Deformation of cementite in cold drawn pearlitic steel wire

Nanostructural evolution of cementite lamellae in pearlitic steel wires subjected to cold drawing remains elusive, making it difficult to understand the origin of remarkable ductility in cementite. Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), the mechanisms underlying the inelastic deformation of cementite in pearlitic steel wires were examined and elucidated. Deformation of cementite in drawing should be included in two mechanisms: (1) Dislocation mechanism: deformation in low strain pearlite should rely on the movement of dislocation. Flat-crystal cementite was broken up into several different orientation cementite particles. (2) Grain rotation mechanism: the deformation mechanism should be by the rotation of cementite particles. Cementite still keeps lamellar shape, but it was divided into a multilayer structure: central nano-crystal and outermost amorphous cementite.