Abstract: A new non-uniform yield phenomenon is found during tension of austenite stainless steel at -190℃, which consists of elasto-plastic instability ξph and stress plateau ξL resulting from strain-induced martensite transformation. It is essentially different from non-uniform yield that is related to dislocation obstacles. The experimental results show that ξph and ξL increase with increaslng strain rate, and ξph, increases but ξL decreases with increasing prestmin.Tronsformation enengy of strain-induced martensite keeps a constant, 3.85×106J/m3, with increasing strain at the stages of both elasto-plastic instability and stress plateau.

Key words: non-uniform yield, elasto-plastic instability, stress plateau, strain-induced martensite transformation