LIFE PREDICTION OF 316 STAINLESS STEEL UNDER CREEP-FATIGUE LOADING

Life prediction for creep-fatigue loading conditions should be related to creep damage mechanisms. In order to examine the effect of the creep damage mode on rupture life under creep-fatigue loading, a “combined creep-fatigue loading test” was carried out on 316 stainless steel. In this method, creep loading and fatigue loading are repeated alternately. The fracture criteria under combined loading closely depend on the creep fracture modes of the static creep test. A new life prediction method which uses this new fracture criterion is proposed. The criteria are changed when the creep damage mode varies. In order to verify the adequacy of this method, fatigue tests with a tensile strain-hold wave form were carried out. It is clear that rupture life in such fatigue tests is dependent on the chosen fracture criteria.     

Analysis of the creep and long-term strength of VT6 titanium alloy with preliminarily injected hydrogen

We describe the results of experimental and theoretical investigation of the influence of the concentration of preliminarily injected hydrogen on the creep and long-term strength of VT6 titanium alloy under the action of tensile stresses equal to 47–217 MPa. The tests carried out at a temperature of 600°C show that hydrogen (up to 0.3 wt.%) strongly decreases the steady-state creep rate of this alloy, increases the time to fracture, and lowers (severalfold) its ultimate fracture strain. The obtained results are interpreted on the basis of the analysis of changes in the structural state of the alloy. The proposed version of the kinetic theory of creep gives good agreement between the experimental and theoretical values of the principal characteristics of creep and long-term strength. Translated from Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv, Vol. 44, No. 5, pp. 98–104, September–October, 2008.     

Experimental study of creep-damage coupling in concrete by acoustic emission technique

In order to design reliable concrete structures, prediction of long term behaviour of concrete is important by considering a coupling between creep and damage. An experimental investigation on the fracture properties of concrete beams submitted to creep bending tests with high levels of sustained load is reported. The influence of creep on the residual capacity and the fracture energy of concrete is studied. The progression of fracture is followed by the measurement of the crack mouth opening displacement during a three-point bending test. The sustained loading seems to increase the flexural strength of concrete, probably because of the consolidation of the hardened cement paste. The acoustic emission (AE) technique is used to perform the characterization of the influence of creep on the crack development. Results give wealth information on the fracture process zone (FPZ) and the propagation of the crack. A decrease in the amplitude distribution of AE hits is observed in the post-peak region for creep specimens. The width of the FPZ also decreases in this later indicating that the material has a more brittle behaviour which may be due to the development of microcracking under creep and the prestressing of the upper zone of the beam.     

Residual strength at −40 °C of a precracked cold‐formed rectangular hollow section made of ultra‐high‐strength steel – an engineering approach

This study investigated the residual strength of a precracked cold‐formed rectangular hollow section made of novel ultra‐high‐strength steel. The primary goal was to experimentally discover the residual strength of the structure when used in low temperature service conditions. The secondary goal was to predict the residual strength by using a J‐integral approach with nonlinear finite element calculations and to compare these predictions with measured results. The experimental tests were carried out with a beam in four‐point bending loading. The test specimens were taken from a cold‐formed rectangular hollow section fabricated from direct quenched (untempered) ultra‐high‐strength steel S960 QC omitting the annealing in the fabrication process. The tests for final failure were carried out at ?40 °C, with the exception of the first pilot test. There were two kinds of tests: (1) the beam was cyclically loaded until the final fracture or the fatigue precrack was first introduced and (2) the specimen was then subjected to a quasistatic bending loading condition until it failed. The new experimental results matched well with our predictions, and both confirmed the high toughness of ultra‐high‐strength steel in beam construction studied, even at a low ambient temperature.     

Notch creep rupture strength under longitudinal shear and torsion

A mechanics approach to the notch creep rupture behavior subjected to longitudinal shear type loads, is presented. It is shown that whether “notch-strengthening” or “notch-weakening” prevails depends solely upon the magnitude of an exponent involved in the fracture criteria adopted in this paper and that under usual conditions “notch-weakening” prevails in the absence of metallurgical strengthening mechanisms. These analytical results are supported by the experimental data obtained by the authors. Discussion on the mechanical causes of the “notch-strengthening” or “notch-weakening” is presented.     

