Application of novel constrained groove pressing routes on austenitic stainless steel

Abstract

In this study, a novel set of constrained groove processing routes was put forward especially to underline the variation of strain paths. Namely, 304 stainless steel sheets were processed by five distinctly specified constrained groove pressing routes. The enhancement of mechanical properties along with anisotropic behavior after each pass were compared for each route. Significant elevation in the hardness and tensile strength was observed after the initial pass while the successive passes demonstrated relatively less increase. Notable improvements in tensile strengths were observed for route E and C along two perpendicular directions up to 30% and 40%, respectively. Route A displayed the highest anisotropy in relation with its processing scheme. Microstructural evolution during processing was examined indicating slight refinement irrespective of the strain path.