Strain path effects under hot working: an introduction

Material models are often required to facilitate the development of new products. This is particularly true of hot rolled products, especially shaped sections. Most material models assume that the material behaviour can be described with reference to strain rate, temperature and an equivalent plastic strain. The use of the last variable implies that. the strain path does not significantly influence material behaviour. Evidence suggests that this assumption is invalid and that the accuracy of future material models will be enhanced if strain path effects are taken into consideration. The importance of strain path effects under hot working conditions, is being investigated. The review discusses previous investigations on strain path effects, mainly carried out under cold working conditions. The conclusions from the review of this work is intended to determine frame of reference within which future test data and microscopic analysis can be assessed. The review also discusses the elementary basis of continuum plasticity models and their potential for describing strain path effects. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.