Response Characteristics and Adiabatic Heating during High Strain Rate for TRIP Steel and DP Steel

By using a static and high-speed material testing machine,tensile deformation behaviors of two kinds of SiMn TRIP(transformation induced plasticity)steels and DP(dual phase)steel were studied in a large range of strain rates(0.001-2 000s-1).Temperature variation during adiabatic heating and the amount of retained austenite at fracture were measured by an infrared thermometer and an X-ray stress analyser,respectively.The microstructure of steels was observed by optical microscopy(OM)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)before and after tensile test.It was found from the experimental results that the tensile strength of these steels increased,and the fracture elongation firstly decreased and subsequently increased,as the strain rate increased in the range of 0.1-2 000s-1.The temperature raised during adiabatic heating of TRIP steel was in the range of 100-300℃,while that of the DP steel was in the range of 100-220 ℃.The temperature rise of these steels increased with increasing the strain rate,as well as the amount of the transformed retained austenite in TRIP steels.It was confirmed that austenite to martensite transformation is not suppressed by adiabatic heating.     

Deformation behavior and dynamic recrystallization of Mg-Y-Nd-Gd-Zr alloy

The characteristics of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) in Mg-Y-Nd-Gd-Zr-RE magnesium alloy were investigated by compres-sion tests at temperatures between 523 and 723 K and at strain rates ranging from 0.002 to 1 s–1 with maximum strain of 0.693. The strain- hardening rate can be obtained from true stress-true strain curves, plots of θ-σ, –(■θ/■σ)-σ and lnθ-σ in different compression conditions were obtained by further study. The critical condition of the onset of DRX process was determined as ((■/■σ)(-■θ/■σ))=0. In the range of the above deformation temperature and strain rate, the ratio of critical stress (σc) to peak stress (σm) and critical strain (εc) to the peak strain (εm) stood at σc/σm=0.62–0.89 and εc/εm=0.11–0.37, respectively. DRX could be observed during hot deformation process, microstructure evolution of the magnesium alloy at different temperatures and strain rates were studied with the aid of optical microscope(OM), and the average recrystal-lized grain size was measured by means of intercepts on photomicrographs. It was shown that the average dynamically recrystallized grain size (drec) changed with different deformation parameters, the natural logarithm of the average recrystallized grain size varied linearly with the natural logarithm of Zener-Hollomon parameter; the peak stress changed with the average recrystallized grain size, and the natural loga-rithm of the average recrystallized grain size varied linearly with the natural logarithm of the peak stress.     

Verification of Interpretation of Dynamic Strain Aging for Intermediate Temperature Embrittlement in Ni-Bi Alloy

Intermediate temperature embrittlement(ITE)is a general phenomenon in Ni alloys and recently was interpreted by dynamic strain aging(DSA).The relationship between ITE and DSA was studied by a binary Ni-Bi alloy.The experimental alloy of well-controlled purity was produced by vacuum induction melting and then heat-treated properly.Tensile tests were performed at various tensile temperatures,and the elongation at fracture was used to indicate the ductility.In order to identify the mechanisms of fracture and ITE,fracture morphologies of the samples of low ductility were observed by scanning electron microscopy.According to the tensile ductility,Ni-Bi alloy shows an obvious embrittlement behavior in the intermediate temperature range(700-750 ℃).However,the stress-strain curves of Ni-Bi alloy and the fracture morphologies indicate that DSA does not exist over the whole temperature range.Based on the experimental results and literatures,the interpretation of DSA was then discussed and proved to be invalid for elucidating the general feature of ITE in Ni-Bi alloy and Ni-based superalloys.     

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of laser-welded joints of medium manganese steel

The cold-rolled 5% medium Mn steel was butt-welded using a fiber laser.The microstructure,distribution of microhardness,and tensile properties of the base metal(BM)and welded joint were investigated.The results showed that the fusion zone of the welded joint had the highest microhardness due to the formatio n of 100%marten site.A finely mixed microstructure of martensite,ferrite,and austenite was formed in the heat-affected zone,and there was no softened zone in this area.The tensile test results indicated that the ultimate tensile sirength and yield strength were higher for the joint than for BM.The joint efficiency was approximately 100%.All samples of the welded joirn failed at the location of BM during tensile deformation.The fracture surfaces of the BM and welded joint were mainly ductile fractures.The BM and welded joint exhibited strain rate independence of the tensile strength and yield strength at strain rates of 0.01-1 s_1,while the yield strength of the BM and welded joint increased rapidly when the strain rate reached 5 s_1 due to changes in the dislocation moveme nt mechanisms.The uniform elongation of the BM and welded joint decreased with in creasing strain rate.     

