Abstract: The influence of Mn and Si on mechanical properties of severely cold-rolled and annealed pearlite in Fe-0.8C alloys with various contents are investigated. With the addition of Mn and Si, the tensile strength (sb) and yield strength (ss) of the cold-rolled and annealed pearlite are vastly improved, but its effect on ductility of the cold-rolled pearlite is negligible. The addition of Si is quite effective in improving the ductility of the cold-rolled and annealed pearlite, especially when the strength is at a higher level, I.e., lower annealing temperature or shorter annealing period. The optimal mechanical properties in the alloys with Mn or Si were developed after annealing at 450 ℃ for short annealing periods (30 s to 120 s). The combined addition of Mn and Si is more effective in improving the mechanical properties of severely cold-rolled and annealed pearlite.

Key words: Alloying element, Annealing, Cold rolling, Mechanical property, Pearlite, Ultra-fine grains