Processing map for cold and hot working of stainless steel type AISI 304 L

Abstract

A processing map for stainless steel of type AISI 304 L has been developed in the temperature range 20–1250°C and strain-rate range 0.001–100 s⁻¹ on the basis of the dynamic materials model. A domain of dynamic recrystallization has been observed with its peak efficiency of 35% occurring at 1250°C and 0.1 s⁻¹ and these are the optimum parameters for hot working of the stainless steel. In the intermediate-temperature range, the stainless steel exhibits flow localization which restricts warm working of this material to smaller strains with intermediate annealing. Cold forming may be done at strain rates higher than about 0.01 s⁻¹ since at lower strain rates martensite formation may cause flow instability.