Bauschinger effect in microalloyed steels: part II. Influence of work softening on strength development during UOE line-pipe forming

The Bauschinger effect (a reduced yield stress at the start of reverse deformation following forward prestrain) is an important factor of strength development for cold metal forming technology. In steels, the magnitude of the Bauschinger effect depends on composition, through the presence of microalloy precipitates, and prior processing, through the size and distribution of the microalloy precipitates and the presence of retained work hardening. In this article, the parameters of the Bauschinger effect and work hardening (coefficient and exponent) in forward and reverse deformations were quantitatively related to the particle number density and dislocation density for two high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels. An example of the application of the obtained dependences is discussed with respect to the strength development during UOE forming of large diameter line pipes.