Influence of austenite stability on predicted cyclic stressstrain response of metastable austenitic steels

Abstract

A modeling approach that captures the plastic strain amplitude dependence of strain induced martensite fraction evolution during low cycle fatigue (LCF) loading of metastable austenitic steels has been developed. The model is based on a modified version of the Olson-Cohen kinetic equation that retains connection to the underlying mechanisms of the transformation by relating cyclic austenite stability to monotonic stability. The kinetic model is then input into an evolving composite mechanical model that relies on a simple rule of mixtures formulation to predict cyclic stress-strain behavior, including increases in stress amplitude due to martensitic transformation. Predictions from the modeling approach compare well to fatigue data in the literature for AISI 304 stainless steel. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.