About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
High Performance Steels
|
| Presentation Title |
Nanomechanical Response of Quenched and Tempered (Q&T) Low-carbon Steel |
| Author(s) |
Niraj Pramod Atale, Kevin Jacob, Curt A. Bronkhorst, Sid Pathak |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Niraj Pramod Atale |
| Abstract Scope |
Quenched and tempered (Q&T) low-carbon steels are widely used in vehicle armor for their strength, ballistic resistance, and ease of fabrication. While prior research has focused on compositional and thermal optimization, the microstructural mechanisms underlying dynamic failure remain underexplored. At high strain rates, these steels develop adiabatic shear bands (ASBs), which initiate from plastic instability and shear localization, leading to softening and failure. To investigate ASB evolution, top-hat specimens were deformed to displacements between 0.14–0.3 mm. EBSD and TEM revealed progressive microstructural changes with increasing deformation. High-throughput nanoindentation showed elevated stress within ASBs compared to the as-received material; however, the change in stress was significantly lower than predicted by Hall–Petch strengthening. This suggests that grain refinement alone does not govern the mechanical response, and alternative deformation mechanisms are active. These findings provide new insight into the failure mechanisms of Q&T steels under dynamic loading. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Iron and Steel, Characterization, Mechanical Properties |