Ductile Fracture Prediction of 316LN Stainless Steel in Hot Deformation Process

A ductile fracture criterion of 316LN stainless steel, combined with the plastic deformation capacity of material and the stress state dependent damages, was proposed to predict ductile fracture during hot deformation. To the end, tensile tests at high temperatures were first performed to investigate the fracture behavior of 316LN stainless steel. The experimental results show the variation of the critical fracture strain as a function of temperature and strain rate. Second, the criterion was calibrated by using the upsetting tests and the corresponding numerical simulations. Finally, the proposed fracture criterion was validated by the designed tests and the corresponding finite element (FE) simulation. The results show that the criterion can successfully predict the onset of ductile fracture at elevated temperatures.