Behaviour of S 355JO steel subjected to uniaxial stress at lowered and elevated temperatures and creep

This paper considers main mechanical properties of structural-high strength low alloy (HSLA) S 355JO (ASTM A709 Gr50) steel subjected to uniaxial tensile tests at lowered and elevated temperatures. The engineering stress vs strain diagrams as well as curve’s dependence of ultimate and yield strengths vs both lowered and elevated temperatures are presented. The focus is also on specimen elongations vs temperature at elevated temperatures. Short-time creep tests for selected constant stresses at selected temperatures were curried out. Uniaxial creep behaviour for selected creep test was modeled by the rheological model. The creep curve determined by modeling procedure was compared with experimentally obtained one. Also, notch impact energy test, using Charpy pendulum impact machine was performed and according to the proposed formula, fracture toughness is calculated. All of experimental tests were performed using modern computer directed experimental systems.     

UP/GF/TLCP原位混杂复合材料的力学性能与流变性能

通过静态力学方法研究热致性液晶聚合物(TLCP)的含量对不饱和聚酯(UP)/玻璃纤维(GF)/TLCP原位混杂复合材料力学性能的影响,采用流变仪研究TLCP对材料流变性能的影响,采用扫描电镜(SEM)观察材料的冲击断面微观形貌。结果表明,TLCP含量对材料流变性能和力学性能有很大影响,当TLCP加入量为5%时,材料的流动性能最好,熔体流动速率(MFR)达到107.7 g/10 min,常温下材料的冲击强度达到5.23 kJ/m2,是未加TLCP材料的1.97倍,材料的弯曲强度由66.9 MPa提高到76.5 MPa,提高了14.3%。同时,材料的蠕变和应力松弛行为得到一定程度的改善。SEM观察表明,TLCP的加入对提高材料的断裂能具有一定的作用。     

Analytical and experimental investigations on the fracture behavior of hybrid fiber reinforced concrete

In the present study, Mode-I fracture tests of hybrid fiber reinforced concrete (HFRC) composite beams were conducted and the fracture properties and other post peak strength characteristics of the HFRC composites were evaluated and analyzed. The HFRC composite was produced using three types of fibers namely steel, Kevlar and polypropylene. A total of 27 HFRC composite beam specimens were cast and tested using the RILEM recommended three point bending test. The main variables were the fiber volume content and combinations of different fibers. The load versus crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) curves of HFRC composite beams were obtained. Inverse analysis was carried out to determine the tensile strength and crack opening relationship. Analytical models based on comprehensive reinforcing index were developed for determining the influence of the fibers on fracture energy, flexural tensile strength, equivalent tensile strengths and residual tensile strengths of HFRC composites. Based on the experimental results and inverse analysis, a model for predicting the tensile softening diagram of HFRC composite mixes was also developed. The analytical models show conformity with the experimental results.     

工艺参数对7075铝合金板材时效成形性的影响

为评价7075铝合金板材的可时效成形性并掌握最佳的时效成形工艺参数,基于机械加载时效成形试验工装,开展了时效温度和时间对7075铝合金板材时效成形后构件力学性能和物理性能影响的试验研究.结果表明:7075铝合金板材的时效成形性与工艺参数密切相关,随着时效温度和时间的增大,板材的电导率呈升高趋势,而其拉伸性能则呈降低趋势;且合金的拉伸断裂方式与时效状态有关,过时效初期以沿晶韧窝和穿晶韧窝混合型断裂为主,随着过时效进行主要为韧窝断裂.综合考虑构件时效成形后拉伸性能和电导率等情况,合金最佳时效温度为180℃,且保温时间不宜长于16 h.     

Slice synthesis of a three dimensional “work of fracture” specimen

In the evaluation of brittle materials such as ceramics, the “work of fracture” specimen is enjoying considerable interest. That specimen, basically a beam bending specimen with rectangular cross section has inclined notches machined such that the remaining ligament is an isoceles triangle with the apex on the tension surface. The specimen is of particular interest because it tends to provide for slow stable crack propagation in such materials. The usual use of the test involves the recording of the load-deformation curve and the identification of the total area under the curve with the “work of fracture”. This then in turn is related to the fracture toughness.The present paper presents the results of an attempt to analyze this truly three dimensional problem in an approximate “two dimensional” fashion, treating the specimen as a series of slices and neglecting in effect the inter slice shear effects. Both beam bending and beam shear effects on compliance are considered. Plasticity effects are considered negligible for the class of brittle materials for which the test specimen is most frequently utilized. Comparison of experimental and analytical results is discussed. The observed stability characteristics of this “work of fracture” specimen is discussed in light of these results.     

Single integral representations in ice mechanics

A single integral viscoelastic constitutive equation for ice is developed which possesses significant theoretical and practical advantages over previously suggested equations of this type (Spring and Morland, 1983). The theory is specialised to the case of small strain uniaxial compression and the resulting constitutive equation is shown to verify the relations between the experimental data obtained in constant load (CL) creep tests and constant displacement rate (CD) “strength” tests conjectured in Mellor and Cole (1982) and demonstrated in Mellor and Cole (1983).     

