MECHANICAL-BEHAVIOR OF SUPERPLASTIC ULTRAHIGH CARBON-STEELS AT ELEVATED-TEMPERATURE

Ultrahigh carbon (UHC) steels have been investigated for their strength and ductility characteristics from 600 to 850°C. It has been shown that such UHC steels, in the carbon range 1.3 to 1.9 pct C, are superplastic when the microstructure consisted of fine equiaxed ferrite or austenite grains (∼1 μm) stabilized by fine spheroidized cementite particles. The flow stress-strain-rate relations obtained at various temperatures can be quantitatively described by the additive contributions of grain boundary (superplastic) creep and slip (lattice diffusion controlled) creep. It is predicted that superplastic characteristics should be observed at normal forming rates for the UHC steels if the grain size can be stabilized at 0.4 μm. The UHC steels were found to be readily rolled or forged at high strain-rates in the warm and hot range of temperatures even in the as-cast, coarse grained, condition. © 1979 The Metallurgical of Society of AIME.