US2026098330A1PendingUtilityA1

Case-hardening steel

Assignee: DAIDO STEEL CO LTDPriority: Oct 8, 2024Filed: Oct 3, 2025Published: Apr 9, 2026
Est. expiryOct 8, 2044(~18.1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
C22C 38/48C21D 1/28C22C 33/04C22C 38/001C22C 38/06C21D 1/32C22C 38/50C22C 38/04C22C 38/02C22C 38/002C22C 38/42
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Claims

Abstract

The present invention relates to a case-hardening steel containing: 0.10 mass %≤C≤0.20 mass %, 0.05 mass %≤Si≤2.00 mass %, 0.30 mass %≤Mn≤2.00 mass %, P≤0.030 mass %, S≤0.030 mass %, 0.01 mass %≤Cu≤1.00 mass %, 0.01 mass %≤Ni≤1.00 mass %, 0.30 mass %≤Cr≤3.00 mass %, 0.0001 mass %≤Ti≤0.2000 mass %, 0.040 mass %≤Nb≤0.080 mass %, 0.002 mass %≤Al≤0.060 mass %, and 0.003 mass %≤N≤0.040 mass %, with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, and satisfying Pinning Nb Content ≥0.020 mass %, and 2.0×10 −6 ≤[Ti]×[N]≤2.0×10 −3 .

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A case-hardening steel comprising: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.1 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 C 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0.2 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.05 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Si 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   2. 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.3 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Mn 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   2. 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 P 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0. 
                   0 
                   ⁢ 
                   30 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 S 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0.03 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.01 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Cu 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   1. 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.01 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Ni 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   1. 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.3 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Cr 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   3. 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.0001 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Ti 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0.2 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.04 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Nb 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0.08 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.002 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Al 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0.06 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
               and 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0. 
                     
                   03 
                   ⁢ 
                      
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 N 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   
                     0 
                     . 
                     0 
                   
                   ⁢ 
                   40 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, and 
         satisfying the following formulas (1) and (2): 
       
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
                       Pinning 
                       ⁢ 
                           
                       Nb 
                       ⁢ 
                           
                       Content 
                     
                     ≥ 
                     
                       0.02 
                           
                       mass 
                       ⁢ 
                           
                       % 
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     ( 
                     1 
                     ) 
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
                       2. 
                       × 
                       
                         10 
                         
                           - 
                           6 
                         
                       
                     
                     ≤ 
                     
                       
                         [ 
                         Ti 
                         ] 
                       
                       × 
                       
                         [ 
                         N 
                         ] 
                       
                     
                     ≤ 
                     
                       2. 
                       × 
                       
                         10 
                         
                           - 
                           3 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     
                       ( 
                       2 
                       ) 
                     
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
         
           
             
               wherein 
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   Pinning 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Nb 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   content 
                 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     [ 
                     Nb 
                     ] 
                   
                   - 
                   
                     area 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     ratio 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     
                       ( 
                       
                         area 
                         ⁢ 
                             
                         % 
                       
                       ) 
                     
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     of 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     NbC 
                     - 
                     based 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     inclusions 
                     × 
                     0.892 
                   
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         [X] is the content (mass %) of the element X, 
         the “NbC-based inclusions” refers to NbC-based particles having a Nb content of 50 mass % or more and a maximum length of 0.1 μm or more, 
         the “area ratio of NbC-based inclusions” refers to the ratio of the area of NbC-based inclusions included in the visual field area of 4000 μm×4000 μm in the measurement range, and 
         in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a rolled material or a forged material, where the length of the line connecting the center of gravity of the cross-section and the boundary of the cross-section closest to the center of gravity is d/2 and a closed curve on the cross-section at which the separation distance from the boundary is d/4 is referred to as a d/4 portion, the “measurement range” refers to the range of the length d/4 extending the boundary to the d/4 portion. 
       
     
     
         2 . The case-hardening steel according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 B 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   
                     
                       0 
                       . 
                       0 
                     
                     ⁢ 
                     1 
                     ⁢ 
                     0 
                   
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
               
                 and 
                 / 
                 or 
               
             
           
         
         
           
             
               Mo 
               ≤ 
               
                 1. 
                     
                 mass 
                 ⁢ 
                     
                 
                   % 
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         3 . A method for producing a case-hardening steel, comprising:
 a melting and casting step of melting and casting a raw material blended so as to have the following composition, to thereby obtain an ingot, and   a hot-forging step of performing hot-forging on the ingot, to thereby obtain a hot-forged body, and   optionally, at least one of the following steps:
 a normalizing step of performing normalizing on the hot-forged body, to thereby obtain a normalized body, 
 a spheroidizing and annealing step of performing spheroidizing and annealing on the hot-forged body or the normalized body, to thereby obtain a spheroidized and annealed body, and 
 a cold-working step of performing cold-working on the hot-forged body, the normalized body, or the spheroidized and annealed body, 
   wherein the composition comprises:   
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.1 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 C 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0.2 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.05 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Si 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   2. 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.3 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Mn 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   2. 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 P 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0. 
                   30 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 S 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0.03 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.01 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Cu 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   1. 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.01 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Ni 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   1. 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.3 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Cr 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   3. 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.0001 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Ti 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0.2 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.04 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Nb 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0.08 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0.002 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 Al 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0.06 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
               and 
             
           
         
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0. 
                     
                   03 
                   ⁢ 
                      
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
                 ≤ 
                 N 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   
                     0 
                     . 
                     0 
                   
                   ⁢ 
                   40 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         
           with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, and 
         
         wherein in the hot-forging step, the ingot is heated at a heating temperature of 900+1500×[C] ° C. or higher, where [X] is the content (mass %) of the element X. 
       
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the composition further comprises: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 B 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   0. 
                   0 
                   ⁢ 
                   1 
                   ⁢ 
                   0 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   mass 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   % 
                 
               
               , 
               
                 and 
                 / 
                 or 
               
             
           
         
         
           
             
               Mo 
               ≤ 
               
                 1. 
                     
                 mass 
                 ⁢ 
                     
                 
                   % 
                   .

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