Fatigue Damage Mechanism of AL6XN Austenitic Stainless Steel at High Temperatures

By the combination of transmission electron microscope, neutron diffraction and small-angle neutron scattering methods, mechanical fatigue behavior of AL6XN austenitic stainless steel was investigated in the temperature range of 400–600 °C. At 400 °C, in addition to the occurrence of dynamic strain aging, the formation of short-range order was evidenced from the forbidden electron diffraction spot of 1/3 {422} in face-centered cubic(fcc) structure viewed down [111] zone axis, which facilitate the planar slip mode of dislocation and result in the work hardening during the fatigue deformation. The fatigue damage is mainly dominated by the accumulation of planar slip band and the interaction among various slip systems. With increasing temperature, precipitates of chi phase, Laves phase and sigma phase were formed during the fatigue tests at 500 and 600 °C. An increase in precipitation content at 600 °C has also been confirmed by both scanning electron microscope and small-angle neutron scattering analysis. The dislocation pileup originating from the uncoordinated deformation between precipitate and austenitic matrix is an important fatigue damage leading to crack. The continuous cycle softening behavior was also observed on the fatigue curve at 600 °C, which is considered to be caused by dynamic recovery.     

Cyclic deformation behaviors of Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb-0.15B alloy during thermo-mechanical fatigue tests

Thermo-mechanical fatigue tests were carried out on the gamma-TiAl alloy in the temperature range of 500-800 °C under mechanical strain control in order to evaluate its cyclic deformation behaviors at elevated temperature.Cyclic deformation curves,stress-strain hysteresis loops under different temperature-strain cycles were analyzed and dislocation configurations were also observed by TEM.The mechanisms of cyclic hardening or softening during thermo-mechanical fatigue(TMF) tests were also discussed.Results showed that thermo-mechanical fatigue lives largely depended on the applied mechanical strain amplitudes,applied types of strain and temperature.On the hysteresis loops appeared two apparent asymmetries:one was zero asymmetry and the other was tensile and compressive asymmetry.Dislocations configuration and slip behaviors were contributed to cyclic hardening or cyclic softening.     

Influence of Microstructural Evolution on the Hot Deformation Behavior of an Fe–Mn–Al Duplex Lightweight Steel

The hot deformation behavior of Fe–26 Mn–6.2 Al–0.05 C steel was studied by experimental hot compression tests in the temperature range of 800–1050 °C and strain rate range of 0.01–30 s21 on a Gleeble-3500 thermal simulation machine. The microstructural evolution during the corresponding thermal process was observed in situ by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Electron backscattered diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses were carried out to observe the microstructural morphology before and after the hot deformation. Furthermore, interrupted compression tests were conducted to correlate the microstructural characteristics and softening mechanisms at different deformation stages.The results showed that hot compression tests of this steel were all carried out on a duplex matrix composed of austenite and d-ferrite. As the deformation temperature increased from 800 to 1050 °C, the volume fraction of austenite decreased from 70.9% to 44.0%, while that of d-ferrite increased from 29.1% to 56.0%. Due to the different stress exponents(n) and apparent activation energies(Q), the generated strain was mostly accommodated by d-ferrite at the commencement of deformation, and then both dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization occurred earlier in d-ferrite than in austenite.This interaction of strain partitioning and unsynchronized softening behavior caused an abnormal hot deformation behavior profile in the Fe–Mn–Al duplex steel, such as yield-like behavior, peculiar work-hardening behavior, and dynamic softening behavior, which are influenced by not only temperature and strain rate but also by microstructural evolution.     

Hot Deformation Behavior of a New Nuclear Use Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic Steel

The hot deformation behavior and workability of a new reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel named SIMP steel for accelerator-driven system were studied.The flow curve and its microstructure were studied at 900-1200℃ and strain rate range of 0.001-10 s~(-1).The results showed that the deformation behavior of the SIMP steel during hot compression could be manifested by the Zener-Hollomon parameter in an exponent-type equation.Based on the obtained constitutive equation,the calculated flow stresses were in agreement with the experimentally measured ones,and the average activity energies QDRV and QHW for the initiation of dynamic recrystallization and the peak strain were calculated to be 476.1 kJ/mol and 462.7 kJ/mol,respectively.Furthermore,based on the processing maps and microstructure evolution,the optimum processing condition for the SIMP steel was determined to be 1050-1200 ℃/0.001-0.1 s~(-1).     

