Graded deformation in an Fe-Mn-Al-C steel under bending fatigue

Cyclic behavior of a high-Mn austenitic steel with fine (~2 µm) and larger (~5 grains was investigated under high-cycle bending fatigue at room temperature. Microhardness initially increased as sign cyclic hardening until 20,000 cycles saturated thereafter. Deformation mechanisms varied widely in grains, depending on their sizes. Stacking faults were predominant the while interconnected dislocation cells observed within grains. Dislocation densities estimated by X-ray diffraction relatively low ~1014 m−2.