Neutron diffraction study on anisotropy of strain age hardening in ferritic steel

Suzuki, Tetsuya*; Yamanaka, Keisuke*; Ishino, Mayuko*; Shinohara, Yasuhiro*; Nagai, Kensuke*; Tsuru, Eiji*; Xu, P. G.   

The work-hardening characteristics of anisotropic tensile deformations and the corresponding residual strain changes of pre-strained ferritic steels without and with ageing treatment were investigated by using angle dispersive neutron diffraction and electron back-scattering diffraction. The plastic deformation along the pre-strained direction leads to evident work-hardening at the beginning stage, showing discontinuous yielding behavior. Comparably, the plastic deformation perpendicular to the pre-strained direction shows continuously yielding. The tensile and compressive residual strains were found in the 200 and 110 grains along the pre-strained direction, respectively. It is also found that the difference in various oriented grains after strain ageing become more evident along the pre-strained direction but smaller perpendicular to the pre-strained direction, revealing a higher work hardening capability in the former case than in the latter case.