Elevated temperature creep of pearlitic steels : an experimental–numerical approach

Pearlitic steels are well known for their high strength and hardness. This makes them the natural choice for applications in which structural integrity and minimum irreversible deformation over time are required. Although their room-temperature mechanical response has been intensively studied in the past, little information can be found in the literature regarding the effect of temperature on the mechanical response of pearlitic steels. In this paper, an experimental–numerical approach is used to study the mechanical response of pearlitic steels in the temperature range 20–500 °C. A finite-strain thermo-viscoplastic model is presented together with a set of elevated temperature tests (tensile and creep tests). The aim of the tests is twofold: first, to provide insight into the elevated-temperature mechanical response of the material; and second, to provide the data required to identify the corresponding material parameters. Furthermore, the model and the experimental data are instrumental in showing that the influence of temperature on the mechanical behavior of pearlitic steels becomes significant for temperatures above 350–400 °C.