Effect of the smelting and refining methods on the endurance of St. 20 steel in working media

The article describes the results of a study of fatigue strength, low-endurance fatigue, and the work of deformation of St. 20 steel produced by various methods (acid and basic smelting, vacuum-arc refining). It was shown that while the fatigue limit of this steel is not substantially affected by the method of its preparation, its endurance in air and neutral corrosive media when subjected to cyclic elastoplastic strains (i.e., its low-endurance fatigue strength) depends to a large extent on the method of its manufacture and on the resulting degree of its purity.