Characterization of plastic deformation in a disk bend test

A disk bend test technique has been developed to study deformation mechanisms as well as mechanical properties. In the disk bend test, a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) disk size specimen of 3 mm diameter × 0.25 mm thick is clamped around its rim in a circular holder and indented with a tungsten carbide ball of 1 mm diameter on its back face. AISI 316LN austenitic stainless steel and 9Cr-2WVTa ferritic/martensitic steel were selected as test materials. A model was developed to determine the average plastic strain and surface plastic strain in the disk bend test. The deformation regimes of the plastic strain versus deflection curves corresponded to those of the load versus deflection curves. The stress state of the disk bend deformation was analyzed for the two test materials and compared with those of other mechanical tests such as uniaxial tensile, compact tension, and ball indentation tests. Slip line features at the deformed surface and the corresponding TEM microstructures were examined for both tensile and disk bend specimens. Differences and similarities in deformation between the disk bend and the tensile tests are described.