Enhancement of ductility of cold-deformed 316L stainless steel by electric pulse treatment

Abstract

In this study, we performed electric pulse treatment (EPT) on the cold-deformed 316L stainless steel. The effects of EPT on the temperature rise characteristics, tensile properties and microstructure of cold-deformed 316L SS were investigated. The results show that changes in current density have a significant effect on the surface temperature and tensile properties. Compared with the UT samples, at a current density of 44 A/mm2, the elongation after fracture reached a peak of 39.8% (the enhancement rate is 14.4%), while the ultimate tensile strength of all the EPTed samples shows no significant change. Interestingly, although the sample experienced an increase in temperature during the EPT process, the phase composition and grain structure remained unchanged significantly. This implies that the improvement in the ductility of the samples may be attributed to the reduction of micropores. The present research provides new light to the enhancement of ductility of cold-deformed 316L stainless steel.