Inclusion characterisation of rod wire by SEM according to Pirelli Method

Wire Rod is used for many products including wire ropes, springs, electrodes, fasteners, automobile components and hardware manufacturers etc. For some applications, it requires fine wires with very high mechanical properties. However, fractures might occur during the wire drawing process and one of the main types of fracture is due to inclusions. In other words, in the case of wire rods, inclusion control, particularly on oxides is one of the most fundamental properties to be secured. Therefore, it is important to determine the chemical composition, numerously and size of the oxides present in the rod wire, with the aim of establishing its suitability for use in the production of steel cord. In this application note, we describe the analysis of oxide inclusions that is best addressed with a SEM equipped with EDS controlled by AZtecSteel and automatically reporting to a method developed by the company Pirelli on the degree of contamination of the steel by oxide inclusions.

By downloading this application note, you will learn how:

• The detection and analysis of oxide in steel wire for use in cords best addressed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS)
• AZtecSteel automatically reports the chemical composition, abundance and size of the oxides using a method developed by Pirelli