Crystal Plasticity Modeling of Tension Process of QP980 Steel

Abstract

The mechanical behavior of the quenching and partitioning 980 (QP980) steel is affected by martensitic transformation during deformation. The microstructure of QP980 steel before and after deformation is characterized by using the electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) method. An elastic visco-plastic self-consistent (EVPSC) polycrystalline model considering phase transformation is established based on the phenomenological theory of martensite crystallography (PTMC). The macroscopic flow stress as well as texture evolution of QP980 steel during uniaxial tension process is reproduced by the model. The material consists of ferrite (F), martensite, and retained austenite (RA) with rolling texture in the initial state. After deformation, the content of RA decreases and the <111> fiber of the RA, the <110> fiber of the ferrite and martensite along the tensile direction are enhanced. Phase transformation enhances the strength and work hardening rate but has little effect on the texture evolution. According to the distribution of stress and strain during the calculation of deformation, ferrite and tempered martensite (TM) contribute most to the deformation, and the new martensite (NM) is the most probable nucleation sites of fracture due to its highest average stress.

Keywords

• quenching and partitioning (qp) steel
• crystal plasticity
• martensitic transformation
• elastic visco-plastic self-consistent (evpsc)