Stages of plastic deformation of quenched pearlitic steel of hypereutectoid composition under tension and compression

The authors studied plastic deformation of rail steel under tension and compression conditions. Under the conditions of tensile deformation, after reaching a yield strength of 1037.9 MPa, a parabolic hardening stage is observed, followed by a pre-fracture stage. Under conditions of compression deformation, material destruction does not occur, only a linear hardening stage is observed. The compressive yield strength was 1034.2 MPa. The results obtained were discussed using an autowave plasticity model, in which three order parameters were introduced. The first order parameter is the amplitude of unstable mode of inelastic deformation. The second order parameter is the amplitude of elastic deformations, which characterizes the change in the material volume during deformation. The third (control) order parameter is the amplitude of the lattice curvature. The first two order parameters are responsible for the formation of an autowave, and the third determines its type and nature of propagation. Based on the analysis of the kinetic equations of the order parameters, it was established that the presence of lattice curvature leads to a slowdown in the formation of both running and static deformation localization bands at the linear and parabolic stages, respectively. It is shown that the curvature affects the propagation of a running autosoliton. If at θ = 0 the autosoliton does not damp, then at θ > 0 the attenuation of the running autosoliton is observed. It is assumed that the absence of rail steel destruction of during compression after the end of the linear stage is due to the formation of an irregular wave pattern first, and then due to a running damping autosoliton.

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