Flow stress model considering the transformation-induced plasticity effect and the inelastic strain recovery behavior

On the basis of continuum mechanics and the Mori-Tanaka mean field theory, a micro-mechanical flow stress model that considered both the transformation-induced plasticity （TRIP） effect and the inelastic strain recovery behavior of TRIP multiphase steels was presented. The relation between the volume fraction of constituent phases and plastic strain was introduced to characterize the transformation-induced plasticity effect of TRIP steels. Loading-unloading-reloading uniaxial tension tests of TRIP600 steel were carried out and the strain recovery behavior after unloading was analyzed. From the experimental data, an empirical elastic modulus expression is extracted to characterize the inelastic strain recovery. A comparison of the predicted flow stress with the experimental data shows a good agreement. The mechanism of the transformation-induced plasticity effect and the inelastic recovery effect acting on the flow stress is also discussed in detail.

Effect of deformation temperature on transformation-induced plasticity effect of lean duplex stainless steel

Effects of deformation temperature on the mechanical properties and microstructure of lean duplex stainless steels B2102 and S32101 have been investigated. It was found that the strength decreased continuously with increases in temperature from -60 ℃ to 100 ℃. The strength of S32101 was higher than that of B2102 owing to its higher nitrogen content. Plasticity of B2102 increased with an increase in deformation temperature from - 60 ℃ and reached the optimal elongation ratio of 49% - 54% after deformation at 20 - 50 ^（2. Martensite transformation was observed during deformation due to the transformation-induced plasticity effect. The optimal elongation was achieved at deformation temperatures close to the Md（3O/50） temperatures of 62 ℃ and 6 ℃ for B2102 and S32101. respectively.

Break the strength-ductility trade-off in a transformation-induced plasticity high-entropy alloy reinforced with precipitation strengthening

Transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP)endows material with continuous work hardening ability,which is considered as a powerful weapon to break the strength-ductility tradeoff.However,FCC based alloys with TRIP effect can not get rid of the“soft”feature of the structure entirely,resulting in insufficient yield strength.Here,a Co_(x)Cr_(25)(AlFeNi)_(75-x) high-entropy alloy is designed.NiAl phase is used as strengthening component to improve yield strength,while TRIP effect ensures plasticity.Compared with the previous TRIP high-entropy alloy,its yield strength is nearly doubled,and the uniform elongation is more than 55%at room temperature.Furthermore,the corresponding multiphase microstructure evolution and deformation mechanisms are investigated.Significantly,stacking faults andΣ3 twin boundaries are confirmed to be the nucleation sites of HCP phase by HAADF-STEM.Ingenious composition design and proper heat treatment process make it a perfect combination of precipitation strengthening and transformationinduced plasticity,and thus guide design in the high-performance alloy.

Surface effect induced phase transformation by Mn removal during annealing and its textures in cold-rolled high manganese transformation-induced plasticity steel

The surface effect induced transformation texture during vacuum annealing of cold-rolled high manganese transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP)steels was studied.Due to Mn removal occurring at the surface layer,γ→δdiffusional phase transformation leads to the formation of hard pancake-shaped ferrite grains due to solution strengthening at the surface and the centre layer remains as austenite+martensite after annealing.In the case of slow heating,{112}/{111}<110>textures for the surface ferrite were strengthened with the increase in temperature and holding time,indicating an inheritance of rolling textures.By increasing the heating rate of annealing,the rotated cube texture was developed in surface ferrite.This kind of multiphase sandwich structure with hard ferrite surface layer and tough austenite dominant centre can increase tensile strength and should also improve deep drawing properties,therefore providing new possibility of controlling properties for the application of high manganese TRIP steel.

