Mechanical behavior of tempered martensite: Characterization and modeling

Mechanical characterization of five low-carbon martensitic steels tempered at a wide range of temperatures and times was performed. Analysis of the relationships between mechanical properties, hardness and tempering conditions was completed. Microstructural observations revealed the precipitation of carbides and consequent decrease of carbon in solid solution with tempering. To describe the mechanical behavior of tempered martensite, a simplified Continuous Composite model, reported previously, was adapted. A good agreement between the model and the experimental stress-strain curves was achieved with only one fitting parameter. Further directions for improvement of the model were also proposed.