Decoupling the Effects of Strain Rate and Temperature Rise on Martensitic Transformation in a 316 Austenitic Stainless Steel

Interrupted and incremental tensile tests have been carried out on 316 austenitic stainless steel at different strain rates, revealing the correlation between the strain, strain rate, and temperature rise of martensitic transformation. The FERITSCOPE FMP ferrite tester and Telops FAST M2K infrared imager measured the martensite content and surface temperature rise at different strain rates, respectively. The effect of adiabatic temperature rise and strain rate on martensitic transformation was isolated by incremental tests. Compared with the incremental tensile test at a low strain rate (0.001 s−1), it has been found that the increase in strain rate has a negative effect on martensitic transformation, and the effect of strain rate on martensitic transformation seems to be more significant than that of adiabatic temperature rise. The formation and evolution mechanism of strain-induced martensitic transformation of 316 austenitic stainless steel were studied by electron backscattered diffraction. During the process of tensile plastic deformation, the nucleation and growth of new martensite mainly occurred near the twin boundary.