Abstract:
The selection of a particular steel grade for an application is extremely
important to ensure that the final components have a long serviceable life. The
chemical compositions of the steels are critical, and minor changes in
chemistry can make substantial differences. Aluminium and vanadium are
used in heat treatable steels as grain refining agents. These elements affect the
properties of the steels.
Two steels with identical chemical composition except for the aluminium and
vanadium additions were comparatively tested to determine the better steel for
a particular automotive coil spring. The tests included mechanical testing and
on site fatigue testing. Fatigue resistance is extremely important especially for
automotive coil springs. The mechanical properties revealed superior tensile
strength in the vanadium grain refined spring steel while the aluminium grain
refined spring steel had superior ductility and fatigue resistance.
