Mechanical properties and fracture behavior of high-strength steels

Typical thicknesses of high-strength steels (HSS) sheets used in the car industry are inapplicable for standardized testing procedures. The aim of this study is to propose an appropriate methodology for testing and comparing of thin HSS sheets. Microstructures were observed by means of light and scanning electron microscopy. The modified Charpy impact tests and fracture toughness tests were used in order to compare the fracture properties of three different HSS sheets (Docol 1200 M, Multiphase 1200 and BTR 165). Ductile-to-brittle transition curves and tearing resistance (J − Δa) curves were measured. From the fracture toughness linked to the specimen thicknesses the value of fracture toughness K_Ic was estimated. Fractographic analysis of broken specimens has revealed that due to the fine microstructure of mixed ferrite-martensite fracture mechanism remains ductile even at low temperatures (down to −100°C). __________ Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 1, pp. 155–158, January–February, 2008.     

Fatigue fracture toughness and crack propagation rate

Fatigue crack growth rate, da/dN, of two high strength steels were examined in a laboratory air at different stress ratios, covering almost the entire range of stress intensity, K, from nearly threshold value, Kth, to final fracture. The fatigue fracture toughness, Kfc, corresponding to the final fracture in fatigue, was also determined. The lower the Kfc, the higher da/dN and reduced Kth are revealed.This correlation was analyzed quantitatively based on the four parameter Weibull function. And the stress ratio dependency of the fatigue crack propagation curve can be cleared in a successful manner.The fatigue characteristic stress intensities, Ke and Kv, are proposed to define the transition behaviour in fatigue crack growth curve, from so called region 1 to 2, and from region 2 to 3, respectively. Especially the Kv valua can be specified to be the 0.63Kfc.

---

Résumé On a étudié la vitesse de propagation de fissure en fatigue da/dN de deux aciers à haute résistance dans un atmosphère de laboratoire sous des sollicitations couvrant toute la gamme des intensités de contraintes variables K, depuis une valeur voisine de la valeur du seuil Kth jusqu'à celle correspondant à rupture finale.La ténacité à la rupture par fatigue Kfe correspondant à la rupture finale par fatigue a été également déterminée. II s'avère que plus Kfe est faible, plus élevée est da/dN et plus Kth est réduite. Cette correlation est analysée quantitativement en se basant sur la fonction de Weibull à quatre paramètres. On peut ainsi clarifier la manière dont le rapport de contraintes influe les courbes de propagation des fissures de fatigue.On propose de définir pas les facteurs caractéristiques d'intensité de contrainte Ke et Kv les comportements de transition de la courbe de vitesse de propagation de la fissure entre respectivement les régions dénommées 1 et 2, et 2 et 3.En particulier, on peut spécifier que la valeur Kv vaut 0,63 Kfe.

     

Mechanism of the effect of hydrogen on fatigue crack propagation in structural steels

Translated from Fiziko-Khimicheskaya Mekhanika Materialov, No. 3, pp. 39–42, May–June, 1988.     

Double influence of hydrogen on fatigue crack growth in heat-resistant steels

We investigate fatigue crack growth in cast heat-resistant steel pipes of reforming furnaces in a vacuum, in air, and in gaseous hydrogen in the temperature range 20 – 800°C. It is shown that the character and intensity of hydrogen-induced effects depend on temperature and loading amplitude. For the crack resistance threshold, we discovered the phenomenon of temperature inversion of these effects. Namely, the value of K _th in hydrogen increases with temperature up to 400°C and then decreases. Under high-amplitude loading, the influence of hydrogen manifests itself only in the acceleration of crack growth. The ambiguity in the influence of hydrogen on the plastic strain resistance of the material at the crack tip is analyzed on the basis of well-known physical concepts of the influence of hydrogen on the processes of generation and displacement of dislocations. The effects discovered in this work are explained by the realization of different fracture mechanisms and different types of hydrogen-induced effects under different conditions. Thus, at low temperatures (up to 400°C) and high K, one observes a decrease in the tearing strength; the case of low temperatures and low K is characterized by the shear fracture mechanism and the strengthening effect of hydrogen; for high temperatures ( 400°C) and low K, the shear fracture mechanism is combined with a decrease in the plastic strain resistance under the influence of hydrogen.Karpenko Physicomechanical Institute, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, L'viv. Translated from Fiziko-Khimicheskaya Mekhanika Materialov, Vol. 30, No, 4, pp. 7–15, July – August, 1994.     