Ductile Fracture Prediction of 316LN Stainless Steel in Hot Deformation Process

A ductile fracture criterion of 316LN stainless steel, combined with the plastic deformation capacity of ma- terial and the stress state dependent damages, was proposed to predict ductile fracture during hot deformation. To the end, tensile tests at high temperatures were first performed to investigate the fracture behavior of 316LN stain- less steel. The experimental results show the variation of the critical fracture strain as a function of temperature and strain rate. Second, the criterion was calibrated by using the upsetting tests and the corresponding numerical simula- tions. Finally, the proposed fracture criterion was validated by the designed tests and the corresponding finite ele- ment （FE） simulation. The results show that the criterion can successfully predict the onset of ductile fracture at ele- vated temperatures.     

Austempering of Hot Rolled SiMn TRIP Steels

 The austempering after hot rolling in hot rolled Si Mn TRIP (transformation induced plasticity) steels was investigated. The mechanism of TRIP was discussed through examination of the microstructure and the mechanical properties of this kind of steel. The results showed that the strain induced transformation to martensite of retained austenite occurs in hot rolled Si Mn TRIP steels. The sample exhibited a good combination of ultimate tensile strength and total elongation when it was held at the bainite transformation temperature after hot deformation. The stability of retained austenite increases with an increase in isothermal holding time, and a further increase in the holding duration resulted in the decrease of stability. The mechanical properties were optimal when holding for 25 min, and tensile strength and total elongation reached the maximum values (774 MPa and 33%, respectively).     

Deformation behavior and dynamic recrystallization of Mg-Y-Nd-Gd-Zr alloy

The characteristics of dynamic recrystallization （DRX） in Mg-Y-Nd-Gd-Zr-RE magnesium alloy were investigated by compression tests at temperatures between 523 and 723 K and at strain rates ranging from 0.002 to 1 s^-1 with maximum strain of 0.693. The strainhardening rate can be obtained from true stress-true strain curves, plots of θ-σ, -（δθ/δσ-）-a and lnθ-σ in different compression conditions were obtained by further study. The critical condition of the onset of DRX process was determined as （（δ/δσ（ δθ/δσ））=0. In the range of the above deformation temperature and strain rate, the ratio of critical stress （σc） to peak stress （σm） and critical strain （εc） to the peak strain （εm） stood at σc/σm=0.62-0.89 and εc/εm=0.11-0.37, respectively. DRX could be observed during hot detormation process, microstructure evolution of the magnesium alloy at different temperatures and strain rates were studied with the aid of optical microscope（OM）, and the average recrystallized grain size was measured by means of intercepts on photomicrographs. It was shown that the average dynamically recrystallized grain size （drew） changed with different deformation parameters, the natural logarithm of the average recrystallized grain size varied linearly with the natural logarithm of Zener-Hollomon parameter; the peak stress changed with the average recrystallized grain size, and the natural logarithm of the average recrystallized grain size varied linearly with the natural logarithm of the peak stress.     

Mechanical properties of iron processed by severe plastic deformation

In the present study, the mechanical properties of Fe processed via severe plastic deformation (equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP)) at room temperature were investigated for the first time. The grain size of annealed Fe, with an initial grain size of about 200 μm, was reduced drastically during ECAP. After eight passes, the grain size reaches 200 to 400 nm, as documented by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The value of microhardness during pressing increases 3 times over that of the starting material after the first pass and increases slightly during subsequent pressing for higher-purity Fe. Examination of the value of microhardness after eight passes as a function of post-ECAP annealing temperature shows a transition from recovery to recrystallization, an observation that resembles the behavior reported for heavily deformed metals and alloys. The tensile and compression behaviors were examined. In tension, a drop in the engineering stress-engineering strain curve beyond maximum load was observed both in the annealed Fe and the ECAP Fe. This drop is related to the neck deformation. The fracture surface, examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), shows vein patterns, which is different from the dimples found on the fracture surface of annealed Fe. In compression, an initial strain-hardening region followed by a no-strain-hardening region was observed in the ECAP Fe. The yield strength in tension of the ECAP Fe was observed to be higher than that in compression. The strengthening mechanisms and softening behavior are discussed.     

