Kinetics and critical conditions for initiation of dynamic recrystallization during hot compression deformation of AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel

Dynamic recrystallization behavior of AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel were studied using hot compression tests over the range of temperatures from 900 A degrees C to 1200 A degrees C and strain rates from 0.001 s(-1) to 1 s(-1). The critical strain and stress for initiation of dynamic recrystallization were determined by plotting strain hardening rate vs. stress curves and a constitutive equation describing the flow stress at strains lower than peak strain. Also, the strain at maximum flow softening was obtained and the effect of deformation conditions (Z parameter) on the critical strain and stress were analyzed. Finally, the volume fraction of dynamic recrystallization was calculated at different deformation conditions using these critical values. Results showed that the model used for predicting the kinetics of dynamic recrystallization has a great consistency with the data, in the form of theta-epsilon curves, directly acquired from experimental flow curves.