Tensile behavior of functionally graded steels produced by electroslag remelting

Tensile behavior of functionally graded steels produced by electroslag refining has been studied. Functionally graded steels containing layers of ferrite, austenite, bainite, and martensite may be fabricated via diffusion of alloying elements during electroslag remelting. Tensile strength of the composites depends on the composition and number of layers and those have been modeled based on the tensile behavior of individual phases. The yield stress of each element in the composites is related to the microhardness value of that element. Considering the Holloman relation for the true stress-strain behavior of each element, the tensile strength of an individual element is also related to the microhardness value of that element. By applying the rule of mixtures, the tensile strengths of the composites were determined via the numerical method. The obtained results are in good agreement with the experimental results.