This paper is concerned with the experimental behaviour of a 16MND5 steel (french vessel
steel) under complex loading. A particular attention is paid to plasticity induced by phase
transformation. We present an experimental set-up to apply thermo-mechanical loads under
tension-torsion. This apparatus enables us to reach temperature of 1200° C at a maximum
heating rate of 60° C s− 1 and a high cooling rate of− 30° C s− 1. A series of tests is
performed in order to show the rule of loading on transformation plasticity.

This article deals with the multiphasic, anisothermal behavior of 16MND5 steel (used in
French nuclear reactor vessels) under complex loading. We are focusing more specifically
on transformation plasticity induced by proportional or nonproportional biaxial loading. The
first part briefly reviews the experimental setup we have been using. The second part
concerns the study of transformation-induced plasticity under constant stress in the cases of
bainitic, martensitic and austenitic transformations. These tests enabled us to identify …