HIGH TENSION HOT ROLLED STEEL SHEET SUITABLE FOR MANUFACTURE OF WHEEL RIM BY FLUSH BUTT WELDING

PURPOSE:To obtain a high tension hot rolled steel sheet suitable for the production of a wheel rim by flush butt welding, wherein the steel sheet contains prescribed proportions of C, Si, Mn and S, and the range of equivalent carbon is specified. CONSTITUTION:The high tension hot rolled steel sheet consists of 0.03-0.13% of C, up to 1.0% of Si, 0.4-2.5% of Mn, up to 0.005% of S, and balance substantially of Fe, the range of the equivalent carbon shown by Formula being 0.15- 0.18%. The conposition of said steel sheet, if required, can contain 0.01-0.10% one or more selected from group (a) Ti, Nb and/or V, and 0.001-0.005% of one or more selected from group (b) Ca and REM. When this high tension hot rolled steel sheet is used, the rejection rate of molded wheel rims will be lowered to at most about 0.5%. From this steel sheet, high strength wheel rims can be industrially produced, and thus as the thickness of the material sheet can be decreased, the reduction of the weight of automobils can be realized.