Microstructural evolution and superplastic deformation behavior of fine grain 5083Al

The microstructural evolution during superplastic deformation of a fine grain Al-4.7 pct Mg alloy (5083Al) has been studied quantitatively. Starting from an average grain size of 7 μm, grain growth was monitored in this alloy both under static annealing and with concurrent superplastic deformation at a high test temperature of 550°C. Grain size was averaged from measurements taken in longitudinal, transverse, and thickness directions and was found to grow faster during concurrent superplastic deformation than for static annealing. A grain growth law based on an additive nature between time-based and strain-based growth behavior was used to quantify the dynamics of concurrent grain growth. The extent of void formation during deformation was quantified as the area fraction of voids on L-S planes. This void fraction, referred to as the cavity area percent, was recorded at several levels of strain for specimens deformed at two different strain rates. A constitutive equation incorporating this grain growth data into the stress-strain rate data, determined during the early part of deformation, was generated and utilized to model the superplastic tensile behavior. This model was used in an effort to predict the stress-strain curves in uniaxial tension under constant and variable strain rate conditions. Particular attention was paid to the effects of a rapid prestrain rate on the overall superplastic response and hardening characteristics of this alloy.     

Predicting Critical Conditions and Stress-Strain Curves for Dynamic Recrystallization in SPHC Steel

The hot compression tests on an SPHC steel were carried out in the temperature range of 900-1150 ℃ and strain rate range of 0.1-10 s-1,in which the maximum true strain is 0.8.The activation energy of test steel was calculated,to be 299.4 kJ/mol.The critical stresses and strains for initiation of dynamic recrystallization were determined based on changes of the work hardening rate(θ)as a function of the flow stress(σ)or strain(ε),respectively.The dependence of the peak strain(εp),the peak stress(σp),and the steady state stress(σs)were determined based on the Zener-Hollomen parameter.The mathematical models of the flow stress evolution were established in the hardening and dynamic recovery region and dynamic recrystallization region,respectively.The average error between experimental curves and predicted ones was around 3.26%.     

Grain coarsening in semi-solid state and tensile mechanical properties of thixoformed AZ91D-RE

For thixoforming to be possible,the microstructure of the starting material must be non-dendritic,which can be obtained by the strain induced melt activation(SIMA)route.Based on the SIMA route,as-cast AZ91D alloy with the addition of yttrium was deformed by cyclic closed-die forging(CCDF).Microstructure evolution of CCDF formed AZ91D-RE alloy during partial remelting were investigated.Furthermore,the mechanical properties of thixoformed AZ91D-RE magnesium alloy components were also studied.The results showed that prolonged holding time resulted in grain coarsening and the improvement in degree of spheroidization.The coarsening behaviour of solid grains in the semi-solid state obeyed Ostwald ripening mechanism.The coarsening rate constant of CCDF formed AZ91D-RE during partial remelting was 324 um3/s at 550℃.The value of yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elongation to fracture of four-pass CCDF formed AZ91D-RE magnesium alloy were 214.9,290.5 MPa and 14%,respectively.Then the four-pass CCDF formed alloys were used for thixoforming.After holding at 550℃ for 5 min,the values of yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elongation to fracture of thixoformed component were 189.6 MPa,274.6 MPa and 12%,respectively.However,prolonged holding time led to remarkable decrease in mechanical properties of thixoformed components.     

Fatigue and fracture behavior of a fine-grained lamellar TiAl alloy

The fatigue and fracture resistance of a TiAl alloy, Ti-47Al-2Nb-2Cr, with 0.2 at. pct boron addition was studied by performing tensile, fracture toughness, and fatigue crack growth tests. The material was heat treated to exhibit a fine-grained, fully lamellar microstructure with approximately 150-μm grain size and 1-μm lamellae spacing. Conventional tensile tests were conducted as a function of temperature to define the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature (BDTT), while fracture and fatigue tests were performed at 25 °C and 815 °C. Fracture toughness tests were performed inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with a high-temperature loading stage, as well as using ASTM standard techniques. Fatigue crack growth of large and small cracks was studied in air using conventional methods and by testing inside the SEM. Fatigue and fracture mechanisms in the fine-grained, fully lamellar microstructure were identified and correlated with the corresponding properties. The results showed that the lamellar TiAl alloy exhibited moderate fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth resistance, despite low tensile ductility. The sources of ductility, fracture toughness, and fatigue resistance were identified and related to pertinent microstructural variables.     

