Effects of ethylene-octene copolymer (POE) on the brittle to ductile transition of high-density polyethylene/POE blends

Three kinds of ethylene-octene copolymers (POE) were melt-blended with high-density polyethylene (PE-HD) in different proportions. Detailed characterizations were conducted to analyze their structural differences of POE and its effects in toughening PE-HD. The higher molecular weight POE can improve the toughness of PE-HD. 60:40 PE-HD/POE is elongated to break up to 700% while impact strength is 84.7 kJ/m² at −30°C, which is 21-fold of PE-HD. In the brittle to ductile transition (BDT) during impact, the fracture mechanism changes from the crazing mode to the shear yield-plastic deformation mode. The BDT temperature decreases as the POE molecular weight and its content increase. The interface strength in tension is estimated to access their effects. The Boltzmann-type models were successfully extended to describe the typical S-shaped curves in BDT of notched impact strength vs POE content or temperature. The supplementary decay model is suggested for the attenuation in toughening. Transition map in impact is proposed to select the use range of composition (c ) and temperature (T ) for high toughness. The curves are converted into 3D graph of T -c -impact strength for illustrating their coupling-separate effects, and further into the contour map of impact strength in T -c space for finding their partial equivalence.     

Dynamic crack propagation with cohesive elements: a methodology to address mesh dependency

In this paper, two brittle fracture problems are numerically simulated: the failure of a ceramic ring under centrifugal loading and crack branching in a PMMA strip. A three‐dimensional finite element package in which cohesive elements are dynamically inserted has been developed. The cohesive elements' strength is chosen to follow a modified weakest link Weibull distribution. The probability of introducing a weak cohesive element is set to increase with the cohesive element size. This reflects the physically based effect according to which larger elements are more likely to contain defects. The calculations illustrate how the area dependence of the Weibull model can be used to effectively address mesh dependency. On the other hand, regular Weibull distributions have failed to reduce mesh dependency for the examples shown in this paper. The ceramic ring calculations revealed that two distinct phenomena appear depending on the magnitude of the Weibull modulus. For low Weibull modulus, the fragmentation of the ring is dominated by heterogeneities. Whereas many cracks were generated, few of them could propagate to the outer surface. Monte Carlo simulations revealed that for highly heterogeneous rings, the number of small fragments was large and that few large fragments were generated. For high Weibull modulus, signifying that the ring is close to being homogeneous, the fragmentation process was very different. Monte Carlo simulations highlighted that a larger number of large fragments are generated due to crack branching. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

THE FRACTURE MECHANISM OF 475°C EMBRITTLEMENT IN A DUPLEX STAINLESS STEEL

The mechanism of “475°C embrittlement” of a duplex stainless steel was investigated using finite element modelling of the stress distribution at brittle fracture initiation. Brittle fracture initiated at a critical shear stress, which increased with ferrite hardness. The fracture stress was affected by the duplex microstructure. Fracture was nucleated by deformation twins, which were identified using electron back-scatter diffraction. The ductile-to-brittle fracture transition was sensitive to age-hardening and could be described simply by the effect of age-hardening and test temperature on the yield stress.     

40Cr钢复合热处理强韧化

用光学及电子显微镜(SEM.TEM)观察不同热处理的40Cr 钢的冲击及断裂韧性断口、及金相组织,阐明其间相互关系;断口结构可反映断裂特征,组织情况;细化晶粒提高强度、塑性和冲击韧性,但却减少脆断的特性距离 l 因而降低 K_(1c)模;减少碳(杂质)偏聚而使其呈较均匀地分布,从而减少可诱发塑坑的较粗大的碳(杂质)化合物的析出,即增加塑坑的间距 di 以及增加塑断组成物。从而都可增加断裂临界应变 ef,都可以提高 K_(1c)40Cr 复合热处理既靠先超高温淬、回火以减少碳(杂质)偏聚,改善其分布,以反增加位错马氏体从而提高 K_(1c),也靠后淬、回火细化晶粒而提高强度、塑性和冲击韧性,各自发挥长处达到强韧化。     

Brittle detachment of a stiffener bonded to an elastic plate

The diffusion of contact stresses between an elastic bar, bonded to an elastic half-plane and loaded longitudinally, requires the integration of a singular integral equation. The solution of this equation is not available in closed form, but only by a series expansion of the contact tangential force mutually transmitted between the stiffener and the plate. Since forty years it has been realized that the expansion of the solution in terms of Chebyshev polynomials is its most convenient method of representation. The procedure can also be extended to treat the brittle detachments of the tips of the stiffener when, according to Griffith's criterion of fracture, a balance can be virtually established between the increase of strain energy due to a propagation of cracks and the surface energy created.     

