1992 Volume 32 Issue 10 Pages 1110-1116
Effects of retained austenite on press formability were investigated, using austempered 0.4C-Si-1.2Mn sheet steels with high tensile strength of more than 980 MPa.
The results showed plausible relationships between formability and initial volume fraction of retained austenite (Vγ0). With an increase in Vγ0, height of stretch forming increased linearly to its maximum at about 0.2Vγ0, and bending as well as expanding of a mechanically ground hole were gradually improved to the best at 0.15 to 0.2Vγ0. On the other hand, expanding of a punched hole was slightly deteriorated with increasing Vγ0 in less than 0.15-0.2Vγ0. These various types of formability were all extraordinarily deteriorated beyond 0.2Vγ0 in stretch forming and 0.15-0.2Vγ0 in the others.
It was concluded that these effects of retained austenite on formability can be clearly understood in terms of Vγ0 and k: a rate constant relating rate of deformation-induced transformation with uniaxial tensile strain, as a parameter showing stability of retained austenite in press forming.
