Effect of Deformation Temperature on Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Low-Carbon High-Mn Steel

This work addresses the influence of deformation temperature in a range from −40°C to 200°C on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of a low-carbon high-manganese austenitic steel. The temperature range was chosen to cope at the time during sheet processing or car crash events. Experimental results show that yield stress and ultimate tensile strength gradually deteriorate with an increase in the tensile testing temperature. The dominant mechanism responsible for the strain hardening of steel changes as a function of deformation temperature, which is related to stacking fault energy (SFE) changes. When the deformation temperature rises, twinning decreases while a role of dislocation slip increases.