Local Yield Stress and Its Unusual Independence on Multi-axial Stress States during Lüders Deformation of Medium-Mn, High-strength Steel

Medium-manganese steel that undergoes Lüders deformation exhibits good uniform elongation owing to large elongation with a yield plateau. To accurately predict the deformation behavior in engineering applications, the yield stresses of medium-manganese steel (5% Mn), exhibiting the transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect were investigated during elongation under a multi-axial stress state (MSS). Compact tensile tests with real-time diameter measurements were conducted on smooth and notched, tiny round-bar specimens to evaluate the local yield stress and strain without the Lüders band propagation effect. Consequently, the true stress plateau was measured without the upper yield point for the smooth round-bar specimen, and the cross-sectional average true stress of the blunt notched round-bar specimens had the same plateau as the smooth round-bar specimen. The sharp-notched round-bar specimen exhibited a two-stage linear increase in true stress. The true stresses of the three specimens at the initial yield point were almost identical. Under the MSS, the hydrostatic stress typically increases the true stress at the initial yield point. The independence of the MSS indicates that the yield stress during elongation was independent of the shear-dominant crystal slip resistance. Finite element (FE) analysis using the Mises yield locus did not express the true stress plateau and its independence of the MSS. Additionally, the transformation rate of retained austenite was measured for mechanistic analysis; however, the TRIP effect did not contribute to this unusual independence because it started at the intermediate yield elongation stage. Thus, the stress criterion for the generation of mobile dislocations can determine yield stress.