FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR OF AUSTENITIC Cr-Mn-N STEELS

Abstract— Solid solution hardening and strain hardening are the dominating strengthening mechanisms to achieve a high yield stress and ultimate tensile strength in Cr-Mn-N steels for drill collars. The fatigue limit can be improved more effectively by solid solution hardening than by strain hardening, but the attainable hardness due to soluble elements is restricted by other metallurgical demands. Strain hardening significantly increases the strength and the fatigue limit is improved too, but to a lesser extent. The reason for this behaviour is the introduction of internal stresses of the I, II and III kind by forging the drill collars. This results in macroscopic stresses which are varying over the cross section and in stresses of a microscopical scale which lead to an early loss of linearity in the elastic line of the stress strain curve and to the well known Bauschinger effect. Cyclic softening and hardening is accompanied by a rearrangement of the dislocation structure as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that a multiaxial and homogeneous cold working to produce a stable dislocation structure and to avoid large directional internal stresses is extremely important to achieve high fatigue strengths. Crack growth and crack closure measurements were performed for determination of the effective cyclic threshold stress intensity range for evaluation of the influence of the grain size on the fatigue limit.     

THE TWO THRESHOLDS OF FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR

Two limiting thresholds to fatigue crack propagation are discussed. The first threshold is related to the microstructural texture and this threshold may therefore be deemed a material-based threshold. The second threshold is mechanically-based, and is related only to the stress state at the tip of a substantial defect. The material-based threshold is characterized in terms of Microstructural Fracture Mechanics (MFM) and the mechanically-based threshold is characterized in terms of Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM). The former condition is important when considering the fatigue limit of materials and components, while the latter is more applicable to the fatigue limit of structures. The different factors which affect the two threshold conditions are briefly presented. Finally, this paper discusses aspects of MFM relevant to the fatigue resistance of metals and components.     

ELASTIC-PLASTIC BEHAVIOUR AND UNIAXIAL LOW CYCLE FATIGUE LIFE OF NOTCHED SPECIMENS

Experimental and numerical analyses were carried out to examine the elastic-plastic behaviour and low cycle fatigue (LCF) life of EN15R steel notched specimens. Notch root strains were measured and compared with estimates obtained from three methods: Neuber, Glinka and hite element (FE) analyses. All methods provided fairly accurate estimates of cyclic strain up to net section yield, from which point the Neuber and Glinka predictions were greater than measured. The finite element results compared well with measured results. The estimated notch root strains were used to predict the life of the notched specimens based on LCF results from unnotched specimens. Uniaxial Coffom-Manson and multiaxial Lohr-Ellison approaches were used. Improved fatigue life predictions were obtained when the FE predictions of the multiaxial strains were combined with a multiaxial strain parameter. The possible influence of strain gradient is inferred by comparing LCF lives for hollow thin-walled and solid bar specimens.     

CRACK GROWTH BEHAVIOUR OF FATIGUE MICROCRACKS IN LOW CARBON STEELS

The behaviour of low carbon steels has been studied, in particular the initiation and growth of the major crack which led to final fracture of smooth specimens, via surface replica and photomicrograph techniques. From this study, the fracture process and fatigue life prediction characterized by the growth of surface microcracks have been analysed by a new approach unifying the conventional approaches based on the final fracture of materials with the fracture mechanics approach. Knowledge of fracture parameters is critical for non-destructive inspection during service life and the application of fracture mechanics to life prediction and assessment.     

HIGH TEMPERATURE LOW CYCLE BIAXIAL FATIGUE OF TWO STEELS

Abstract— Biaxial low cycle fatigue tests at various temperatures and strain rates were performed on 1% Cr-Mo-V steel and AISI 316 stainless steel under combined torsional and axial loads. A correlation for fatigue strength has been derived, and it is also shown that if the Gough ellipse quadrant criterion is rephrased in terms of strain amplitudes, it may be used as a safe design rule for ductile metals in both the low and high cycle fatigue regimes.     

ANALYSIS OF THE LOW-CYCLE FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR OF TWO Ni-Cr-BASE ALLOYS

The low-cycle fatigue performance of the Ni-Cr-base alloys IN597 and IN738 has been examined with particular reference to the creep-fatigue interaction. Results are reported showing a systematic effect on life of IN597 of the level of tensile stress during tests involving cycles with dwell periods. For both alloys the simple life fraction rule correlates the data in a fairly satisfactory manner but some method of stress compensation is necessary for the strain range partitioning (SRP) method. Certain limitations of the SRP method in dealing with results from highly creep resistant alloys are discussed.     

INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH BEHAVIOUR OF STEELS AT ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY

Fatigue crack growth rates have been measured at 22 kHz for two types of carbon steel, between 20 and 500°C under symmetrical push-pull loading. The crack length was determined from the decrease in the resonant frequency of the specimen. For ?SN 412013 steel, an increased crack propagation resistance was observed between 250 and 300°C. The values of the constants C and n in the Paris equation, and K_a,th are dependent on temperature. The fatigue crack growth rate and C both increase with temperature, while n and K_a,th decrease with increasing temperature. Electron scanning and light microscopy have shown that intercrystalline fracture does not occur in ?SN 415313 steel at elevated temperature. Intercrystalline fracture was observed for specimens fatigued at 20°C and also in ?SN 412013 steel at temperatures of 200 and 500°C. The width of the plastic zone and the height of the surface relief around the fatigue crack increased with temperature.     

HIGH TEMPERATURE LOW-CYCLE FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR OF TWO TURBINE-DISC ALLOYS*

Abstract— The high temperature low-cycle fatigue behaviour of two turbine disc alloys was studied at 600 and 650°C, at total strain ranges, between 0·6 and 2·1%. These results showed that the life of both alloys may be predicted by a Coffin-Manson type equation. The fracture surfaces of the specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy.     

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROLLED ROLLED BAINITIC STEELS

本文简要回顾了低碳贝氏体钢的发展。介绍了国外近年来在超低碳控轧贝氏体钢的研究现状对我国控轧贝氏体钢的开发提出了一些看法。     

PREDICTION OF FATIGUE LIFETIME OF NOTCHED MEMBERS

Abstract— A simple model for the estimation of the total fatigue life of notched members is presented. The number of cycles to failure is estimated as the summation of the cyclic life spent in: (1) the initiation of a dominant fatigue crack at the notch root; (2) the very early growth of this crack within the notch plastic zone; (3) the subsequent fatigue crack growth in the elastic stress-strain field of the notch; and (4) the elastic stress field of the bulk material. Theoretical and experimental results are compared.     

A COMPARISON OF NEAR-THRESHOLD FATIGUE CRACK PROPAGATION IN TWO HIGH STRENGTH STEELS

Abstract— Fatigue crack growth rate data for long and short cracks were obtained from two high strength steels used in the aerospace industry. Differences in the behaviour of the two cracks were noted and explained in terms of the three-dimensional nature of short cracks compared to two-dimensional long cracks, the interaction between cracks, the applicability of Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) and their effect of crack closure.     

THE INFLUENCE OF NITROGEN ON HIGH TEMPERATURE LOW CYCLE FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR OF AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEELS

Abstract— High strain fatigue properties of AISI 316 , AISI 316N and Sandvik 253MA have been investigated at 600°C. The two latter alloys, which contain significant amounts of N, exhibit a higher resistance to fatigue than 316. This effect is accompanied by a planar dislocation slip mode in 316N and 253MA as opposed to a wavy slip mode in 316. The results provide strong evidence that N improves fatigue strength in austenitic stainless steels, by inhibiting cross-slip of screw dislocations.     

LOW CYCLE FATIGUE LIVES OF NOTCHED COMPONENTS

Abstract— In low cycle fatigue situations, the plastic behaviour of the material at the root of stress concentrators is of prime importance in determining the cyclic life. However, simple procedures such as Neuber's rule do not adequately describe the development of plastic behaviour at a notch root, while the expense of a finite element analysis is not justified in many instances. This paper describes a simple, approximate numerical method of calculating plastic notch stresses and strains that would be of use in such situations. The usefulness of the technique is demonstrated by comparing low cycle fatigue lives predicted from notch plastic strains with those determined by fatigue testing of smooth specimens subjected to similar plastic strain ranges.     

FATIGUE LIFE PREDICTION OF NOTCHED COMPOSITE COMPONENTS

Abstract— The local stress/strain approach has been used to predict the fatigue lives of notched composite components. The method was based on a microstress analysis and the application of a multiaxial fatigue parameter incorporating the alternating strain components on the critical plane. This parameter was able to correlate the fatigue lives obtained under a variety of multiaxial loading and geometrical configurations, enabling a generalized fatigue life curve to be determined on the basis of limited experimental data.
The ability of the multiaxial fatigue parameter to relate the fatigue behaviour of composites was illustrated by predicting the locations of crack initiation sites in a unidirectional silicon carbide fibre reinforced titanium plate containing a circular hole tested under constant amplitude cyclic loading. The same approach was also successfully employed to predict the fatigue lives of graphite reinforced epoxy composite tubes with circular holes tested under several combinations of cyclic tension and torsion.     

