Coercive-force hysteresis of carbon steels during elastic cyclic tensile deformation

Abstract

Dependences of the coercive force and mechanical stresses on cyclic tensile in the region of elastic deformation of steel samples with various carbon contents (Armco iron, 3, 8) are investigated. It is shown that the dependence of the coercive force on cyclic elastic tensile deformation is reversible for well-annealed samples. The dependence for plastically deformed steels has a hysteresis loop that is significantly determined by the carbon content and increases with an increasing degree of plastic deformation. It is assumed that the hysteresis of the coercive force as a function of elastic cyclic tensile deformations in plastically deformed carbon steels is caused generally by the appearance “free” carbon atoms, i.e., those not bound in carbide phases, which act as interstitial impurity atoms in the lattice of α-iron.