A damage-coupled multi-axial time-dependent low cycle fatigue failure model for SS304 stainless steel at high temperature

Based on the time-dependent strain cyclic characteristics and fatigue behaviors of SS304 stainless steel under multi-axial cyclic loading at 700 ? C, and in the frame of unified visoco-plastic cyclic constitutive model and continuum damage mechanics theory, the damage-coupled multi-axial time-dependent constitutive model and fatigue failure model were proposed. In the model, the evolution equation of damage was introduced in and the time-dependent effects, e.g. holding time, loading rate, were taken into account. The model was applied to the simulation of whole-life cyclic deformation behaviors and prediction of LCF life for SS304 stainless steel in multiaxial time-dependent low cycle fatigue tests. It is shown that the simulated results agree well with experimental ones.     

SUBSTRUCTURE ALTERATION OF STAINLESS STEEL DURING CONSTANT STRAIN FATIGUE

The alteration of substructure of an austenitic stainless steel has been investigated during con-stant strain fatigue.No plateau stage on the cyclic stress-strain curve was observed for thestainless steel in contrast with a monocrystalline pure copper specimen.This may relate to itslow stacking fault energy.During strain fatigue under various amplitudes the substructure ofdislocation in austenite alterates correspondingly.It revealed to associate with the appearancechange of the cyclic stress-strain curve.     

In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis of deformation behavior of a Nb/NiTi composite for biomedical applications

The deformation behavior involved in Nb/NiTi composite for biomedical applications within a large macroscopic strain range was investigated by tensile loading-unloading test and in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction(SXRD).Experimental results show that during loading,the Nb/NiTi composite experiences the elastic elongation of B2-NiTi austenitic,B19'-NiTi martensitic and β-Nb phases,B2→ B19' stress-induced martensitic(SIM) transformation and tensile plastic deformation of β-Nb phase.During unloading,the deformation behavior involved in Nb/NiTi composite includes the elastic recovery of B2-NiTi austenitic,B19'-NiTi martensitic and β-Nb phases,reverse phase transformation B19'→B2 and compressive deformation of p-Nb phase.The martensitic transformation in this composite is almost reversible and occurs in a localized manner.These results might contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the deformation mechanism involved in Nb/NiTi composite and shed some light on design and development of novel composites with a combination of good biocompatibility and excellent superelasticity for biomedical applications.     

Microstructural evolution and change in hardness during creep of NF709 austenitic stainless steel

Microstructural evolution and the change in hardness during creep deformation of NF709 austenitic stainless steel were investigated.Creep tests were carried out at 650 ℃ for 2932 h under a load of 210 MPa for comparison with aging specimen at 650 ℃ for 3000 h.The hardness results indicated that applied stress during creep process induced hardness increase.Analysis of longitudinal section microstructure showed that the creep damage caused by pores and the grain boundary hardening caused by elongated grains c...     

Hot Deformation and Dynamic Recrystallization Behavior of Austenite-Based Low-Density Fe–Mn–Al–C Steel

The hot deformation and dynamic recrystallization(DRX) behavior of austenite-based Fe–27Mn–11.5Al–0.95 C steel with a density of 6.55 g cm-3were investigated by compressive deformation at the temperature range of900–1150 °C and strain rate of 0.01–10 s-1. Typical DRX behavior was observed under chosen deformation conditions and yield-point-elongation-like effect caused by DRX of d-ferrite. The flow stress characteristics were determined by DRX of the d-ferrite at early stage and the austenite at later stage, respectively. On the basis of hyperbolic sine function and linear fitting, the calculated thermal activation energy for the experimental steel was 294.204 k J mol-1. The occurrence of DRX for both the austenite and the d-ferrite was estimated and plotted by related Zener–Hollomon equations. A DRX kinetic model of the steel was established by flow stress and peak strain without considering dynamic recovery and d-ferrite DRX. The effects of deformation temperature and strain rate on DRX volume fraction were discussed in detail. Increasing deformation temperature or strain rate contributes to DRX of both the austenite and the d-ferrite, whereas a lower strain rate leads to the austenite grains growth and the d-ferrite evolution, from banded to island-like structure.     

