Fatigue crack growth in TRIP steel under positive R-ratios

Load-controlled fatigue tests are conducted for four positive R values on a low-alloy TRIP steel for two different heat treatments: an optimal treatment leading to a multiphase microstructure containing retained austenite, ferrite, bainite and martensite, and a non-optimal treatment leading to a ferritic–martensitic dual-phase microstructure. A significantly increased resistance to fatigue crack growth is found for the optimal case with respect to the non-optimal case. The amount of crack closure is found to be larger in case of the non-optimally treated (ferritic–martensitic) steel. Close to the crack tip, an increased hardness suggests martensite formation. An EBSD technique is used to quantify the volume of retained austenite ahead of the crack tip, within the plastic zone. It is found that martensite formation only occurs within the monotonic plastic zone during fatigue. By evaluation of the retained austenite fraction during straining in static tensile tests, the plastic strain levels within the plastic zone are assessed. Additionally, the effect of martensite formation on fracture toughness is estimated.     

INFLUENCE OF RETAINED AUSTENITE ON FATIGUE CRACK PROPAGATION IN HP 9-4-20 HIGH STRENGTH ALLOY STEEL

Abstract— Industrial multi-pass TIG weldments of HP 9-4-20 high strength alloy steel have been found to contain significant volume fractions (around 10%) of retained austenite which are not readily transformed after stress relieving and subsequent refrigeration procedures. To determine whether the presence of such retained austenite in tempered martensitic structures could be detrimental to fatigue resistance in HP 9-4-20 steel, fatigue crack propagation behavior was examined over six orders of magnitude in growth rate, in commercially heat-treated material (containing less than 3% austenite) and in intercritically heat-treated and tempered material (containing approx. 14% austenite) in an environment of moist, ambient temperature air. Whereas crack propagation rates were unchanged at growth rates exceeding 10⁻⁶ mm/cycle, structures containing 14% austenite showed somewhat superior resistance to near-threshold crack propagation at growth rates less than 10 ⁻⁶ mm/cycle, the threshold for crack growth (Δ K ₀) being over 20% higher than in commercially heat-treated material. The presence of retained austenite further appeared to inhibit the occurrence of intergranular fracture at near-threshold levels. It was concluded that significant proportions of retained austenite are not detrimental to fatigue crack propagation resistance in HP 9-4-20 steel, and may indeed have some beneficial effect at very low, near-threshold growth rates by increasing resistance to environmentally-assisted cracking.     

Fatigue crack propagation and in-situ observations in three tool steel alloys manufactured using a rapid solidification technique

By utilizing special manufacturing conditions, e.g., using only pure elements and applying a rapid cooling rate, tool materials with high quasi-static fracture toughness can be produced. However, tool materials are often subjected to cyclic loading and, hence, their lifetime is dominated by fatigue failure. This study is focused on fracture mechanics and in-situ experiments to characterize the fatigue crack propagation behavior of three newly developed tool steels at a stress ratio R of 0.05. Microstructural examinations revealed that the materials consist of the phases α′-martensite, retained austenite, and complex carbides in different amounts. Results of preliminary tests are presented, in which it was attempted to grow the crack in a plane parallel to the plane of the starter notch. The determined ?K threshold values ranged between 4 and 5 MPa√m with Paris–Erdogan exponents of 3.3–4.6. In-situ observations were performed to understand the inherent damage mechanisms and microstructural effects during fatigue loading. These observations showed that fatigue crack growth is mainly dominated by the ductility of the martensitic–austenitic matrix. Only in cases in which the primary carbides are oriented favorably (with respect to the direction of crack propagation) does the crack follow the coherent carbide network to a certain extent. Furthermore, for the first time, a phase transformation from retained austenite to α′-martensite was detected at the crack tip during fatigue crack propagation for the material group of tool steels.     

