Quenched and partitioned high-carbon steel wire

A high-carbon steel wire having as steel composition:

• a carbon content ranging from 0.40 weight percent to 0.85 weight percent,
• a silicon content ranging from 1.0 weight percent to 2.0 weight percent,
• a manganese content ranging from 0.40 weight percent to 1.0 weight percent,
• a chromium content ranging from 0.0 weight percent to 1.0 weight percent,
• a sulphur and phosphor content being limited to 0.025 weight percent,
• the remainder being iron,
• said steel wire having as metallurgical structure:
• a volume percentage of retained austenite ranging from 4 percent to 20 percent, the remainder being tempered primary martensite and untempered secondary martensite.

A process of manufacturing a high-carbon steel wire,

• said steel wire having as steel composition:
• a carbon content ranging from 0.40 weight percent to 0.85 weight percent,
• a silicon content ranging from 1.0 weight percent to 2.0 weight percent,
• a manganese content ranging from 0.40 weight percent to 1.0 weight percent,
• a chromium content ranging from 0.0 weight percent to 1.0 weight percent,
• a sulphur and phosphor content being limited to 0.025 weight percent, the remainder being iron,
• said process comprising the following steps:
• a) austenitizing said steel wire above Ac3 temperature during a period less than 120 seconds,
• b) quenching said austenitized steel wire between 180° C. and 220° C. during a period less than 60 seconds,
• c) partitioning said quenched steel wire between 320° C. and 460° C. during a period ranging from 10 seconds to 600 seconds.