On the use of an induced temperature gradient and full-field measurements to investigate and model the thermomechanical behaviour of an austenitic stainless steel 316

A temperature gradient was induced in 316 stable austenitic stainless-steel tension specimens, and the strain and temperature evolution during tensile deformation was monitored using optical and infrared cameras. The combination of global load with full-field strain and temperature provided local information on the thermomechanical state of the investigated material. The deformation did not fully concentrate on the hotter portion of the specimen, but instead, the hottest portion strain hardened enough so that the colder portions of the specimen also experienced plastic deformation. Evidently, heat release occurred with plastic deformation and altered the initial temperature gradient as deformation progressed. The Taylor–Quinney coefficient was computed in integral and differential forms, and both are presented as a function of temperature and strain. The Johnson–Cook plasticity model was calibrated through an inverse method procedure in which only five tests were used, and the obtained temperature and strain rate dependencies of the model were comparable to those found in the literature for the same material. A local analysis was done to quantify the impact of adiabatic heating on the mechanical behaviour of the material.