Bruchmechanische Eigenschaften von metastabilen Austeniten

Fracture Mechanical Properties of Metastable Austenites The effect of a martensitic tranformation at the crack tip on fracture mechanical properties was investigated with FeNiAl-model alloys. Transformable austenite and martensite obtained by deep-cooling showed a completely different behaviour. The martensite has high yield stress, normal dependence of fracture toughness of specimen diameter, and a low threshold for the start of fatigue crack growth. Characteristic for the metastable austenite is a high work hardening ability (at a low yield stress) by stress-induced martensitic transformation in a zone at the crack tip, which is surrounded by untransformed austenite. This leads to a compressive internal stress, which impedes crack growth. A consequence is a high fracture toughness, which even increases with specimen thickness, and a very high threshold value for fatigue crack growth. Localized stress induced martensitic transformation associated with a positiv volume change can explain the anomalous fracture mechanical properties of the alloys in the metastable austenitic state.     

FRACTURE TOUGHNESS OF BAINITIC NODULAR CAST IRON

Abstract— The fracture toughness of bainitic ductile iron transformed at various austempering temperatures and austempering times was evaluated by using compact tension specimens and compared with the fracture toughness of bulleye casting structure. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy, the mechanism of the fracture mode can be understood by observing the fracture surface. An X-ray diffractometer was used to determine the volume fraction of retained austenite. From the results of fracture toughness properties, it can be concluded that the most suitable austempering temperature of the material used in the present study is from 300 to 350°C.     

A low-cycle fatigue approach to fatigue crack propagation

The damage accumulation hypothesis is used to derive a fatigue crack growth rate equation. The fatigue life of a volume element inside the plastic zone is evaluated by using low-cycle fatigue concepts. Crack growth rate is expressed as a function of cyclic material parameters and plastic zone characteristics. For a given material, crack growth increment, is predicted to be a fraction of the plastic zone size which can be expressed in terms of fracture mechanics parameters,K andJ. Hence, the proposed growth rate equation has a predictive capacity and is not limited to linear elastic conditions.     

Fatigue crack growth behaviour of a Si–Mn steel with carbide-free lathy bainite

An investigation has been performed to examine the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) rate and fatigue threshold of an Si–Mn steel containing carbide-free lathy bainite. Compact tension specimens prepared from this steel were given four different heat treatments to produce four different austenite contents. The fatigue test was carried out at stress ratio of –1 in a room temperature ambient atmosphere. The results show that the FCP threshold of the steel increases with an increase in the volume fraction of carbon-saturated austenite. The crack growth behaviours show that the deformation strengthening ability of the austenite has a significant effect on the FCP in the threshold region. The effect of austenite on the FCP threshold is seven times that of the bainite.     

WC_p含量对粉末冶金Cu/WC_p复合材料疲劳裂纹扩展行为的影响

通过粉末冶金热压烧结法制备高压电触头Cu/WC_p颗粒增强复合材料,研究WC_p颗粒含量(15%和3%,体积分数,下同)对Cu/WC_p复合材料的疲劳裂纹扩展行为的影响,并结合SEM进行断口分析;利用原位SEM疲劳裂纹观测系统原位观察微裂纹萌生,分析颗粒对裂纹扩展路径的影响机制。结果表明:在相同应力强度因子幅(△K)下WC_p含量为15%的Cu/WC_p的疲劳裂纹扩展速率大于WC_p含量为3%的复合材料;颗粒含量的增加并没有提高复合材料的裂纹扩展门槛值△K_(th),这主要是因为颗粒和基体的界面属于弱界面;在疲劳过程中颗粒脱粘形成裂纹源,不同脱牯微裂纹连接长大形成主裂纹是Cu/WC_p颗粒增强复合材料的疲劳损伤形式;当主裂纹尖端和颗粒WC_p相互作用时裂纹基本沿着颗粒界面往前扩展;复合材料的断裂模式从WC_p低含量3%时的颗粒脱粘-裂纹在基体里穿晶断裂,过渡为WC_p高含量15%时颗粒脱粘-基体被撕裂为主。     

THE INFLUENCE OF TEST TEMPERATURE ON IMPACT FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH BEHAVIOR IN QUENCHED AND TEMPERED Cr-Mo ALLOY STEELS WITH DIFFERENT PRIOR AUSTENITE GRAIN SIZES