Enhancement of ballistic performance enabled by transformation-induced plasticity in high-strength bainitic steel

High-strength bainitic steels have created a lot of interest in recent times because of their excellent combination of strength,ductility,toughness,and high ballistic mass efficiency.Bainitic steels have great potential in the fabrication of steel armor plates.Although various approaches and methods have been conducted to utilize the retained austenite(RA)in the bainitic matrix to control mechanical properties,very few attempts have been conducted to improve ballistic performance utilizing transformationinduced plasticity(TRIP)mechanism.In this study,high-strength bainitic steels were designed by controlling the time of austempering process to have various volume fractions and stability of RA while maintaining high hardness.The dynamic compressive and ballistic impact tests were conducted,and the relation between the effects of TRIP on ballistic performance and the adiabatic shear band(ASB)formation was analyzed.Our results show for the first time that an active TRIP mechanism achieved from a large quantity of metastable RA can significantly enhance the ballistic performance of high-strength bainitic steels because of the improved resistance to ASB formation.Thus,the ballistic performance can be effectively improved by a very short austempering time,which suggests that the utilization of active TRIP behavior via tuning RA acts as a primary mechanism for significantly enhancing the ballistic performance of high-strength bainitic steels.

A macroscopic multi-mechanism based constitutive model for the thermo-mechanical cyclic degeneration of shape memory effect of NiTi shape memory alloy

A macroscopic based multi-mechanism constitutive model is constructed in the framework of irreversible thermodynamics to describe the degeneration of shape memory effect occurring in the thermo-mechanical cyclic deformation of NiTi shape memory alloys (SMAs). Three phases, austenite A, twinned martensite and detwinned martensite , as well as the phase transitions occurring between each pair of phases (, , , , and are considered in the proposed model. Meanwhile, two kinds of inelastic deformation mechanisms, martensite transformation-induced plasticity and reorientation-induced plasticity, are used to explain the degeneration of shape memory effects of NiTi SMAs. The evolution equations of internal variables are proposed by attributing the degeneration of shape memory effect to the interaction between the three phases (A, , and and plastic deformation. Finally, the capability of the proposed model is verified by comparing the predictions with the experimental results of NiTi SMAs. It is shown that the degeneration of shape memory effect and its dependence on the loading level can be reasonably described by the proposed model.

Medium-Mn steels for hot forming application in the automotive industry

Advanced high-strength steels have been widely used to improve the crashworthiness and lightweight of vehicles.Different from the popular cold stamping,hot forming of boron-alloyed manganese steels,such as 22MnB5,could produce ultra-high-strength steel parts without springback and with accurate control of dimensions.Moreover,hot-formed medium-Mn steels could have many advantages,including better mechanical properties and lower production cost,over hot-formed 22MnB5.This paper reviews the hot forming process in the automotive industry,hot-formed steel grades,and medium-Mn steel grades and their application in hot forming in depth.In particular,the adaptabilities of medium-Mn steels and the presently popular 22MnB5 into hot forming were compared thoroughly.Future research should focus on the technological issues encountered in hot forming of medium-Mn steels to promote their commercialization.

Influence of original microstructure on the transformation behavior and mechanical properties of ultra-high-strength TRIP-aided steel

The transformation behavior and tensile properties of an ultra-high-strength transformation-induced plasticity （TRIP） steel （0.2C-2.0Si-I.SMn） were investigated by different heat treatments for automobile applications. The results show that F-TRIP steel, a tradi- tional TRIP steel containing as-cold-rolled ferfite and pearlite as the original microstructure, consists of equiaxed grains of intercritical ferrite surrounded by discrete particles of M/RA and B. In contrast, M-TRIP steel, a modified TRiP-aided steel with martensite as the original mi- crostlucture, containing full martensite as the original microstructure is comprised of lath-shaped grains of ferrite separated by lath-shaped martensite/retained austenite and bainite. Most of the austenite in F-TRIP steel is granular, while the austenite in M-TRIP steel is lath-shaped. The volume fraction of the retained austenite as well as its carbon content is lower in F-TRIP steel than in M-TRIP steel, and austenite grains in M-TRIP steel are much finer than those in F-TRIP steel. Therefore, M-TRIP steel was concluded to have a higher austenite stability, re- sulting in a lower transformation rate and consequently contributing to a higher elongation compared to F-TRIP steel. Work hardening be- havior is also discussed for both types of steel.

