Dissipated energy measurements as a marker of microstructural evolution: 316L and DP600

The thermomechanical characteristics and, more specifically, the dissipative behavior of two steels (a DP600 and a 316L stainless steel) have been studied using infrared measurement methods. All dissipated energy measurements have been performed during traction traction uniaxial tests in the elastic domain. It has been shown that the dissipated energy of these materials is dependent on the material plastic strain and could be used as a non-destructive criterion to monitor the material evolution during loading sequences. Different kinds of loading sequences have been tested, including uniaxial tensile tests, alternative traction-traction loadings and recovery periods to underline specific characteristics of the materials. (C) 2011 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.