Abstract— Impact fatigue tests were carried out using a rotating-disk type impact fatigue testing machine. The influence of prior austenite grain size, ductile-brittle transition temperature and test temperature on impact fatigue crack growth rate was investigated by means of fracture mechanics and fractography in quenched and tempered Cr-Mo alloy steel in which the prior austenite grain size was varied from 8–3 to 25-4 μm. The results in impact fatigue tests were compared to those under non-impact conditions. The crack growth rates associated with striation formation were insensitive to the change in prior austenite grain size, ductile-brittle transition temperature and test temperature regardless of impact and non-impact fatigue. When the material was in the brittle condition, impact fatigue gave rise to a transition from striation formation to intergranular and cleavage cracking. Such a transition will result in the acceleration of crack growth rate. The Paris Law exponent values in impact fatigue were reasonably expressed by the ratio of test temperature to ductile-brittle transition temperature.     

Influence of microstructure on high-cycle fatigue behavior of austempered ductile cast iron

An investigation was carried out to examine the influence of austempering heat treatments and the resultant microstructure of austempered ductile cast iron, on the fatigue crack growth rate, fatigue threshold, and high-cycle fatigue strength of the material. Two different approaches were used to study the fatigue behavior of this relatively new material, that is, a traditional S-N curve approach for determination of fatigue strength and a fracture mechanics-based approach for determination of the fatigue threshold. Compact tension and cylindrical specimens prepared from alloyed nodular ductile cast iron were given three different austempering heat treatments to produce three different microstructures. The fatigue threshold and high-cycle fatigue behavior of these specimens were studied in room temperature ambient atmosphere. The results of the present investigation demonstrate that the fatigue threshold of the material increases with increase in volume fraction of carbon-saturated austenite. The fatigue strength of the material, on the other hand, was found to increase with decrease in austenitic grain size. The crack growth process in the material was a combination of ductile striations and microvoid coalescence, and crack propagation by connecting the graphite nodules along its path.     

Fatigue crack propagation in cast duplex stainless steels: thermal ageing and microstructural effects

The ferrite phase of cast duplex stainless steels becomes embrittled after thermal ageing, leading to a significant decrease in fracture properties. In the present paper, the influence of ageing and solidification structure on the fatigue crack growth rates (FCGRs) and on the fatigue crack growth mechanisms in a cast duplex stainless steel is studied. FCGRs measured at room temperature increase slightly after ageing at 400 °C, due to ferrite cleavage and to the resulting irregular shape of the crack front. The crack propagates without any preferential path by successive ruptures of ferrite and austenite phases. The macroscopic crack propagation plane depends on the crystallographic orientation of the ferrite grain. Secondary cracks can appear due to the complex solidification structure. This in turn influences the FCGR. The fatigue crack closure level decreases with increasing ageing. This can be explained by a decrease in the kinematic cyclic hardening of these materials.     

Definition,Messung und Anwendung bruchmechanischer Kennwerte von grauen Gußeisen

Definition, Measurements, and Application of Fracture Mechanical Properties of Grey Cast Irons Fracture mechanical properties were determined of cast irons with lamellar (GGL) and globular (GGG) graphite in a perlitic as well as a bainitic-austenitic matrix. Besides conventional and fracture mechanical tensile tests special attention was paid to fatigue crack growth. Ultrasonic loading appeared to be useful if at small amplitudes a large number of cycles is required for the observation of crack growth. A microscopic investigation of microstructure before and after cracking aided the interpretation of the origin of the measured properties. While the properties of the GGG-materials can be understood by the concepts of elastic-plastic fracture mechanics, lamellar graphite does cause a particular behavior. Notable is the non-linear elastic behavior, crack branching, and formation of satellite cracks, which provide difficulties in defining critical stress intensities K_c as well as the threshold for the start of fatigue crack growth δK_th. Stress induced transformation of residual austenite at the crack tip can retard crack growth by local increase in volume. Proposals are made for a reasonable definition of fracture mechanical properties as well as their application in design.     

