Influence of Mn Content on the Strain Hardening Behavior and Mechanism of Typical Hadfield Steel Under Dynamic Load
摘要
The strain hardening behavior of Hadfield steel under dynamic loading has been widely investigated, however, a quantitative relationship between applied impact conditions and the effective activation of strain hardening remains insufficiently defined. In this study, typical Hadfield steel with 13% Mn (Mn13Cr2) and 18% Mn (Mn18Cr2) were selected as the investigated target, and split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) testing was used to characterize the dynamic response of Mn13Cr2 and Mn18Cr2 cast steels and to identify critical loading conditions associated with the onset of pronounced strain hardening. The mechanical response was correlated with microstructural evolution using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), supported by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Results indicate that a marked increase in compressive yield strength is observed above critical impact pressures of approximately 0.4 MPa for Mn13Cr2 and 0.6 MPa for Mn18Cr2. Strain hardening in both alloys is primarily governed by dislocation-based mechanisms and C–Mn atomic cluster interactions under the conditions investigated, with no evidence of twinning- or transformation-induced plasticity. Mn13Cr2 exhibits combined multi-slip and cross-slip deformation, resulting in a more extended homogeneous hardening stage, whereas Mn18Cr2 is dominated by cross-slip, leading to a shorter hardening stage. The investigation is confirmed to establish a relationship between dynamic loading conditions, deformation mechanisms, and strain hardening response in cast Hadfield steels.