3D fracture mechanics investigation on surface fatigue crack propagation

Surface fatigue crack propagation is the typical failure mode of engineering structures. In this study, the experiment on surface fatigue crack propagation in 15MnVN steel plate is carried out, and the crack shape and propagation life are obtained. With the concept of ‘equivalent thickness’ brought into the latest three‐dimensional (3D) fracture mechanics theory, one closure model applicable to 3D fatigue crack is put forward. By using the above 3D crack‐closure model, the shape and propagation life of surface fatigue crack in 15MnVN plates are predicted. The simulative results show that the 3D fracture mechanics‐based closure model for 3D fatigue crack is effective.     

The role of fracture toughness in low-cycle fatigue crack propagation for high-strength alloys

The trend toward broader application of high-strength structural alloys has increased the potential for failure by low-cycle fatigue crack propagation. There is a significant probability that complex structures will contain undetected cracks remaining from fabrication or that cracks will readily initiate from less severe fabrication defects. Under the repeated application of high stresses, imposed on high-strength alloys, such cracks will rapidly grow in low-cycle fatigue. To guard against disastrous failures caused by cracks propagating to terminal fracture, high-strength structural alloys which also possess high levels of fracture resistance have been developed in recent years. This paper describes the principal fatigue crack propagation characteristics which are derived from high fracture toughness and discusses the potential benefits available through the use of high-toughness alloys in cyclically-loaded structures.     

The influence of crack depth on the fatigue crack propagation rate for a marine steel in seawater

It has been shown that, for QIN steel specimens tested in seawater at a zero-tension cyclic frequency of 30 cycles per hour, crack growth rates are influenced by crack depth at low values of the stress intensity range (K). Crack growth rates are faster for shallow cracks in the crack depth range 0.5 to 2.0 mm when K is less than about 30 MN m^–3/2. For deeper cracks at low stress intensity ranges and for all crack depths at high stress intensity ranges, crack depth does not exert a significant influence on crack growth rate. The implications of such factors in relation to the provision of corrosion fatigue crack growth rate data for use in engineering design are discussed.     

The effect of crack propagation mechanism on the fractal dimension of fracture surfaces in steels

The paper reports on the results of a fractal analysis of fracture surfaces of Ni–Cr steel in two different states of heat treatment simulating embrittlement. The change in the fractal dimension of the fracture surface demonstrates a wavy character and dispersion depending on the microstructural state of the tested steel. The results of the fractal analysis in the crack growth direction and across the entire crack front were used as the basis for a reconstruction of the geometry of the fracture surface, providing a new geometric tool for fractographic analysis. The competing effects of transgranular and intergranular brittle fracture may lead to increased roughness of the fracture surface and its fractal dimension. The threshold value of the fractal dimension of the sections perpendicular to the fracture surface, indicating the transition from transgranular to intergranular fracture, is 1.12.     

Process region influence on energy release rate and crack tip velocity during rapid crack propagation

A finite element model of a plate with an edge crack is investigated. A cell model of the material, with the cell size representing some characteristic intrinsic material length, is adopted. The size of the process region depends on the number of cells that have reached a state which is unstable at load control. The results show that the growth of the process region is a main factor responsible for the lack of a unique relation between the small scale yielding energy release rate and the crack tip velocity and also for the observed constant crack velocities that are significantly below the Rayleigh wave velocity. A rapidly propagating crack appears to meet an increase of the energy flow to the crack edge per unit of time by increasing the size of the process region rather than increasing its edge velocity.     

回火工艺对65Mn钢疲劳裂纹扩展行为的影响

采用中温回火和高温回火对65Mn钢进行热处理,测试其拉伸性能,并对其疲劳裂纹扩展行为进行研究,探索其疲劳断裂机制．结果表明,两种回火方案对应的裂纹扩展速率的m值相差不大,而C值差异较大,反映出在稳定扩展区的疲劳裂纹扩展对其微观组织不敏感,塑性变形消耗了裂纹扩展的能量,使裂纹扩展速率下降;随着回火温度的升高,实验钢的疲劳断裂特征由脆性逐渐变为韧性,高温回火提高了其裂纹扩展的门槛值,降低了疲劳裂纹扩展速率,65Mn钢经高温回火后有较优的综合力学性能和疲劳性能．     

On the influence of microstructure on crack propagation mechanisms and fracture toughness of metallic materials

A survey is given on the effect of microstructure on crack propagation mechanisms and fracture toughness.

The influence of inclusions and of the material's matrix are treated separately. An attempt was made to correlate some simple, but typical microstructures with corresponding crack propagation mechanisms and to establish a qualitative sequence of these microstructures with respect to their effect on K_IC. Because of the lack of sufficient experimental evidence this attempt is necessarily incomplete.

Finally, some K_IC-calculations are compared with measured values.