Toward Eliminating Discontinuous Yielding Behavior of the EA4T Steel

Cold-rolled EA4T steel was heat-treated by inter-critical holding at 755 °C for 90, 120, 180, and 240 s, respectively, and then quenching in water. The tensile testing results of the EA4T specimens show an evident transition from the discontinuous yielding to the continuous yielding of the steel specimens by prolonging the holding time. A novel relationship between the discontinuous yielding behavior of tensile-deformed steel specimens and the carbide size was proposed based on experimental results and Cottrell’s theory. The model may provide a new clue for avoiding discontinuous yielding and improving mechanical properties of metals with static strain aging behaviors.