Local Deformation and Mn-C Short-Range Ordering in a High-Mn Fe-18Mn-0.6C Steel.

The localized deformation in the high-Mn austenitic Fe-18Mn-0.6C (wt %) steel manifests itself as serrations in the stress–strain curves and Portevin–Le Chatelier (PLC) bands characterized by digital image correlation (DIC) analysis in uniaxial tensile tests. The serrated flow is correlated with the nucleation, propagation and dying away of PLC bands. The PLC band velocity decreases with increasing strain. In this present study, the Mn-C short-range ordering (SRO) was analyzed quantitatively using small angle neutron scattering (SANS) in Fe-18Mn-0.6C steel. The size and number density of the Mn-C SRO were determined as a function of engineering strain at room temperature. The mean radius of the Mn-C SRO decreases, while the number density increases when there is an increase in the engineering strain. The influence of PLC bands on Mn-C SRO in tensile tests was further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]