Evolution of adiabatic shear bands in a dual-phase steel at very high strain rates

Dynamic response to high velocity impact of a dual-phase and a martensitic steel that are obtained from heat treatment of 15V24 steel are evaluated. For the range of applied impact momentum of 40–50 kg m/s, which respectively corresponds to impact velocity of between 20 and 25 m/s for a projectile weighing 2 kg, deformation in the martensitic steel samples was relatively homogeneous while strain localization along shear bands was observed in the samples with dual-phase structure. The shear bands formed in the dual-phase steel contain finer grains and higher martensite content than the bulk material.