Tensile Deformation Behavior of Fe-Mn-Al-C Low Density Steels

Room temperature tensile tests of Fe-Mn-Al-C low density steels with four different chemical compositions were conducted to clarify the dominant deformation mechanisms.Parameters like product of strength and elongation,as well as specific strength and curves of stress-strain relations were calculated.The microstructures and tensile fracture morphologies were observed by optical microscope,scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope.The tensile behavior of low density steel was correlated to the microstructural evolution during plastic deformation,and the effects of elements,cooling process and heat treatment temperature on the mechanical properties of the steels were analyzed.The results show that the tensile strength of steels with different cooling modes is more than 1 000 MPa.The highest tensile strength of 28Mn-12Al alloy reached 1 230 MPa,with corresponding specific strength of 189.16 MPa·cm~3·g~(-1),while the specific strength of 28Mn-10 Al alloy was 178.98 MPa·cm~3·g~(-1),and the excellent product of strength and elongation of 28Mn-8Al alloy was over 69.2 GPa·%.A large number of ferrite reduced the ductility and strain hardening rate of the alloy,while the existence of κ carbides may improve the strength but weaken the plasticity.Some fine κ carbides appeared in the water-quenched specimen,while coarse κ carbides were observed in the air-cooled specimen.High temperature heat treatment improved the decomposition kinetics of γ phase and the diffusion rate of carbon,thus speeded up the precipitation of fine κ carbides.The dominant deformation mechanism of low density steel was planar glide,including shear-band-induced plasticity and microbandinduced plasticity.     

Effect of Rare Earth Elements on Anisotropy and Microstructure of AI-Li Alloy 2195 Sheets

For the purpose of decreasing the applied limitation resulting from the anisotropic mechanical property of Al-Li alloy 2195, this study employed a complex heat treatment process, involving the pre-tension, thermo-infiltration of the rare earth element Ce, solution treatment, and artificial aging technology. The results indicate that the infiltration of rare earth element Ce benefits the abatement of anisotropy of Al-Li alloy 2195 sheet, in contrast with that of the normal heat treatment process. The gradient of the Vickers-hardness decreases at least 50% through the thickness, and the tensile strength in the rolling direction also increases significantly. If Ce was infiltrated into the alloy under the optimum pre-deformation, the yield strength （σ0.2） increased by 30 MPa while the tensile strength （σb） enhanced by 25 MPa compared to the rare earth free samples. Meanwhile, the fractography illustrated that the fracture surface of the sample became more desirable.     

Metallurgical Studies of Austenitic Stainless Steel 304 under Warm Deep Drawing

Austenitic stainless steel 304 was deep drawn with different blank diameters under warm conditions using 20 t hydraulic press. A number of deep drawing experiments both at room temperature and at 150 ℃ were conducted to study the metallography. Also, tensile test experiments were conducted on a universal testing machine up to 700 ℃ and the broken specimens were used to study the fractography of the material using scanning electron microscopy in various regions. The microstructure changes were observed at limiting draw ratio （LDR） when the cup is drawn at different temperatures. In austenitic stainless steel, martensite formation takes place that is not only affected by temperature, hut also influenced by the rate at which the material is deformed. In austenitic stainless steel 304, dynamic strain regime appears above 300 ℃ and it decreases the formability of material due to brittle fracture as studied in its fractography. From the metallographic studies, the maximum LDR of the material is observed at 150 ℃ before dynamic strain regime. It is also observed that at 150 ℃, grains are coarse in the drawn cups at LDR.     

Evaluation of Microstructure and Magnetic Properties in Non-oriented Electrical Steel Strained by Tension

The effects of deformation on the microstructure and magnetic properties of non-oriented electrical steels were investigated.Box-annealed electrical steel sheets were deformed by tension at four different strains:3%,8%, 12% and 25%.The internal grain misorientation caused by tensile deformation was measured by electron backscat-tering diffraction (EBSD)with grain orientation spread (GOS)as an indicator of the lattice distortion.The experi-mental results showed that the average GOS value increases with the strain.The microstructure and crystallographic texture of deformed samples did not show a significant change in samples strained below 25%.However,the mag-netic properties were strongly affected:coercivity was directly proportional to the square root of the GOS value and energy losses increased as the strain level was increased.     

