Control of Strain Hardening Behavior in High-Mn Austenitic Steels

Austenitic high-Mn steels with Mn contents between approximately 15 and 30 wt% gain much interest because of their excellent mechanical properties and the option for adjusting strain hardening behavior due to different deformation mechanisms. 2D and 3D composition-dependent stacking fault energy (SFE) maps indicate the effect of chemical composition and temperature on SFE and consequently on the deformation mechanisms. Three steels with different chemical compositions and the same or different SFE are characterized in quasi-static tensile tests. The control parameters of strain hardening behavior in the high-Mn austenitic steels are described, and consequences for future developments are discussed.