Kriechverhalten dispersionsgehärteter Al-Legierungen

Creep Behaviour of Dispersion Strengthened Al-Alloys The creep behaviour is determined for the powder metallurgical Aluminium-Alloys AlSi20, AlSi12Fe5, AlSi20Fe5, AlMg1, AlMg2, AlMg4, AlCuMg1 and AlMgSi1 at 300°C and 400°C. The tests were carried out on a non-strengthened version of these alloys as well as on dispersion strengthened versions with mass content of C between 0 and 1% and O between 1 and 2%. The increase of the creep strength caused by dispersoids is found to be mostly independent on the creep life. The value of the strength increase is mainly a function of the volume fraction of the dispersoids and less dependent on the matrix material. The increase of creep strength is accompanied by a serious reduction in the creep fracture elongation. Failure occurs by spontaneous fracture during the secondary or early tertiary creep stage at low values of strain.     

Micro/macro-mechanical approach of first ply failure in CFRP

A combined experimental and numerical study has been carried out in order to predict initial failure in transversely loaded carbon fibre/epoxy composites. Three-point bending experiments on macroscopic composite specimens with special laminate lay-ups were carried out in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The in-situ experiments allow observing the onset of microscopic composite failure under transverse loading and measurement of the global applied load at onset of failure. The experimental results show that interfacial failure was the dominating failure mechanism. The interfacial stresses at initiation of failure were determined successfully by a non-linear micro/macro FE-Analysis and compared with experimental results obtained from 3-point bending tests of standard composite specimens. The results show that the interfacial normal strength (INS) governs the failure process.     

Fracture mechanics in the characterisation of brick masonry structures

The analysis of the mechanical behaviour of masonry structures is based on the assumption that this material does not withstand tension. In this field many researchers are studying how to refine analytical and experimental procedures to obtain a more accurate correspondence between the real behaviour and the simulated one. However, this hypothesis cannot explain the masonry strength with respect to dynamic and seismic load conditions, which cause tensile stresses and dilating strains in masonry structures. The aim of this work is to give a complete set of experimental results in order to determine the mechanical properties of brick masonry. In particular, an extensive experimental programme was carried out to characterise the mechanical and structural behaviour of masonry composite in compression, along both the material directions, and in tension, along the horizontal mortar joint direction. Tensile properties in particular were estimated by means of four-point bending (FPB) tests owing to the lack of a standard tensile test and because bending tests are considered to be reliable indirect tensile ones and easy to carry out. The experimental results obtained using this testing procedure highlighted the behaviour of a bimodular material when subjected to tensile stresses, and these were then analysed by means of fracture mechanics theory to estimate the masonry toughness and stress intensity factor as further material characteristics.     

THE FRACTURE MECHANISM IN 475°C EMBRITTLED FERRITIC STAINLESS STEELS

The mechanism of “475°C embrittlement” in age-hardened ferritic stainless steel, E-Brite and A129-4, is investigated. Experimental results for smooth tensile and notched bending fracture tests are interpreted using a finite element simulation of the stresses at fracture. Yield is characterised by profuse slip band formation. Transgranular fracture initiation is observed at slip band intersections with grain boundaries. Deformation twinning occurs during brittle fracture. Slip bands and deformation twins are identified using lattice rotations measured with electron back-scatter diffraction patterns. Mechanisms for the ductile-to-brittle transition are discussed.     

RATE-DEPENDENT DEFORMATION AND FRACTURE OF α-TITANIUM

Aspects of combined rate-dependent deformation and crack growth in α-titanium at room temperature are examined. Results are presented for tests carried out on pre-cracked three point loaded single edge notch bend and compact tension specimens subjected to constant crack opening displacement rates and constant load. Curves of the ratio of the reference stress to the yield stress as a function of the ratio of the plastic displacement to specimen width are found to be different for different rates. The stress difference between continuously loaded curves and curves obtained from load relaxation tests (“relaxed” curves) is found to be similar to uniaxial results. Earlier uniaxial tests show that the “relaxed” curve represents a boundary below which no further creep takes place. The pre-cracked specimen constant load curves cross the “relaxed” curve, even though the contribution from crack growth to the overall deformation is found to be small. Sustained load crack growth is observed to take place under contained yielding conditions and the sustained load resistance curves are found to be different for different reference stresses.     

