Armco Steel Corporation

James A Elias

Rollin E Hook

A process of producing non-aging, low carbon steel having substantially no yield point elongation in the annealed condition and freedom from critical grain growth. A molten steel having an analysis typical of steel intended for rimmed or killed drawing steel is vacuum degassed to decarburize to a maximum carbon content of about 0.015%, and columbium (niobium) is added in an amount at least sufficient to combine with the carbon present in the steel. The cast material is hot rolled, finishing at 1500.degree. - 1700.degree. F (about 1090.degree. - 1200.degree. K) and coiled at a temperature of about 1500.degree. F (about 1090.degree. K) or less. The columbium addition retards the rate of recrystallization of the cold rolled product, and a wide spectrum of mechanical properties can be obtained in the final product by control of the final annealing time and temperature within the range of 1000.degree. to 1700.degree. F (about 810.degree. to 1200.degree. K). A preferred product is cold rolled and annealed strip suitable for deep drawing, porcelain enameling, hot dip metallic coating and the like, containing at least about 0.025% uncombined columbium at the hot rolling stage, as determined by analysis at room temperature, which has an average plastic strain ratio of at least 1.8, and a uniform grain size between ASTM 8 and 10.

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Middletown, OH, United States of America

James A Elias