Improved Material Models for High Strength Steel

The mechanical behaviour of the three advanced high strength steel grades, Docol 600DP, Docol 1200M and HyTens 1000, has been experimentally investigated under various types of deformation, and material models have been developed, which account for the experimentally observed behaviour. Two extensive experimental programmes have been conducted in this work. In the first, the dual phase Docol 600DP steel and martensitic Docol 1200M steel were subjected to deformations both under linear and non-linear strain paths. Regular test specimens were made both from virgin materials, i.e. as received, and from materials pre-strained in various directions. The plastic strain hardening, as well as plastic anisotropy and its evolution during deformation of the two materials, were evaluated and modelled with a phenomenological model. In the second experimental program, the austenitic stainless HyTens 1000 steel was subjected to deformations under various proportional strain paths and strain rates. It was shown experimentally that the material is sensitive both to dynamic and static strain ageing. A phenomenological model accounting for these effects was developed, calibrated, implemented in a Finite Element software and, finally, validated. Both direct methods and inverse analyses were used in order to calibrate the parameters in the material models. The agreement between the numerical and experimental results are in general very good. This thesis is divided into two main parts. The background, theoretical framework and mechanical experiments are presented in the first part. In the second part, two papers are appended.