Tensile deformation of coarse-grained cast austenitic manganese steels

In the present study the inhomogeneous deformation behavior of coarse-grained Hadfield steels on both macroscopic and microscopic scales is summarized. This behavior is described and explained in terms of bifurcation analysis, with special emphasis on the orange-peel phenomenon as an example of bifurcation into surface mode. Beyond the study of a particular steel, the deformation behavior of transitional coarse-grained materials in general is addressed. The hardening characteristics of the material are shown to dictate its deformation behavior and the occurrence of localized modes. Specifically, low strain-hardening (at low strain) of cast Hadfield steel is shown to cause orange-peel formation. However, the inclusion of a microstructural parameter (e.g. grain size) into the bifurcation analysis is required in order to provide a better description of the wavelength of the phenomenon.