Cyclic stress–strain response and substructure

Abstract A series of fully reversed cyclic strain tests have been conducted on a range of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. For metals with finely dispersed particles and single phase low stacking fault metals the stabilized hysteresis loops coincided with the cyclic stress–strain curve magnified by two (Masing behaviour). In this case the Bauschinger strain increased linearly with cyclic plastic strain. For high stacking fault energy metals, where the cyclic deformation was matrix controlled, the cyclic stress–strain response was non-Masing. However, Masing behaviour was observed below a threshold strain level. Above this threshold, where non-Masing behaviour occurred, a dislocation cellular microstructure formed and the Bauschinger strain increased at a progressively slower rate with increasing cyclic strain.