Cyclic deformation response of AISI 316L at room temperature: Mechanical behaviour, microstructural evolution, physically-based evolutionary constitutive modelling

Deformation (e.g. cyclic hardening, softening and saturation) response and the corresponding microstructural evolution of AISI 316L during cyclic loading at room temperature are exhaustively studied. In particular, the physical interpretation and the role of internal stresses are thoroughly evaluated in order to better comprehend the relationship between microstructural evolution and cyclic deformation response. The understanding obtained provides a basis for the development of a physically-based evolutionary constitutive model which aims to accurately represent the complex cyclic deformation response of the material. The developed constitutive model represents the change in microstructural condition and its relationship with internal stress variables. The model parameters are identified by a systematic evaluation of mechanical and microstructural observations from a number of experimental tests. The proposed model is shown to effectively represent the complex cyclic elasto-plastic deformation behaviour of the material for a range of strain amplitudes.