Introduction
“Long-term strain-ageing effects on low-carbon steel reinforcement” by Loporcaro et al.
(2019) is focused on investigating the effects of strain aging on New Zealand’s grade
500E and 300E steels. The purpose of the study is to quantify and explore how strain
aging affects the mechanical properties of 500E and 300E steels. The authors of the
article claim that strain aging can compromise hierarchy of strength of the original
structure and therefore, it can alter the failure mechanism. To quantify the aging effects,
this study utilizes three main variables: time, temperature, and pre-strain. Authors refer
to Baird (1971) and Leslie (1981) and state that aging on temperatures below 100°C are
primarily driven by nitrogen atoms and carbon atoms are involved only at higher
temperatures. To explore both mechanisms, the specimens are tested at 15°C (natural
aging) and at 100°C (accelerated aging).
Methods
Grade 300E and 500E reinforcing bars machined into a „dog-bone“ specimens are
streched up to specified strain levels and then stored for different aging periods.
Specimens, made from the grade 300E steel, were pre-strained up to 1%, 3%, and 5%,
and are aged for 7, 30, 90, 183, and 365 days. 1 specimen was tested for each
combination of level of pre-strain and time interval. Additionally, 3 benchmark test were
performed without any aging time, making total of 18 specimens. These tests are
reffered to as natural aging due to constant temperature of 15°C. Beside natural aging,
additional 300E steel specimens were tested at higher temperature using accelerated
methodology. The authors used a theoretical relationship, developed by Hundy (1954),
to find equivalent aging times for different temperatures.
𝑡𝑟 1 1 𝑇
log10 = 𝐻 ( − ) − log10
𝑡 𝑇𝑟 𝑇 𝑇𝑟
Where:
𝑡𝑟 is the strain aging time at ambient temperature 𝑇𝑟
𝑡 is time that produced the equivalent strain aging effect at an elevated temperature 𝑇
𝐻 is 4400 if carbon atoms cause aging, otherwise 𝐻 is 4000
Table below shows the tabulated results.
Based on Table 1, the authors pre-strained 300E steel specimens up to 1.5%, 3%, 6%,
12% and 18% and aged for 4 h at 100°C in boiling water, which is equivalent to 1 year
at 15°C. 1 specimen was tested for each level of pre-strain.
Unlike 300E specimens, grade 500E samples were tested using accelerated
methodology only. 1 specimen for each level of pre-strain of 1.5%, 3%, 6%, 12% and
18% was streched and aged for 4 h at 100°C in boiling water. Additionally, 3 benchmark
tests were performed, making total of 8 grade 500E steel specimens.
Benchmark stress-strain curves were normalized to match the test specimens’ curves
up to the point of applied pre-strain (Fig. 15).
All the tests were performed according to ASTM E8/E8m standard. Monotonic and pre-
straining tests were conducted using a servo-hydraulic MTS 810 testing system with
100 kN load capacity. The specimen elongation (strain) was captured using a 25 mm
gauge length MTS extensometer, capable of 50% travel in tension.
Findings and Discussion
The increase in yield stress and ultimate tensile strength, and reduction in ductility, of
plastically deformed and strain-aged steel samples, is made of two components: strain
hardening and strain ageing increase. In this study, only the strain ageing component is
presented.
The measured quantities from the tests are lower yield strength (LYS), ultimate tensile
strength (UTS), and ultimate strain (strain at UTS).
Long-term natural aging (at 15°C) grade 300E
Samples pre-strained to 0.01 mm/mm (prior the onset of strain hardening) did not show
any substantial increase in yield strength even at the longest ageing interval (365 days)
The general trends for specimens, subjected to 3% and 5% pre-strain, show that strain-
ageing effects become more pronounced as the ageing time increases. This is because
more time is allowed for the nitrogen (and carbon, at temperatures above 100°C) atoms
to migrate to the new dislocation sites created during pre-straining, and to lock them as
before.
Also, results show that the change in mechanical properties is approximately completed
within the first 90 days at 15°C, any other increase occurred after is negligible.
Long-term accelerated strain ageing (at 100°C) grade 300E
increase in yield strength is independent of the amount of pre-strain. The increase in
yield strength is insensitive to the dislocation density but depends on the number of
solute atoms per dislocation, known as atmosphere density. The results obtained
suggest that an increase in yield strength should be expected for plastically strained and
aged Grade 300(E) reinforcing bars.
On the other hand, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), due to strain ageing only,
increased proportionally to the amount of pre-straining.
To evaluate the aging effects on ultimate strain, measured ultimate strain at UTS was
compared to the expected value, which was calculated as: strain at UTS for unaged
specimen minus the amount of pre-strain. Obtained results supported the authors’
hypothesis about the negative influence of the strain aging on ductility.
Strain ageing effects on Grade 500E
Strain aging effects on grade 500E steel are investigated because of its chemical
composition. 500E contains 0.08-0.1% by mass Vanadium. Besides enhancing the
tensile strength, Vanadium eliminates the effects of strain aging at temperatures below
150°C. Obtained results support this statement as no significant changes in the
mechanical properties were observed.
Conclusion
This study supports the hypothesis that the strain aging significantly affects mechanical
properties of some of the mild steels. The results show that aging process below 100C
is driven by nitrogen atoms; therefore, steel with high content of Vanadium (>0.06%) do
not experience aging. Authors quantified the effects of strain aging and showed that
aged steel exhibits increased yield and ultimate strength, and reduced ductility.
Furthermore, the authors state that change in lower yield strength does not depend on
the level of pre-strain, but the increase in ultimate tensile strength and reduction in
ductility is proportional to the pre-strain.
There are some limitations in this study. First, only monotonic tests are performed.
Second, only one specimen is tested for each case, which might lead to inaccurate
conclusions. Third, short-term effects aren’t measured. Fourth, obtained results are
accurate for a very specific conditions. Formulation, for predicting/evaluating the aging
effects, isn’t suggested.
