Microstructural evolution and mechanical behavior of pearlitic steel under multi-directional forging

The mechanical behavior and the microstructural evolution of a pearlitic SAE 1080 steel were analyzed along 12 Multi-Directional Forging (MDF) cycles at room temperature and strain amplitude Δε ≈ 0.30 (MDF0.30). The resulting cumulative strain flow curve is typical of metals undergoing extensive dynamic recovery, displaying appreciable work hardening up to a strain εt ≈ 0.9, followed by a very low work hardening, where flow stress rises from ≈1400 MPa to ≈1510 MPa. Similarly, the microhardness raises up to a total cumulative strain εt ≈ 1.8 and seems to stabilize for further straining, reaching ∼3626 MPa after εt ≈ 10.8. Conversely, yield strength initially rises and then falls remarkably after εt > 5.4. This behavior is related with directional cross effects that favor dynamic recovery as the total applied strain increases. These results differ remarkably from those connected to a monotonic deformation process such as axisymmetric drawing. In addition, directional cross effects decrease the material yield stress as the total applied strain increases. Microstructural results revealed that MDF0.30 leads to increasing shearing, bending and fragmentation of the cementite lamellae into particles