Some Aspects of High Manganese Twinning-Induced Plasticity （TWIP） Steel, A Review

High manganese twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel is a new kind of structural material and possesses both high strength and superior plasticity and can meet the weight-lightening requirement for manufacturing vehicle body. The excellent formability of the TWIP steel comes from the extraordinary strain hardening effect during plastic deformation. The reduction of specific weight by aluminum alloying and strain hardening effect can lead to an effective weight reduction of the steel components, and provide a better choice for materials in vehicle body design. The TWIP effect in high Mn steels is generally associated with the successive workhardening generated by twins and influenced by some factors, such as Mn content, Al addition revealed by stacking fault energy (SFE), grain size, deformation temperature and strain rate. The present review introduces some aspects of the TWIP steels relating to their physical metallurgy, influencing factors associated with their deformation mechanisms, and a prospect for the future investigation is also described. Moreover, as a potential candidate for replacing Ni-Cr austenitic stainless steel, researches on the oxidation behavior and corrosion resistance of Fe-Mn-Al-C system steels are also reviewed.     

Dynamic processes of domain switching in lead zirconate titanate under cyclic mechanical loading by in situ neutron diffraction

The performance of ferroelectric ceramics is governed by the ability of domains to switch. A decrease in the switching ability can lead to degradation of the materials and failure of ferroelectric devices. In this work the dynamic properties of domain reorientation are studied. In situ time-of-flight neutron diffraction is used to probe the evolution of ferroelastic domain texture under mechanical cyclic loading in bulk lead zirconate titanate ceramics. The high sensitivity of neutron diffraction to lattice strain is exploited to precisely analyze the change of domain texture and strain through a full-pattern Rietveld method. These results are then used to construct a viscoelastic model, which explains the correlation between macroscopic phenomena (i.e. creep and recovered deformation) and microscopic dynamic behavior (i.e. ferroelastic switching, lattice strain).     

High-energy X-ray diffraction study on the temperature-dependent mechanical stability of retained austenite in low-alloyed TRIP steels

The stability of the retained austenite has been studied in situ in low-alloyed transformation-induced-plasticity (TRIP) steels using high-energy X-ray diffraction during tensile tests at variable temperatures down to 153 K. A detailed powder diffraction analysis has been performed to probe the austenite-to-martensite transformation by characterizing the evolution of the phase fraction, load partitioning and texture of the constituent phases simultaneously. Our results show that at lower temperatures the mechanically induced austenite transformation is significantly enhanced and extends over a wider deformation range, resulting in a higher elongation at fracture. Low carbon content grains transform first, leading to an initial increase in average carbon concentration of the remaining austenite. Later the carbon content saturates while the austenite still continues to transform. In the elastic regime the probed {h k l} planes develop different strains reflecting the elastic anisotropy of the constituent phases. The observed texture evolution indicates that the austenite grains oriented with the {2 0 0} plane along the loading direction are transformed preferentially as they show the highest resolved shear stress. For increasing degrees of plastic deformation the combined preferential transformation and grain rotation results in the standard deformation texture for austenite with the {1 1 1} component along the loading direction. The mechanical stability of retained austenite in TRIP steel is found to be a complex interplay between carbon concentration in the austenite, grain orientation, load partitioning and temperature.     

Multiscale mechanics of TRIP-assisted multiphase steels: I. Characterization and mechanical testing

The mechanical behaviour of transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)-assisted multiphase steels is addressed based on three different microstructures generated from the same steel grade. The mechanisms responsible for the work-hardening capacity and the resulting balance between strength and resistance to plastic localization are investigated at different length scales. The macroscopic mechanical response is determined by simple shear, uniaxial tension, Marciniak and equibiaxial tension supplemented by earlier tensile tests on notched and cracked specimens. It is shown that the transformation rate reaches a maximum for stress states intermediate between uniaxial tension and equibiaxial tension. At an intermediate length scale, the true in situ flow properties of the individual ferrite–bainite and retained austenite phases are determined by combining neutron diffraction and digital image correlation. This combined analysis elucidates the partitioning of stress and strain between the different constitutive phases. Based on these results, supplemented by transmission electron microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction observations, a general overview of the hardening behaviour of TRIP-assisted multiphase steels is depicted.     