Geometry-Dependent R-Curve for Quasi-Brittle Materials

Fracture of quasi-brittle materials such as ceramics and cement-based materials can be described by an R -curve, defined as fracture resistance. The R -curve can be constructed as the envelope of the strain energy release rates ( G ). In this study, R -curve is defined as an envelope of G -curves obtained by varying the dimensions of identical specimens, while keeping the geometry and the initial flaw size constant. By approximating the G -curve with a second-order function of the crack length, a simple formulation of the R -curve is derived by solving a differential equation. Three parameters are needed for the proposed R -curve. These parameters can be obtained by testing a notched-beam specimen and using linear elastic fracture mechanics. The proposed R -curve simulates well the geometry dependency as well as other characteristics of the fracture response of quasi-brittle materials.     

Study on ASTM E399 and ASTM E1921 standards

Costs of ASTM E399 and ASTM E1921 tests, which were developed to determine the fracture toughness (K_Ic) and the ductile–brittle transition temperature of ferritic steels, respectively, are considered high and the procedures are also very complicated. In this study, a method, which is more cost‐effective and easier to carry out, is proposed.     

Failure analysis of three reconditioned rail car couplers

Three reconditioned rail car couplers, arbitrarily identified as couplers, failed during service due to cracking of the front face. The three couplers were reportedly upgraded by quenching and tempering to enhance strength and toughness. The objective of this investigation was to determine the mode of crack propagation and the root cause of the observed failures. Verl E. (Bud) Kahle, P.E., was a professional failure analyst for more than forty years. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in physical metallurgy from Washington State University 1957, Bud was employed by the General Electric Company at a facility in Hanford, Washington. He later was employed by the Aerojet General Corporation and eventually was head of the Southern Pacific Materials Science Laboratory in Sacramento. After retirement from Southern Pacific he owned and operated his own firm, Kahle Metallurgical Consulting Services, for fifteen years. He came to be known as “the man with the answers” to clients in a variety of industries. Bud was a Life Member of ASM International. Many of Bud’s clients remarked on the high quality of his failure analysis case histories and encouraged him to have them published. After Bud passed away in 1999, his wife, Suzanne, approached ASM International to see if the society would be interested in publishing any of his work. Mrs. Kahle was able to supply a large number of reports, which Bud had carefully archived over the years. Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention Associate Editor Michael Stevenson read through the collected case histories, selected the ones to be included in this issue, and edited them for journal publication. ASM International wishes to thank Mrs. Kahle for providing these case histories for publication.     

连铸高铝氮积齿轮钢第三脆性区形成机制与控制

钢中的Al、N含量对连铸及其后续加工热塑性和奥氏体晶粒度控制有重要影响,这也是高温渗碳钢与各种Al脱氧钢广泛关注的问题。使用Gleeble 3800热/力学模拟试验机测定了一种轨道交通用高铝氮积齿轮钢(SCM420H)的高温热塑性,并结合差示扫描量热仪(DSC)分析、AlN析出热力学模型以及Schwerdtfeger热塑性特征值计算模型揭示了其第三脆性区的形成机制与调控途径。结果表明,高铝氮积齿轮钢第三脆性区低谷温度范围为750~850 ℃,这是由应力诱导先共析铁素体膜的产生与AlN粒子的大量析出共同导致的。Schwerdtfeger热塑性特征值计算模型可以较准确地预测高铝氮积齿轮钢第三脆性区的上限温度与最小面缩率,但由其预测的热塑性曲线下限温度偏高,应进一步考虑先共析铁素体膜析出的影响,并依据Ar3温度对其进行修正。高Al高N齿轮钢第三脆性区的下限温度取决于其先共析铁素体开始析出温度,主要与钢种成分和铸坯冷却速率相关,连铸生产中可控性有限;但其上限温度则与铸坯应变速率、冷却速率以及钢中的Al、N含量和AlN析出行为均有关联,调控空间较大,应该是连铸生产中合理控制铸坯热塑性与表面裂纹倾向的正确途径。