Deformation Properties of Austenitic Stainless Steels with Different Stacking Fault Energies

Abstract

In FCC metals a single parameter – stacking fault energy (SFE) – can help to predict the expectable way of deformation such as martensitic deformation, deformation twinning or pure dislocation glide. At low SFE one can expect the perfect dislocations to dissociate into partial dislocations, but at high SFE this separation is more restricted. The role of the magnitude of the stacking fault energy on the deformation microstructures and tensile behaviour of different austenitic steels have been investigated using uniaxial tensile testing and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The SFE was determined by using quantum mechanical first-principles approach. By using plasticity models we make an attempt to explain and interpret the different strain hardening behaviour of stainless steels with different stacking fault energies.