EFFECT OF AUSTEMPERING ON TRANSFORMATION INDUCED PLASTICITY OF HOT ROLLED MULTIPHASE STEELS

Effect of austempering on the transformation induced plasticity （TRIP） of hot rolled multiphase steel was investigated. Polygonal ferrite, granular bainite, and a large amount of stabilized retained austenite could be obtained in the hot rolled multiphase steel. Strain induced martensite transformation （SIMT） of retained austenite and TRIP effectively occur under straining owing to austempering after hot rolling, and mechanical properties of the present steel remain at a relatively high constant value for austempering at 400℃. The mechanical properties of the steel exhibited a good combination of tensile strength （791MPa） and total elongation （36%） because the stability of retained austenite is optimal when the steel is held for 20min.

Microstructure,mechanical properties,and wear resistance of VCp-reinforced Fe-matrix composites treated by Q&P process

A quenching and partitioning(Q&P) process was applied to vanadium carbide particle(VCp)-reinforced Fe-matrix composites(VC-Fe-MCs) to obtain a multiphase microstructure comprising VC, V8 C7, M3 C, α-Fe, and γ-Fe. The effects of the austenitizing temperature and the quenching temperature on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and wear resistance of the VC-Fe-MCs were studied. The results show that the size of the carbide became coarse and that the shape of some particles began to transform from diffused graininess into a chrysanthemum-shaped structure with increasing austenitizing temperature. The microhardness decreased with increasing austenitizing temperature but substantially increased after wear testing compared with the microhardness before wear testing; the microhardness values improved by 20.0% ± 2.5%. Retained austenite enhanced the impact toughness and promoted the transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP) effect to improve wear resistance under certain load conditions.

Effect of retained austenite and nonmetallic inclusions on the thermal/electrical properties and resistance spot welding nuggets of Si-containing TRIP steels

Five advanced high-strength transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP) steels with different chemical compositions were studied to correlate the retained austenite and nonmetallic inclusion content with their physical properties and the characteristics of the resistance spot welding nuggets. Electrical and thermal properties and equilibrium phases of TRIP steels were predicted using the JMatPro? software. Retained austenite and nonmetallic inclusions were quantified by X-ray diffraction and saturation magnetization techniques. The nonmetallic inclusions were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the contents of Si, C, Al, and Mn in TRIP steels increase both the retained austenite and the nonmetallic inclusion contents. We found that nonmetallic inclusions affect the thermal and electrical properties of the TRIP steels and that the differences between these properties tend to result in different cooling rates during the welding process. The results are discussed in terms of the electrical and thermal properties determined from the chemical composition and their impact on the resistance spot welding nuggets.

Effects of Holding Temperature for Austempering on Mechanical Properties of Si-Mn TRIP Steel

A new type of high strength steel containing a significant amount of stable retained austenite was obtained by austempering immediately after intercritical annealing.This sort of low carbon steel only contains alloying elements of silicon and manganese rather than nickel and chromium.Its mechanical properties were enhanced considerably due to strain-induced martensite transformation and transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP)of retained austenite when it was strained at temperatures between Msand Md,because retained austenite was moderately stabilized due to carbon enrichment by austempering.Austempering was carried out at different temperatures and 400 ℃ was found to be optimal.Tensile strength,total elongation and strength-ductility balance reached the maximum values and the product of tensile strength and total elongation exceeded 30 135 MPa % when the TRIP steel was held at 400 ℃ and strained at 350 ℃.

