Room temperature tensile deformation behavior of a low density Fe-27Mn-12Al-0.8C duplex steel was investigated to understand for plastic deformations with constituent phases. Various ordered phases were formed by quenching of the steel after annealing...
Room temperature tensile deformation behavior of a low density Fe-27Mn-12Al-0.8C duplex steel was investigated to understand for plastic deformations with constituent phases. Various ordered phases were formed by quenching of the steel after annealing at the (austenite + ferrite) two phase region. The B2 domains were formed in disordered ferrite matrix. In addition to the B2 domains, fine D0 phases were evenly distributed through both B2 domains and disordered ferrite matrix. The nano-sized k-carbides were precipitated in austenite. The steel exhibited the relatively high yield strength and the low strain hardening rate initially, leading to the moderate elongation. Deformed structure of ferrite is manifested by short, straight segments of paired superdislocations. In austenite, a single planar dislocation glide was dominant at low strains and multiple planar slip occurred at high strains. Based on these microstructural observations, it is suggested that strain hardening of the steel is dominated mainly by shearing of the ordered phases by superdislocations (in ferrite) and planar gliding dislocation (in austenite).