Papers by Author: Haiwen Luo

Abstract: The softening kinetics of a 0.19 wt% C 1.5 wt% Mn steel deformed at two intercritical temperatures have been characterised using the stress relaxation technique. Recrystallisation of intercritical austenite has been modelled using a single grain model (Chen et al., 2002 [1]), whilst recovery of both intercritical austenite and ferrite has been modelled using a model in the literature [Verdier et al., 1999 [2]). The models are combined to predict the overall softening kinetics with a rule of mixtures formulation. Comparison of the model with experiment shows significant deviations. The reasons are discussed with reference to the mixture rule and to the local stress-strain distribution which exists in the deformed samples. A simple modification to the model is proposed which takes into account the effect of a local stress distribution in deformed austenite.

Abstract: The austenite recrystallization kinetics in the intercritical region of a C-Mn steel is investigated by means of stress relaxation tests. It is found that the Avrami exponent, n, decreases significantly with decreasing temperature, i.e. with increasing ferrite fraction. This behaviour deviates from that of austenite recrystallization in the purely austenitic state, in which case the Avrami exponent is constant and independent of temperature and deformation. To interpret this, the influence of spatial variation of the plastic strain in the intercritical austenite grains on recrystallization kinetics is modelled quantitatively. The modelling results seem to indicate that the strain heterogeneity is responsible for the decreasing Avrami exponent with decreasing intercritical temperature.