PRESS FORMABILITY OF YAG LASER WELDED TRIP STEEL SHEETS

The effects of YAG laser welding conditions on mechanical properties andpress formability (bendability, stretch-formability and deep drawability) of high-strengthtransformation-induced plasticity-aided dual-phase (TDP) steel were investigated. Tensile tests andpress forming tests have been conducted for laser butt welded joints between two pieces of the samesteel. The tensile property and press formability were affected by the welding speed of 100 to1100mm/min and the energy of 6 to 9J/pulse. Excellent press formability was obtained with the energyof 6J/pulse and the welding speed of 300mm/min. It was concluded that the excellent weldability ofthe TDP steel can be ascribed to the weld joint formation.

Effect of Silicon and Manganese on Mechanical Properties of Low-Carbon Plain TRIP Steel

A great deal of stabilized retained austenite can be obtained by means of austempering immediately after intercritical annealing in the low-carbon plain steel sheets which only contain alloying elements of silicon and manganese. Transformation from retained austenite to martensite may be induced by strain at a temperature ranging from 50 ℃ to 400 ℃ during tension testing. Transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) may occur. Alloying of silicon improves the stability of retained austenite. Mechanical properties of the present TRIP steels containing manganese increase with increasing silicon amount when the amount of silicon is less than two percent.

Revealing the role of local shear strain partition of transformable particles in a TRIP-reinforced bulk metallic glass composite via digital image correlation

The coupling effects of the metastable austenitic phase and the amorphous matrix in a transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP)-reinforced bulk metallic glass(BMG)composite under compressive loading were investigated by employing the digital image correlation(DIC)technique.The evolution of local strain field in the crystalline phase and the amorphous matrix was directly monitored,and the contribution from the phase transformation of the metastable austenitic phase was revealed.Local shear strain was found to be effectively consumed by the displacive phase transformation of the metastable austenitic phase,which relaxed the local strain/stress concentration at the interface and thus greatly enhanced the plasticity of the TRIP-reinforced BMG composites.Our current study sheds light on in-depth understanding of the underlying deformation mechanism and the interplay between the amorphous matrix and the metastable crystalline phase during deformation,which is helpful for design of advanced BMG composites with further improved properties.

Roles of Al in enhancing the thermal stability of reverted austenite and mechanical properties of a medium-Mn TRIP steel containing 2.7 Mn

Often,the addition of more than 4 wt.%Mn to medium-Mn steels is necessary to enhance the thermal stability of intercritical austenite for achieving sufficient amounts of retained austenite(RA)at room tem-perature.In this paper,a medium-Mn steel with Mn content as low as 2.7 wt.%was designed via alloying with a small amount of Al,and the microstructure and mechanical properties of the steel,subjected to intercritical annealing(IA)at 745°C for different times followed by oil quenching,were investigated.Results show that the volume fraction of RA increases first and then decreases with IA time,with the maximum of 0.36 obtained at IA time of 50 min.It is demonstrated that Al addition slows down the in-terface migration and growth kinetics of reverted austenite via retarding C diffusion in ferrite during IA,which,hence,decreases the amount and size of the reverted austenite and partitions more C and Mn into it.This suggests that Al plays a favorable role in enhancing the thermal stability of reverted austenite and increasing the amount of austenite retained at room temperature.Due to the presence of large amounts of RA and the strong transformation-induced plasticity effect generated during plastic deformation,the steel exhibits persistent high strain hardening and superior mechanical properties,comparable to those of reported medium-Mn steels containing higher Mn content.The present result offers a new insight into the role of Al in adjusting microstructure-property relationships and opens a promising way for designing low-cost,high performance medium-Mn steels with low Mn content for industrial applications.

