The need for weight reduction in a number of structures and applications is stimulating the development of wire products with increased strength. Vanadium alloying is successfully used to increase strength levels of pearlitic high-carbon wire steels predominantly through precipitation strengthening. This paper investigates additions of niobium to a vanadium microalloyed 0.80 wt pct carbon steel. Strength increases are obtained which are believed to be related to an observed refinement of interlamellar pearlite spacing.
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