Electroplastic effect in specimens of duplex stainless steel under tension

Duplex stainless steels (DSSs) possess a typical biphasic microstructure consisting of equal amount of ferrite and austenite, which provides better combination of the mechanical and corrosion properties compared to the austenitic grade. Despite their good processability, they suffer from embrittlement of secondary phases in a very specific temperature range 450 – 1000°C depending on the composition. Solubilizing treatment after processing is required to obtain a perfect balance between austenite and ferrite and moreover, to dissolve any secondary phases that could have been formed during processing. This implies very high energy consumption of forming processes due to a high temperature (above 1000°C) or high power needed for the forming machines. The electroplastic effect could be used to reduce the force needed to form the material and extend the forming limits. The effect consists in direct interaction between the electrons of the electrical current and the ions of the material. The current mode (e.g., continuous current, pulsed current, pulse duration and duty cycle) plays an important role in the occurrence and the extent of the electroplastic effect. The electroplastic effect is investigated under tension in two-phase duplex stainless steel UNS S32205. Tensile tests under different current conditions (current density and frequency) are compared to room temperature tests. The best effect in terms of reduction of the ultimate tensile strength and increase in the fracture strain is achieved by introducing a multi-pulse current with the maximum density and pulse duration.