Effects of Al addition on high strain rate deformation of fully austenitic high Mn steels

The effects of Al addition on dynamic flow response of the fully austenitic high Mn steel were investigated by conducting high strain rate compression tests on Fe–22Mn–xAl–0.6C steels (x = 0, 3, 6 in wt.%). While dynamic yield strength of the 0 Al steel and the 3 Al steel were comparable, the 6 Al steel exhibited the highest one. Meanwhile, strain hardenability of the 0 Al steel was the highest and that of other two steels was nearly same. Under the present dynamic loading, no obvious dynamic recrystallization by adiabatic heating was observed in all steels. Fully compressed microstructures revealed (a) ɛ-martensite and mechanical twin bands for the 0 Al steel, (b) multi-layer deformation bands and mechanical twin bands for the 3 Al steel, and (c) a variety of dislocation configurations such as the directional slip traces, tangled dislocations, and incomplete dislocation cells for the 6 Al steel. These findings inform that dynamic flow of the 0 Al steel was associated with both TRIP and TWIP, and that of other two steels was dominated by dislocation gliding – mainly, planar glide for the 3 Al steel and the combination of both planar glide and wavy glide for the 6 Al steel. The dynamic flow response of the present steels was discussed in terms of the stacking fault energy affected by the Al content and adiabatic heating during dynamic loading and of the strain rate effect on the critical stress for mechanical twinning.