Strain Rate Effects on the Properties of High Strength, Low Alloy Steels

New design techniques will require that more be known about the response of metals to various service conditions. This paper discusses experimental work which was done to define the response of several hot worked metals to several deformation rates. The results show that ferrous materials with low alloy contents are very strain rate sensitive under the conditions of testing, regardless of the static strength level. These materials exhibit strength and absorbed-energy increases and uniform elongation losses with strain rate increases. A 6061-T6 aluminum alloy tested for comparison showed no strain rate sensitivity over the range of testing conditions. In a practical sense, ferrous alloys will be stronger at high loading rates than expected from ordinary mechanical property measurements. This can be an important advantage when considering dent and crash resistance.