Anisotropic Fatigue & Fracture Behaviour in Hot-Rolled and Cold-Drawn Pearlitic Steel Wires

This paper analyses the role of cold drawing in the fatigue and fracture behaviour of pearlitic steels with distinct drawing degree (a hot rolled bar and a commercial prestressing steel wire). Fatigue crack growth develops globally in mode I and locally in mixed mode in both steels, the micro-crack deflection angle depending on the drawing degree. With regard to fracture behaviour, it takes place in mode I in the hot-rolled bar and in mixed mode (with a strong component of mode II) in the case of the cold-drawn wire, so that strength anisotropy appears in the drawn steel and a sort of directional toughness can be defined.