On the effect of deformation twinning and microstructure to strain hardening of high manganese austenitic steel 3D microstructure aggregates at large strains

The hardening and deformation characteristics of Hadfield microstructure are studied to investigate the effect of microstucture to the material behavior. A crystal plasticity model including dislocation slip and deformation twinning is employed. The role of deformation twinning to the overall strain hardening of the material is evaluated for two different grain structures. Large compressive strains are applied on 3D microstructural aggregates representing the uniform and non-uniform grain structures of Hadfield steels. The grain structure has an effect on the strain hardening rate as well as on the overall hardening capability of the microstructure. A major reason causing the difference in strain hardening arises from the different twin volume fraction evolution influenced by intra-grain and inter-grain interactions. A mixture of large and small grains was found to be more favorable for twinning and thus resulting in a greater hardening capability than uniform grain size.