In situ neutron diffraction during tensile deformation of a ferrite-cementite steel

A fully pearlitic steel (specimen P1) was subjected to cold-drawing (P2) followed by aging at 423 K (P3) or 673 K (P4). Some drawn samples were annealed to make cementite particles spherical (P5). By using neutron diffraction, high compressive residual stress component parallel to the drawing direction was detected in the ferrite matrix of specimen P2, whereas this stress level was partly relaxed in P3 and mostly in P4. In situ neutron diffraction experiments performed during tensile tests have revealed different work hardening behaviors in these specimens. Based on the data provided by a profile analysis of diffraction spectra, i.e. microstrain related to dislocation density and block size, strength and work-hardening of these specimens are discussed. In particular, it is documented that the treatment of the specimen P4 which is equivalent to commercially Zn-plated steel wires produces the largest internal stress by tensile deformation leading to a good balance of strength and uniform elongation.     

Orientation stress field analysis in polycrystalline bcc steel using neutron diffraction

We propose a methodology associating texture determinations and strains measurements by neutron diffraction in order to analyse the stress fields within families of crystallites with the same crystallographic orientation in polycrystalline materials. This stress analysis method allows an intermediate approach between a local and a global scale characterization within the bulk of massive samples, and appears promising for coupling with modelling methods due to the statistically representative informations it provides. We report here its application to characterize in situ the mechanical behaviour under uniaxial tension of a low alloyed 16MND5 bainitic steel used for nuclear reactor pressure vessels. It appears that the selected investigated phases exhibit very different mechanical responses. A large plastic deformation heterogeneity is observed.     

Characterization of the residual strains in iterative laser forming

In laser forming, thermally induced strains transverse to the laser scan line vary with depth in the material and contribute most significantly to the desired deformation. The through-thickness transverse residual strain distribution was measured by neutron diffraction in laser-formed low carbon steel and aluminium alloy specimens. The specimens were formed with a wide range of laser line energies covering the temperature gradient mechanism (TGM) and shortening or upsetting mechanism (SM), and for single and multi-pass forming (up to 3 laser passes). Below the saturation line energy where the TGM dominates, the gradient of the through-thickness strain distribution was found to increase with increasing line energy and number of laser passes; the gradient decreased again at line energies above the saturation line energy where the efficiency of the TGM decreases. Iterative laser forming can be applied to reduce weld-induced distortions. The peak longitudinal strain measured in the weld seam of a specimen that had been straightened by iterative laser forming was also significantly reduced.     

Deformation mechanisms of a 20Mn TWIP steel investigated by in situ neutron diffraction and TEM

The deformation mechanisms and associated microstructure changes during tensile loading of an annealed twinning-induced plasticity steel with chemical composition Fe–20Mn–3Si–3Al–0.045C (wt.%) were systematically investigated using in situ time-of-flight neutron diffraction in combination with post mortem transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The initial microstructure of the investigated alloy consists of equiaxed γ grains with the initial α′-phase of ～7% in volume. In addition to dislocation slip, twinning and two types of martensitic transformations from the austenite to α′- and ε-martensites were observed as the main deformation modes during the tensile deformation. In situ neutron diffraction provides a powerful tool for establishing the deformation mode map for elucidating the role of different deformation modes in different strain regions. The critical stress is 520 MPa for the martensitic transformation from austenite to α′-martensite, whereas a higher stress (>600 MPa) is required for actuating the deformation twin and/or the martensitic transformation from austenite to ε-martensite. Both ε- and α′-martensites act as hard phases, whereas mechanical twinning contributes to both the strength and the ductility of the studied steel. TEM observations confirmed that the twinning process was facilitated by the parent grains oriented with 〈1 1 1〉 or 〈1 1 0〉 parallel to the loading direction. The nucleation and growth of twins are attributed to the pole and self-generation formation mechanisms, as well as the stair-rod cross-slip mechanism.     

Potentialabhängigkeit der Schwingungsrißkorrosion von höherfestem Dalbenstahl in Salzwässern

Potential dependence of the corrosion fatigue of high strength sheet piling steel in salt water Cathodic protection of high strength steel, grade X 65, against corrosion fatigue (25 Hz) is not effective in seawater. An influence of hydrogen is assumed because hydrogen embrittlement occurs at slow strain-rates (not a constant load) under the condition of cathodic hydrogen evolution. The potential dependency of corrosion fatigue at 5 Hz was investigated with notched and smooth electropolished tensile specimens. The notched specimens showed a slight decrease of the number of cycles to failure with decreasing potential. The polished smooth specimens displayed cathodic protection. The results of the investigation can be explained by recent publications as an participation of hydrogen embrittlement, which happens only at critical strain rates and is dependent on the amount of straining, the frequency and the surface of the specimen.