Static Tensile Deformation Behaviors of an Fe-30Mn-3Al-3Si TWIP Steel Studied by In-Situ Neutron Diffraction

TWIP (TWinning Induced Plasticity) steel is one of the advanced steels with attractive mechanical properties.The typical composition of TWIP steel includes a large amount of manganese with some aluminum and silicon.Previous study has shown that TWIP steel exhibits high strength with adequate elongation at high strain rates,so that TWIP steel is desired to be applied for automotive use.However,there are few studies concerning the deformation behaviors aimed to make clear the TWIP effect in TWIP steel.In this study,static tensile deformation behaviors of an Fe-30Mn-3Al-3Si TWIP steel and a SUS310S one were studied by in situ neutron diffraction during tensile deformation.In terms of mechanical properties obtained by the static tensile tests,the TWIP steel showed better balance of tensile strength and uniform elongation than the 310S steel.The angular dispersion neutron diffraction with a wavelength of 0.16 nm was performed during stepwise tensile testing by using a neutron diffractometer for residual stress analysis (RESA) at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency.A specimen was extended in a step by step manner and neutron diffraction profiles of (111),(200) and (311) for austenite were obtained at each step.The diffraction peak,lattice plane spacing,lattice plane strain and so on were determined by the profile analysis as a function of applied stress.The changes of lattice plane strain for austenite in the TWIP and 310S steels indicated several deformation stages in the tensile deformation and can be discussed the difference of intergranular stress between the two samples.     

Hot Deformation Behavior of As-cast AISI M2 High-speed Steel Containing Mischmetal

The hot deformation behavior of as-cast AISI M2high-speed steel containing mischmetal(RE)has been investigated on a Gleeble-3500simulator in the temperature range of 1 000-1 150℃and strain rate range of 0.01-10 s-1 at true strain of 1.0.The mechanical behavior has been characterized using stress-strain curve analysis,kinetic analysis,processing maps,etc.Metallographic investigation was performed to evaluate the mechanism of flow instability.The results show that the deformation activation energy decreases with increasing deformation temperature; the efficiency of power dissipation increases with decreasing strain rate and increasing temperature;flow instability is observed at low-to-medium temperature and higher strain rate region when the strain is smaller,but extends to lower strain rate and high temperature regions with the increment of strain,in which it is manifested as flow localization near the grain boundary.Hot deformation equations and processing maps are obtained.The optimal processing window is suggested and the deformation mechanism is dynamic recrystallization(DRX).     

Hot Deformation Behavior of P92 Steel Used for Ultra-Super-Critical Power Plants

 Hot compression tests of P92 steel at temperatures in the range of 1173 to 1523 K and at strain rates in the range of 0.1 to 10 s-1 were carried out on a Gleeble-3500 thermal-mechanical simulator, and the corresponding flow curves were measured. The results showed that the flow stress and the peak strain increase with decreasing deformation temperature and increasing strain rate. The critical Z value, below which the complete dynamic recrystallization may occur, was determined to have 4.61×1018. The hot deformation activation energy of the steel was about 437 kJ/mol. The hot deformation equation and the microstructure diagram of P92 steel were obtained. For the convenience of the practical application, the empirical equation for the peak stress can be described as σP=17.17ln+902499T-524.1.     

Effect of heating rate on the recrystallization microstructure and property of ultra-low-carbon steel

In the present work,the microstructure,texture,and mechanical properties of a cold-rolled Ti-IF steel, after annealing at different heating rates,have been investigated.The results reveal that the mean grain size is gradually refined from19.2 to 16.3μm as the heating rate increases from4 to50℃/s,but refined only slightly at heating rates of over 50 ℃/s.The recrystallization microstructure has a strong texture,which is a result of the sharpening of the favorable{111}//ND(normal direction)texture components orγ-fiber.With increasing heating rates,the peak value of f(g)ofγ-fiber decreases from17 to9.The yield and tensile strengths increase gradually as the heating rate increases from4 to 50℃/s,but remain almost unchanged at heating rates of more than 50℃/s. The total elongation and uniform elongation increase gradually as the heating rate increases from4to100℃/s,but decreases slowly for heating rates higher than100℃/s.As the heating rate increases from4to100℃/s,the plastic strain ratio of the steel decreases from2.8to2.2;however,it increases to2.9for heating rates above100℃/s.The strain hardening exponent remains unchanged at 0.27in all annealing cycles.