Fatigue crack propagation behavior of multiphase microstructure in a quenched and partitioned medium-carbon bainitic steel

A medium-carbon steel was treated by the bainitic isothermal transformation plus quenching and partitioning (B-QP) process to obtain bainite/martensite/retained austenite multiphase microstructure, and its fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behavior was evaluated in contrast with BAT (bainite austempering) sample with fully bainite microstructure. Results show that B-QP sample exhibits a lower FCP rate and higher fatigue threshold ΔK_th (12.6 MPa·m^1/2). Moreover, the FCP path of B-QP sample displays a strongly tortuosity and more crack branching due to more filmy retained austenite (7.2%) and higher percentage of high angle misoriented boundaries (68%). The larger crack tortuosity and the secondary cracks as result of crack branching are primarily responsible for the lower FCP rate of B-QP sample. In addition, the FCP rate curve of B-QP sample shows a pronounced small plateauing at the near-threshold zone, which can be ascribed to the mechanical twinning that occurred in the filmy retained austenite.     

回火温度对两相区退火海工钢组织和性能的影响

对690 MPa级海工钢进行“淬火+两相区退火+回火”三步热处理,研究了回火温度对其组织和性能的影响、分析了力学性能变化与组织演变和残余奥氏体体积分数之间的关系。结果表明：回火后实验钢的显微组织为回火贝氏体/马氏体、临界铁素体和残余奥氏体的混合组织。随着回火温度的提高贝氏体/马氏体和临界铁素体逐渐分解成小尺寸晶粒,而残余奥氏体的体积分数逐渐增加;屈服强度由787 MPa降低到716 MPa,塑性和低温韧性明显增强,断后伸长率由20.30%增至29.24%,-40℃下的冲击功由77 J提升至150 J。残余奥氏体体积分数的增加引起裂纹扩展功增大,是低温韧性提高的主要原因。贝氏体/马氏体的分解和残余奥氏体的生成,引起组织细化、晶粒内低KAM值位错的比例逐渐提高和小角度晶界峰值的频率增大,使材料的塑性和韧性显著提高。     

HIGH TEMPERATURE CYCLIC DEFORMATION OF A DIRECTIONALLY SOLIDIFIED Ni-BASE SUPERALLOY

Abstract— The high temperature low cycle fatigue behaviour of a directionally solidified Ni-base superalloy hardened by about 65% volume fraction of γ'-precipitates was investigated in order to determine the fatigue life parameters for longitudinal (L) and longitudinal transverse (LT) grain orientations. The fatigue resistance was compared with that of two oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Ni-base superalloys with a similar elongated grain structure.
The fatigue life of the alloy can be adequately predicted by Basquin and Coffin-Manson empirical relationships and the fatigue ductility parameters in these relationships show a similar trend with the tensile ductility properties.
The studied alloy exhibits a fairly stable cyclic stress response, with only a slight stress softening. Fatigue crack initiation occurs mainly at shrinkage pores on the surface or sub-surface of the specimens. The crack growth direction is predominantly perpendicular to the applied load. The fracture mode in the LT-direction is transgranular and fatigue life is shorter by a factor of about six compared to the L-direction. The fatigue life of the alloy is longer than that of the ODS Ni-base superalloys with which it is compared.     

Hydrogen-enhanced cracking of 2205 duplex stainless steel

Tensile and fatigue crack growth tests of 2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS) were performed in laboratory air, gaseous hydrogen at 0.2 MPa and saturated H₂S solution. The longitudinal specimen showed a lesser degradation of tensile properties than the transverse ones in saturated H₂S solution. The orientation of specimens with respect to rolling direction had little influence on the fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) of the alloy in air. Furthermore, 2205 duplex stainless steel was susceptible to hydrogen‐enhanced fatigue crack growth. Transmission electron micrographs, in addition to X‐ray diffraction, revealed that the strain‐induced austenite to martensite transformation occurred near the crack surface within a rather narrow depth. Fatigue fractography of the specimens tested in air showed mainly transgranular fatigue fracture with a small amount of flat facet fracture. Furthermore, extensive quasi‐cleavage fracture of 2205 duplex stainless steel was associated with the hydrogen‐enhanced crack growth.     