SCATTER IN SMALL CRACK PROPAGATION AND FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR IN CARBON STEELS

In order to investigate the physical basis of scatter in fatigue behaviour, rotatory bending of smooth fatigue specimens was carried out using two steels with different microstructures (ferrite/pearlite and tempered martensite). Fifteen or sixteen specimens were fatigued at each stress, and the initiation and propagation behaviour of a crack which led to the final fracture were examined for all the specimens. The emphasis was to investigate the scatter characteristics of fatigue behaviour based on the scatter of small crack propagation data. The data were analysed by assuming the Weibull distribution, and a statistical investigation of the physical basis of scatter was performed, i.e. the distributions for fatigue life, crack propagation life and growth rate of small cracks were established and the relation between the scatter in those distributions was studied.     

FRETTING FATIGUE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES IN TWO STEAM TURBINE STEELS

Abstract— —Fatigue tests and fretting fatigue tests of two steam turbine steels at room temperature and 773 K were carried out. The reduction of fatigue life and strength in the fretting test were significant at 773 K as well as at room temperature. The values of the friction coefficient at 773 K was almost equal to those at room temperature. The geometry of the fretting fatigue crack was flat in the early stage of fatigue life where a significant effect of fretting was observed. With increasing crack length and with a reducing effect of fretting, the fatigue crack shape changed to a semi-circular form. The fretting fatigue lives predicted on the basis of elastic-plastic fracture mechanics analysis, with the frictional force between the fretting pad and the specimen taken into consideration, agreed well with experimental results at both temperatures.     

BIAXIAL CYCLIC DEFORMATION BEHAVIOUR OF STEELS

Abstract— The cyclic stress-strain curves for 1% Cr-Mo-V steel and AISI 316 stainless steel were determined under biaxial loading conditions at various temperatures and strain rates. It is shown that these curves may be correlated in terms of the maximum shear stress and strain amplitudes. It is argued that, even though metals obey the von Mises yield criterion for monotonie loading, the micromechanisms of slip which produce the stabilized cyclic stress-strain behaviour are governed by the Tresca criterion.     

渗碳钢扭转变形时断裂行为和渗层厚度对接触疲劳的影响

本文以20CrMnMo 钢为对象比较全面地研究了不同渗碳层厚度、渗碳层碳含量以及不同心部组织对扭转流变硬化行为和断裂特征的影响。结果表明,渗碳件的屈服强度和流变硬化行为主要取决于心部组织。在心部组织相同的条件下,渗碳层的成分、组织和渗层厚度主要影响渗碳件的断裂应变,从而影响其断裂韧度。此外,在材质相同、强度水平相近的条件下,渗碳件的接触疲劳寿命随渗层厚度增加而增大的现象,从力学性能角度看是由于断裂应变随渗层厚度增加而增大,使断裂韧度增大所致,其原因与残余压力大小分布随渗层厚度变化有关。     

非比例载荷下缺口件疲劳寿命预测

针对Mod.9Cr-1Mo铁素体钢缺口件进行了一系列非比例载荷低周疲劳试验,采用直流电位差法测量裂纹萌生寿命,比较了缺口半径和应变路径对疲劳裂纹萌生寿命的影响。结果表明,缺口件裂纹萌生寿命占总寿命的比例与材料类型、应变路径相关,更与缺口半径尺寸直接相关。同一路径下,随着缺口半径增加,裂纹萌生寿命所占比例增大。采用Neuber律进行缺口局部应力-应变损伤的计算,结合Smith-Watson-Topper (SWT)模型和Kandil-Brown-Miller (KBM)模型进行疲劳寿命预测。结果表明,除单轴路径和比例路径外,SWT模型得到的预测结果偏于不安全;KBM模型除对单轴预测偏于保守外,其他预测值较好,总体预测结果位于2倍分散带内。     

UNSTABLE FATIGUE CRACK PROPAGATION AND FATIGUE FRACTURE TOUGHNESS OF STEELS

This paper presents the results of fatigue crack growth and fatigue fracture toughness studies of a high-pressure vessel steel with particular emphasis on the influence of heat treatment, low temperatures, plastic prestraining, the stress ratio and specimen dimensions. It has been shown that steels in an embrittled state, caused primarily by thermal treatment and low-temperatures, exhibit unstable fatigue crack growth which is characterized by alternate crack jumps (cleavage zones) and zones of fatigue crack growth. The fatigue fracture toughness, which corresponds to the first crack jump, and final fracture can be appreciably lower (i.e. up to 50%) than the static fracture toughness under plane strain conditions at the corresponding temperature. An analysis has been performed of unstable and stable fatigue crack growth and a model of unstable crack propagation is proposed which accounts for the observed experimental behaviour.