Evolving the 'Banana Chart': Temperature and Strain Rate Effects on Tensile Properties of New-Generation Advanced High-Strength Steels

Advanced high-strength steels (AHSSs) are often illustrated in the steel strength–ductility diagram, which is also known as the “banana chart” due to the distribution trend of the tensile properties of the steel family. Both academia and industry frequently refer to such a diagram not only to categorize the evolving AHSS generations but also to direct future development objectives. Nevertheless, with various new AHSSs developed in recent years, the “banana chart” is considered too simplified to represent the sophisticated tensile properties of these AHSSs, especially when some practical conditions are taken into account. Therefore, this work focuses on investigating how the temperature and strain rate affect the tensile properties of selected AHSSs and correspondingly shift their distributions in the “banana chart.” Explanations and discussions on the possible mechanisms behind these effects are also presented.