Fatigue fracture in plates in tension and out-of-plane shear

Straight cracks near a stiffening element, or curved cracks, in a pressurized shell can be subjected to out-of-plane tearing stresses in addition to normal tensile stresses due to the membrane stresses in the shell. To predict the rate of fatigue crack growth in such situations a theory and a crack growth rate correlation are needed. Such loadings are modelled as a superposition of plane stress tensile fracture (mode I) and Kirchhoff plate theory shearing fracture (mode 2). Finite element analyses using shell elements are used to compute the energy release rate and stress intensity factors associated with the loading. Three fatigue crack growth rate experiments were carried out on sheets of 2024-T3 aluminium alloy loaded in tension and torsion. The first set of experiments is constant amplitude fatigue crack growth tests. The second consists of experiments where crack closure is artificially eliminated to determine the rate of crack growth in the absence of crack face contact. The third is a set of constant stress intensity factor amplitude tests. The results all show that as the crack grows extensive crack face contact occurs, retarding crack growth. In the absence of crack face contact, however, the addition of out-of-plane shear loading increases the crack growth rate substantially.     

Investigation of crack closure in stainless steel by laser interferometry

The effect of strain-induced martensite transformed during fatigue on the fatigue crack propagation rate near ΔK _th, as well as low-cycle fatigue behaviour of three differently heat-treated stainless steels, was investigated. The heat treatments were chosen so that austenite stability during fatigue was different. The crack closure stress during fatigue crack propagation near the ΔK _th region was measured using laser interferometry. The sensitized specimen showed the highest value of closure load ratio (K _cl/K _max), which was considered to be due to the roughness-induced crack closure caused by intergranular facets. The specimen with the lowest austenite stability showing the largest amount of strain-induced martensite during fatigue, showed the highest crack growth rate. The effect of brittle fracture through the harder strain-induced martensite was larger than that of possible transformation-induced crack closure.     

Fatigue crack propagation in Ti3 Al based alloys

Abstract

Effects of microstructure, stress ratio, and environment on the fatigue crack growth resistance of Ti–23Al–9Nb–2Mo–1Zr–1·2Si and Ti–23Al–11Nb–0·9Si (at.-%) Ti₃ Al based alloys have been studied at room and elevated temperatures. Only modest effects of microstructure on fatigue crack growth resistance have been obtained at room temperature, and these tend to reduce further at the elevated temperatures of 600 and 700°C both in air and in vacuum. At room temperature the fatigue crack growth resistance of Ti₃ Al based alloys is controlled primarily by the thickness of the retained βphase rather than by its volume fraction and the microstructure with a larger average thickness of retained β laths shows improved fatigue crack growth resistance. However, in some microstructures, the spatial distribution of the β phase can also be deduced to be important. A marked difference on crack growth resistance is obtained for stress ratios of 0·1 and 0·5 both at room temperature and at a temperature of 600°C. The mechanisms of fatigue crack growth in air and vacuum are discussed.     

A transformation toughening white cast iron

An experimental white cast iron with the unprecedented fracture toughness of 40 MPa m1/2 is currently being studied to determine the mechanisms of toughening. This paper reports the investigation of the role of strain-induced martensitic (SIM) transformation. The dendritic microconstituent in the toughened alloy consists primarily of retained austenite, with precipitated M7C3 carbides and some martensite. Refrigeration experiments and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to demonstrate, firstly, that this retained austenite has an "effective" sub-ambient MS temperature and, secondly, that SIM transformation can occur at ambient temperatures. Comparison between room temperature and elevated temperature KIc tests showed that the observed SIM produces a transformation toughening response in the alloy, contributing to, but not fully accounting for, its high toughness. SIM as a mechanism for transformation toughening has not previously been reported for white cast irons. Microhardness traverses on crack paths and X-ray diffraction (XRD) on fracture surfaces confirmed the interpretation of the KIc experiments. Further DSC and quantitative XRD showed that, as heat-treatment temperature is varied, there is a correlation between fracture toughness and the volume fraction of unstable retained austenite. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.