3 is satisfied, a grain boundary density of solid solution C is not less than 1 atom/nm2 and not more than 4.5 atoms/nm2, and a grain size of cementite grains precipitated at grain boundaries within the steel sheet is not more than 1 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Yokoi, Kazuya Ootsuka, Yukiko Yamaguchi, Tetsuya Yamada