Experimental Study of Onset of Plastic Deformation in Low Carbon Steel Using Acoustic Emission Technique

In this study, using AE technique, the onset of plastic deformation has been investigated on smooth and notched specimens of low carbon steel. All the specimens were stretched under uniaxial tension test. AE activities (number of counts and signal energy) and stress-strain curve were measured during tests. The results show that activity of AE increases near the yield point and reaches to maximum at beginning of plastic deformation. AE activity decreases significantly with further straining. The main source of AE at all stages of deformation is associated with massive dislocation motion.