TWI

Physical simulations were undertaken on cylindrical specimens of 304L stainless steel using a "Gleeble 1500" thermomechanical simulator in the form of hot axial compression tests so that the material underwent similar heating and cooling profiles to those measured from friction stir welding experiments, and flow stress and metallography were determined as functions of strain rate and peak temperature. Microhardness measurements as well as metallography, electron backscatter diffraction and orientation image SEM observations were conducted on specimens. Issues discussed include Gleeble system simulation of temperature profiles, work hardening, dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallisation features in flow stress curves, and grain size statistics after hot uniaxial compression.

7th International Symposium, 20-22 May 2008, 11B: Modelling 2, Paper 04