Unusual strain rate sensitive behaviour of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel

This paper presents the results of quasi-static and dynamic tensile tests on 2, 3 and 4 mm thick 316L austenitic stainless steel. It details the test conditions and discusses the results, particularly focusing on strain rate sensitivity and methods of employing the tensile properties in the finite element package, ABAQUS. The results show that the stainless steel is moderately strain rate sensitive in the region of yield. At the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), some negative strain rate sensitivity was observed, which previous researchers for this grade of steel have not reported. Two main conclusions were drawn, namely (a) the strain rate sensitivity was too complex to be modelled accurately by a constitutive equation such as the Cowper-Symonds relation and (b) the properties of the tested materials could be accurately described by a few (true stress, logarithmic strain) coordinate pairs, as linear strain hardening was observed, for a given strain rate.