Metal magnetic memory signal response to plastic deformation of low carbon steel

Metal magnetic memory (MMM) technique can be potentially used to evaluate early damage of ferromagnetic materials nondestructively due to its high sensitivity to stress and stress–strain state. An experimental investigation of the effect of plastic deformation on magnetic behavior has been undertaken in low carbon steel specimens. The measurements were made under applied tension after unloading in the elastic–plastic region for different strain levels. Magnetic memory signals show apparently different variation characteristics in the elastic and plastic ranges, and the magnetic signals are sharply changed by a rather small plastic deformation, which is in agreement with the predictions of the modified magnetomechanical effect model correlating magnetic memory signal with plastic strain. The results of the present work indicate that the MMM method can detect macroyielding and early stage of plastic deformation effectively.