Research status and developing tendency of bearing steel spheroidization of pearlite
FENG Lu-lu1,2, WU Kai-ming1, QIAO Wen-wei3, LU Xiu-yu4, XIE Xing5
1. Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Steels, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, Hubei, China; 2. School of Mechanical Engineering, Jingchu University of Technology, Jingmen 448000, Hubei, China; 3. Jiangsu Huaneng Cable Co. , Ltd. , Gaoyou 225613, Jiangsu, China; 4. Research Institute of Wuhan Iron and Steel Group, Wuhan 430080, Hubei, China; 5. Wuhan Second Ship Design and Research Institute, Wuhan 430064, Hubei, China
Abstract：The importance of spheroidization annealing process in bearing production is summarized. The rule of microstructure transformation of bearing steel from lamellar pearlite to granular pearlite is analyzed, the thermodynamic mechanism of the broken-up of lamellar cementite, and the transformation from short rod to granular of pearlite, and the process of granular ostwald grow were discussed. At the same time, the defects of bearing spheroidizing process are pointed out. Firstly, there are problems such as unfiorm distribution of carbides and differences in size. Secondly, the spheroidizing annealing process is not suitable for the development of new bearing steel due to the problems of immobilization and formatting. Thirdly, the microstructure inspection after spheroidizing annealing is rough and not meticulous enough. The development trend of the spheroidizing annealing process of bearing steel is pointed out. Firstly, the original lamellae should be more uniform and refined by introducing plastic deformation or increasing cooling supercooling in the rolling or forging stage, and avoid network cementite during production. Secondly, new spheroidizing annealing process should be developed, such as introducing electric field, magnetic field or high temperature and high pressure stress field in possible conditions to improve the traditional spheroidizing annealing process. Thirdly, the standardized quantitative inspection of spheroidizing microstructure should be carried out.
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2020, Vol. 30 
