A numerical analysis of the formability of unstable austenitic steels

Abstract A numerical analysis of the effects of the martensitic phase transformation on the formability of unstable austenitic steel sheets is performed using the constitutive model developed by Iwamoto and Tsuta [T. Iwamoto, T. Tsuta, Int. J. Plast. 18 (2002) 1583–1606] for TRIP steels. The effects of the transformation strains, and of the kinetics of martensitic phase transformation are analysed in the case of the cup-drawing test. The numerical predictions are finally compared with experimental cup tests on type 304 austenitic steels taken from the literature.