Preparation and properties of the superfine stainless-steel fibers

The preparation and properties of superfine stainless-stell fibers have been studied. It is showed that superfine stainless-steel fibers can be manufactured by a bundle-drawing method. The fibers show some departures from roundness due to asymmety in the deformation process. The tensile strengths of single fibers of 12mum, 8mum and 6mum in diameter increases with increaseing true,strain. With the decrease of the diameter, the tensile strength increases firstly, then rapidly decreases. It is observed that some carbide particles precipitate in the fibers during the intermediate heat treatment, then move to the surface of fibers from the inner during the drawing process with the decrease of fiber diameter. This leads a serious nonuniformity, even rupture, for fibers in the vicinity of the carbide particles, which reduce the tensile strengths of the thinner (8 mum and 6 mum diameter) fibers.