Ankit Srivastava

A multiscale approach to modeling formability of dual-phase steels

A multiscale modeling approach is used to predict how the formability of dual-phase (DP) steels depend on the properties of their constituent phases and microstructure. First, the flow behavior of the steels is predicted using microstructure-based finite element simulations of their 3D representative volume elements, wherein the two phases (ferrite and martensite) are discretely modeled using crystal plasticity constitutive models. These results are then used to calibrate homogenized constitutive models which are then used in large-scale finite element simulations to compute the forming limit diagrams (FLDs). The multiscale approach is validated by predicting the FLDs of two commercial DP steels and comparing the predictions with experimental measurements. Subsequently, the approach is used to compute flow behavior and FLDs of a series of virtual DP steels, constructed by varying the microstructural parameters in the commercial DP steels. The results of these computations suggest that combining the ferrite from one of the two commercial steels with the martensite of the other and optimizing the phase volume fractions can yield virtual steels with substantially improved properties. These include a material with an FLD0 (plane strain) that exceeds those of the commercial steels by 75% without a degradation in strength; and a material with a flow strength (0.2% offset) that exceeds those of the commercial steels by ~30% without degradation of formability.

Analysis and design of dual-phase steel microstructure for enhanced ductile fracture resistance

The goal of this paper is to predict how the properties of the constituent phases and microstructure of dual phase steels (consisting of ferrite and martensite) influence their fracture resistance. We focus on two commercial low-carbon dual-phase (DP) steels with different ferrite/martensite phase volume fractions and properties. These steels exhibit similar flow behavior and tensile strength but different ductility. Our experimental observations show that the mechanism of ductile fracture in these two DP steels involves nucleation, growth and coalescence of micron scale voids. We thus employ microstructure-based finite element simulations to analyze the ductile fracture of these dual-phase steels. In the microstructure-based simulations, the individual phases of the DP steels are discretely modeled using elastic-viscoplastic constitutive relations for progressively cavitating solids. The flow behavior of the individual phases in both the steels are determined by homogenizing the microscale calibrated crystal plasticity constitutive relations from a previous study (Chen et al. in Acta Mater 65:133–149, 2014) while the damage parameters are determined by void cell model calculations. We then determine microstructural effects on ductile fracture of these steels by analyzing a series of representative volume elements with varying volume fractions, flow and damage behaviors of the constituent phases. Our simulations predict qualitative features of the ductile fracture process in good agreement with experimental observations for both DP steels. A ‘virtual’ DP microstructure, constructed by varying the microstructural parameters in the commercial steels, is predicted to have strength and ductile fracture resistance that is superior to the two commercial DP steels. Our simulations provide guidelines for improving the ductile fracture resistance of DP steels.

Multi-Information Source Fusion and Optimization to Realize ICME: Application to Dual-Phase Materials

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation through Grant No. NSF CMMI-1663130, DEMS: Multi-Information Source Value of Information Based Design of Multiphase Structural Materials. Arroyave would also like to acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation through Grant No. NSF CMMI-1534534, DMREF: Accelerating the Development of Phase-Transforming Heterogeneous Materials: Application to High-Temperature Shape Memory Alloys. Allaire and Arroyave would also like to acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation through Grant No. NSF DGE-1545403, NRT-DESE: Data-Enabled Discovery and Design of Energy Materials (D3EM).

Random distributions of initial porosity trigger regular necking patterns at high strain rates

At high strain rates, the fragmentation of expanding structures of ductile materials, in general, starts by the localization of plastic deformation in multiple necks. Two distinct mechanisms have been proposed to explain multiple necking and fragmentation process in ductile materials. One view is that the necking pattern is related to the distribution of material properties and defects. The second view is that it is due to the activation of specific instability modes of the structure. Following this, we investigate the emergence of necking patterns in porous ductile bars subjected to dynamic stretching at strain rates varying from 103u2009s−1 to 0.5×105u2009s−1 using finite-element calculations and linear stability analysis. In the calculations, the initial porosity (representative of the material defects) varies randomly along the bar. The computations revealed that, while the random distribution of initial porosity triggers the necking pattern, it barely affects the average neck spacing, especially, at higher strain rates. The average neck spacings obtained from the calculations are in close agreement with the predictions of the linear stability analysis. Our results also reveal that the necking pattern does not begin when the Considère condition is reached but is significantly delayed due to the stabilizing effect of inertia.