Creep fracture behaviour of SUS304H steel with vanadium addition based on small punch creep testing

The high-temperature creep fracture behaviour and creep strength of SUS 304H containing a minor addition of V were investigated in this study. A series of small punch (SP) creep and uniaxial creep tests were performed at 700 °C. The load and punch displacement rates obtained from the SP creep tests were used to derive conversion equations to determine the equivalent stress and creep strain rates. A converting equation is suggested in this study so that Norton’s secondary power law creep constants obtained from the SP creep testing can be in agreement with those obtained from the uniaxial tensile creep tests. The creep strength of the modified SUS 304H steel containing V was shown to be superior to that without V based on the current results and other available results for type 304H steel.     

Fatigue analysis of unidirectional GFRP composites under combined bending and torsional loads

Fatigue behavior of unidirectional glass fiber reinforced polyester (GFRP) composites at room temperature under in-phase combined torsion/bending loading was investigated. All fatigue tests were carried out on constant-deflection fatigue machine with frequency of 25 Hz. A 30% reduction from the initial applied moments was taken as a failure criterion in the combined torsion/bending fatigue tests of the composite materials. A series of pure torsional fatigue tests were conducted to construct the failure contour of GFRP composites using different failure theories. The obtained S–N curves from combined torsion/bending tests were compared with both, pure torsion fatigue test results and published results of pure bending fatigue tests of GFRP rods. Pictures by scanning electron microscope were used to closely examine the failure mode of the tested specimens under combined torsion/bending loading.

The results showed that, the unidirectional glass fiber reinforced polyester composites have poor torsional fatigue strength compared with the published results of pure bending fatigue strength. Endurance limit value (calculated from S–N equation at N = 10⁷ cycles) of GFRP specimens tested under combined torsion/bending loading equals 8.5 times the endurance limit of pure torsion fatigue. On the other hand the endurance limit of combined torsion/bending fatigue strength approximately half the fatigue limit of pure bending fatigue strength. The predicted values of combined torsion/bending fatigue strength at different number of cycles, using the published failure theory are in good agreement with the experimental data. For the investigated range of fiber volume fractions (V_f) it was found that higher stress levels are needed to produce fatigue failure after the same number of cycles as V_f increases.     

混杂比对碳/芳纶纤维混杂纬编双轴向多层衬纱织物增强复合材料力学性能的影响

利用层内混杂的方式制备碳/芳纶纤维混杂纬编双轴向多层衬纱织物,通过对材料进行拉伸、三点弯曲等实验研究该织物增强复合材料的力学性能及混杂比对其力学性能的影响。结果表明,按照一定的混杂比加入芳纶纤维后复合材料的拉伸性能提高,表现出积极的混杂效应。由于延伸性好的芳纶纤维的加入,使复合材料的拉伸断裂伸长率明显提高,材料破坏模式出现了完全脆性断裂模式(C12材料破坏形式)和“扫帚”形纤维断裂模式(C8A4,C6A6材料破坏形式)。此外,按照一定的混杂比加入芳纶纤维也有效改善了碳纤维增强复合材料的破坏韧性,碳/芳纶纤维混杂MBWK织物增强复合材料的弯曲强度和弯曲模量随混杂比的提高而呈下降趋势,当复合材料中芳纶含量从42%(体积分数,下同)(C6A6)到59.2%(C4A8)的变化过程中,弯曲强度和弯曲模量的降低率较高。0°试样在混杂比为59.2%(C4A8)时,弯曲挠度最大,达到7.49 mm,远高于纯芳纶纤维或纯碳纤维增强的复合材料。所有90°混杂复合材料试样的弯曲挠度均高于纯芳纶纤维或纯碳纤维增强的复合材料,表现出积极的混杂效应。     

The effect of time and temperature on flexural creep and fatigue strength of a silica particle filled epoxy resin

Composite materials that use an epoxy resin as a matrix resins have superior mechanical properties over standard structural materials, but these materials exhibit time and temperature behavior when used for long periods and under high temperatures. This time and temperature behavior has not been fully explained. The purpose of this paper is to further describe this time and temperature behavior, increasing the reliability of this class of composite materials. The time and temperature dependence of flexural strength was examined by creep and fatigue testing. Flexural creep tests were carried out at various temperatures below the glass transition temperature. Flexural fatigue tests were carried out at various stress ratios, temperatures below the glass transition temperature and 2 frequencies. The time-temperature superposition principle held for the flexural creep strength of this material. A method to predict flexural creep strength based on the static strength master curve and the cumulative damage law is proposed. When the fatigue frequency was decreased while temperature and stress ratio are held constant the flexural fatigue strength decreases. The time-temperature superposition principle was also found to hold for the flexural fatigue strength with respect to frequency.