Experimental study of Electro-Plastic Effect on Advanced High Strength Steels

Application of Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) into vehicle structures calls for innovative manufacturing processes. In terms of reducing deformation resistance through external energy, Electro-Plastic Effect (EPE) provides a potential alternative to traditional thermal softening phenomenon. In this work, effectiveness of EPE on one group of AHSS, Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) Steel, was evaluated. It was found that EPE cannot be effectively initiated until the current density reaches a threshold value between 7.4 A/mm2 and 11.4 A/mm2. Besides, the softening phenomenon is more distinct at larger strains. Underlying mechanisms are explained from perspectives of dislocation multiplication, gliding and mechanical twinning. The inevitable Joule heating phenomenon associated with current was suppressed with forced air cooling and the temperature distribution inside the tensile specimen was numerically calculated with a coupled Finite Element Model. Effectiveness of EPE rather than thermal softening or expansion was further proved with the larger flow stress reduction under higher current density and shorter pulses at same temperature increase. Hollomon equation was adopted to model the observed stress strain relationships. Since material properties of TRIP steels are directly related to the phase transformation from retained austenite into martensite, volume fraction of retained austenite was quantitatively measured by X-ray Diffraction (XRD). It was found that the applied current retarded martensitic transformation process. Metallographic analysis was further performed and phenomena of change of grain structures and phase distribution were hardly observable.