A strong and ductile medium Mn steel manufactured via ultrafast heating process

Ultrafast heating(UFH)at the rates of 10-300℃/s was employed as a new strategy to anneal a coldrolled 7 wt%Mn steel,followed by the immediate cooling.Severely deformed strain-induced martensite and lightly-deformed thermal martensite,both had been already enriched with C and Mn before,transformed to fine and coarse austenite grains during the UFH,leading to the bimodal size distribution.Compared with the long intercritical annealing(IA)process,the UFH processes produced larger fraction of RA grains(up to 37%)with a high density of dislocation,leading to the significant increase in yield strength by 270 MPa and the product of strength and elongation up to 55 GPa%due to the enormous work hardening capacity.Such a significant strengthening is first attributed to high density dislocations preserved after UFH and then to the microstructural refinement and the precipitation strengthening;whilst the sustainable work hardening is attributed to the successive TRIP effect during deformation,resulting from the large fraction of RA instantly formed with the bimodal size distribution during UFH.Moreover,the results on the microstructural characterization,thermodynamics calculation on the reverse transformation temperature and the kinetic simulations on the reverse transformation all suggest that the austenitization during UFH is displacive and involves the diffusion and partition of C.Therefore,we propose that it is a bainite-like transformation.

Novel Co-free high performance TRIP and TWIP medium-entropy alloys at cryogenic temperatures

Recently,high-and medium-entropy alloys(HEAs and MEAs) have been found to exhibit excellent cryogenic mechanical properties,but most of them contain high-priced Co element.Therefore,developing HEAs or MEAs with high strength and ductility and relatively low cost is urgent.In this work,novel Cofree Fex Mn(75-x) Ni(10)Cr(15)(x=50 and 55 at.%) MEAs were developed,which exhibit a good combination of low cost,high strength and ductility at cryogenic temperature.It was found that the Fe(50)Mn(25)Ni(10)Cr(15)MEA exhibits a combination of cryogenic tensile strength of^0.98 GPa and ductility of^83 %.The excellent cryogenic mechanical properties were attributed to joint of twinning-induced plasticity(TWIP) and transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP) effects.The present study sheds light on developing low cost MEAs with high perfo rmance for cryogenic-tempe rature applications.

Recent progress in medium-Mn steels made with new designing strategies, a review

After summarizing the relevant researches on the medium Mn steels in references, two new targets on the tensile properties have been defined. One is that both transformation-induced（TRIP） and twinninginduced plasticity（TWIP） could be realized for the steel with a relatively low Mn content, which exhibits the similar tensile properties to the classical TWIP steels with higher Mn content. The other is to achieve ultrahigh ultimate tensile strength（〉1.5 GPa） without sacrificing formability. To achieve these goals,new designing strategies was put forward for compositions and the processing route. In particular, warm rolling was employed instead of the usual hot/cold rolling process because the former can produce a mixture of retained austenite grains with different morphologies and sizes via the partial recrystallization. Consequently, the retained austenite grains have a wide range of mechanic stability so that they can transform to martensite gradually during deformation, leading to enhanced TRIP effect and then improved mechanic properties. Finally, it is succeeded in manufacturing these targeted medium Mn steels in laboratory, some of them even exhibit better tensile properties than our expectation.

Effect of intercritical deformation on tensile performance of a low-carbon Si-Mn steel processed by quenching and bainitic partitioning

The effect of intercritical deformation on retained austenite and tensile performance of a low-carbon Si-Mn steel in modified quenching and bainitic partitioning processes was evaluated.The results showed that the intercritical deformation can play a positive role in stabilizing and refining the retained austenite,and possessed promising potential in balancing tensile strength and ductility of multiphase high-strength steels.The experimental low-carbon Si-Mn steel exhibited multiphase configuration comprising polygonal ferrite,granular bainite and granular structure after two different modified quenching and bainitic partitioning processes,and the bainitic ferrite laths got refined by intercritical deformation.The volume fraction of retained austenite in film-like and blocky morphology was increased from 11.5%to 13.9%due to applied intercritical deformation,and the larger amount of retained austenite provided the sufficient transformation-induced plasticity effect and resulted in enhanced work hardening degree;in response,enhanced ultimate tensile strength 1260 MPa and fracture elongation 22.1%were obtained,leading to increased product of strength and elongation in value of 27.7 GPa% compared to 20.8 GPa% of undeformed structure.