Mechanical properties of tension levelled and skin passed steels

The tensile characteristics of low carbon and ultra low carbon steels were examined after different annealing and post-annealing mechanical treatments (industrial skin passing and tension levelling). The early stages of plasticity were seen to be quite different between recovered and recrystallised materials. The recrystallised products showed little change in elastic limit with applied extension. The applied extension caused a large reduction in the elastic limit of the recovered steel. The recrystallised steel had the ability to work harden; the level determined by the type of skin passing or tension levelling regime applied. The recovered steel rapidly exhausted its ability to work harden. The recrystallised products responded similarly to the skin pass and tension levelling extension suggesting that the two processes are interchangeable for these grades.