A comprehensive review of recent literature on high strength, fine grained steels has been conducted. While relevant technologies in alloy design, processing and heat treating are included in the present review, the emphasis has been on high carbon steel wire processing technology that can be achieved with 'conventional' wire rolling and drawing processes. The thermomechanical processing of a pearlitic microstructure, followed by cold drawing, is recommended as the process of choice to efficiently produce an ultrafine grained ferrite-cementite microstructure for ultrahigh strength, ultrahigh carbon steel wires.

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