Morphology of adiabatic shear bands in cylindrical specimens of AISI 4340 steel impacted by Hopkinson pressure bar

Cylindrical specimens of AISI 4340 steel, which were heat treated by quenching in oil followed by tempering at either 315 or 425°C, were impacted in a Hopkinson pressure bar at different impacting speeds. It was found that when strain and strain rate reached certain values, adiabatic shear bands (or plastic deformation zones) were formed in the specimens. The adiabatic shear bands appeared either in a circle on the transverse section, a hyperbola on different longitudinal sections without the central axis of the cylinder, and a triangle on the longitudinal section through the central axis of the cylinder. From these observations, it can be concluded that the plastic deformation localisation zone is limited in a thin conical shell in three dimensions. It was further confirmed that the adiabatic shear bands initiated along the maximum shear stress directions. In addition, the adiabatic shear bands in the specimens tempered at 315°C appeared white, while those in specimens tempered at 425°C had deformation characteristics. This indicates that the appearance of adiabatic shear bands is related to the hardness and microstructure of the tested steel.