Applicability of Micromechanics Model Based on Actual Microstructure for Failure Prediction of DP Steels 2009-01-0469

In this paper, various micromechanics models based on actual microstructures of DP steels are examined in order to determine the reasonable range of martensite volume fraction where the methodology described in this study can be applied. For this purpose, various micromechanics-based finite element models are first created based on the actual microstructures of DP steels with different martensite volume fractions. These models are, then, used to investigate the influence of ductility of the constituent ferrite and martensite phases and also the influence of voids in the ferrite phase on the overall ductility of DP steels. The computational results indicate that there is a range of martensite volume fraction where the phase inhomogeneity between the ferrite and martensite phases has dominant effect on the overall ductility of DP steels, defeating the influence of the ductility of each phase and the voids in the ferrite phase, and that this phase inhomogeneity dominant region includes the range of marteniste volume fraction between 15% and 40%. Therefore, the methodology, adopted in this study, may be applied to DP steels within the phase inhomogeneity dominant region in tailoring the DP steel design for its intended purpose and desired properties.