A Comprehensive Study on the Deformation Behavior of Hadfield Steel Sheets Subjected to the Drop Weight Test: Experimental Study and Finite Element Modeling

This work presents the results of experimental and finite element modeling studies of impact behavior on the response of a high content of manganese steel blanks with a 1.2 mm thickness of sheets, known also commercially as Hadfield steel (an austenitic structure with a basic composition containing C 1.2% and Mn 12%). The study was done with a standard drop weight test device under certain variable parameters (velocity: 3 m/s and 5 m/s and temperature: room temperature, 70 °C, 100 °C, and 140 °C). In this study, the evolution of force and energy values were analyzed depending on the time in the case of impact. Special care was given to the evolution of peak stress counters of finite element simulation for different temperatures. The results of the force-time, energy-time, and force-displacement curves under different temperatures and impact velocities are compared experimentally and numerically. Then the discussion are built on the effect of the operational parameters on the damage behavior of this steel. Both of these works (experimental and finite element modeling) were compared and highly satisfying results were obtained.