Showing papers on "Crack closure published in 2022"

The dual role of martensitic transformation in fatigue crack growth

Abstract: Significance About 90% of all mechanical service failures are caused by fatigue. Avoiding fatigue failure requires addressing the wide knowledge gap regarding the micromechanical processes governing damage under cyclic loading, which may be fundamentally different from that under static loading. This is particularly true for deformation-induced martensitic transformation (DIMT), one of the most common strengthening mechanisms for alloys. Here, we identify two antagonistic mechanisms mediated by martensitic transformation during the fatigue process through in situ observations and demonstrate the dual role of DIMT in fatigue crack growth and its strong crack-size dependence. Our findings open up avenues for designing fatigue-resistant alloys through optimal use of DIMT. They also enable the development of physically based lifetime prediction models with higher fidelity.

Mechanistic fatigue in Ni-based superalloy single crystals: A study of crack paths and growth rates

Abstract: The mechanistic basis of microstructurally short crack paths and growth rates is investigated in Ni-based superalloy single crystals using Crystal Plasticity (CP) and eXtended Finite Element (XFEM) analyses of experimental edge-cracked samples over a range of crystal orientations. Crack paths are determined to be those along crystallographic slip systems within which the slip is highest. Crack growth rates are determined by the crack tip critical stored energy density. Experimental observations of tortuous crack paths and their dependence on crystal orientation are reasonably well captured by the mechanistic model. Key features of alternating and straight crack paths are reproduced. The experimentally measured crack growth rates as a function of crystal orientation are also captured by the mechanistic model and controlled by the crack tip critical stored energy density which was found to be 385 Jm−2 in the Ni-based superalloy single crystals analysed. A new methodology for determination of critical stored energy density and mechanistic quantification of short crack growth rates is presented.

Mechanistic fatigue in Ni-based superalloy single crystals: A study of crack paths and growth rates

Abstract: The mechanistic basis of microstructurally short crack paths and growth rates is investigated in Ni-based superalloy single crystals using Crystal Plasticity (CP) and eXtended Finite Element (XFEM) analyses of experimental edge-cracked samples over a range of crystal orientations. Crack paths are determined to be those along crystallographic slip systems within which the slip is highest. Crack growth rates are determined by the crack tip critical stored energy density. Experimental observations of tortuous crack paths and their dependence on crystal orientation are reasonably well captured by the mechanistic model. Key features of alternating and straight crack paths are reproduced. The experimentally measured crack growth rates as a function of crystal orientation are also captured by the mechanistic model and controlled by the crack tip critical stored energy density which was found to be 385 Jm −2 in the Ni-based superalloy single crystals analysed. A new methodology for determination of critical stored energy density and mechanistic quantification of short crack growth rates is presented.

Additive manufacturing of Ni-based superalloys: Residual stress, mechanisms of crack formation and strategies for crack inhibition

Abstract: The additive manufacturing (AM) of Ni-based superalloys has attracted extensive interest from both academia and industry due to its unique capabilities to fabricate complex and high-performance components for use in high-end industrial systems. However, the intense temperature gradient induced by the rapid heating and cooling processes of AM can generate high levels of residual stress and metastable chemical and structural states, inevitably leading to severe metallurgical defects in Ni-based superalloys. Cracks are the greatest threat to these materials’ integrity as they can rapidly propagate and thereby cause sudden and non-predictable failure. Consequently, there is a need for a deeper understanding of residual stress and cracking mechanisms in additively manufactured Ni-based superalloys and ways to potentially prevent cracking, as this knowledge will enable the wider application of these unique materials. To this end, this paper comprehensively reviews the residual stress and the various mechanisms of crack formation in Ni-based superalloys during AM. In addition, several common methods for inhibiting crack formation are presented to assist the research community to develop methods for the fabrication of crack-free additively manufactured components.

The concept of Representative Crack Elements (RCE) for phase-field fracture: transient thermo-mechanics

Abstract: Abstract The phase-field formulation for fracture based on the framework of representative crack elements is extended to transient thermo-mechanics. The finite element formulation is derived starting from the variational principle of total virtual power. The intention of this manuscript is to demonstrate the potential of the framework for multi-physical fracture models and complex processes inside the crack. The present model at hand allows to predict realistic deformation kinematics and heat fluxes at cracks. At the application of fully coupled, transient thermo-elasticity to a pre-cracked plate, the opened crack yields thermal isolation between both parts of the plate. Inhomogeneous thermal strains result in a curved crack surface, inhomogeneous recontact and finally heat flow through the crack regions in contact. The novel phase-field framework further allows to study processes inside the crack, which is demonstrated by heat radiation between opened crack surfaces. Finally, numerically calculated crack paths at a disc subjected to thermal shock load are compared to experimental results from literature and a curved crack in a three-dimensional application are presented.

Twin boundary fatigue crack nucleation in a polycrystalline Nickel superalloy containing non-metallic inclusions

Abstract: Non-metallic inclusions and twin boundaries are preferred fatigue crack nucleation locations in polycrystalline Ni-based superalloys. A Heaviside HR-DIC, EBSD and multi-scale modelling strategy (CPFE-DDP) was used to assess experimental observations of fatigue crack nucleation near agglomerated inclusions in RR1000 at elevated temperature. Inclusion fracture and decohesion were observed within the first cycle of loading. Fatigue crack nucleation at the non-metallic inclusion coincided with that in an adjacent coarse grain containing a twin boundary. DDP modelling of the twin boundary showed the establishment of slip activation parallel as well as oblique to the interface, as observed in DIC characterisation. The DDP results showed pile-up driven generation of local GND density at the interface, in turn driving high local stored energy density and fatigue crack nucleation. These conditions were shown to result from the anisotropic elastic constraint at the twin boundary. In addition, the complex stress field arising from the agglomerate drives plasticity near the twin boundary contributing to the necessary conditions for fatigue crack nucleation.

Role of metastable austenite in the fatigue resistance of 304L stainless steel produced by laser-based powder bed fusion

Abstract: The fatigue crack growth (FCG) behavior and fatigue strength of 304L stainless steel (SS) manufactured by the laser powder bed fusion (LB-PBF) process were investigated. Effect of build orientation, microstructure, and temperature--considering that the alloy undergoes temperature-dependent stress-induced martensitic transformation (SIMT)--were determined. FCG rates were found to be broadly independent of the build orientation and microstructure, although it is reduced in shorter builds due to the presence of higher compressive residual stress in them. Microstructural investigations of the fatigue crack reveal that SIMT occurs at the crack tip of alloys tested at room temperature, whereas the same was negligible at 150 °C. SIMT induces dilatation and shear, which enhances crack closure and retards FCG rates at RT compared to that at 150 °C. Using the microstructural observations of the transformed zone, an estimate of the crack closure due to SIMT is provided. Finally, failure envelopes or the Kitagawa-Takahashi diagram was prepared for different temperatures to facilitate a damage tolerant design approach.

Coupling of phase field and viscoplasticity for modelling cyclic softening and crack growth under fatigue

Abstract: A coupled phase field-viscoplasticity approach was developed to model the deformation and crack growth in a nickel-based superalloy under fatigue. The coupled model has an advantage in predicting the cyclic softening behavior of the alloy caused by fatigue damage, overcoming a major limitation of the original cyclic viscoplasticity model. The coupled approach is also highly effective in predicting fatigue crack propagation under varied dwell times at peak load, an important behavior for crack growth under dwell fatigue. By incorporating the stress state factor, the coupled model is further utilized to investigate the growth behavior of 3D cracks under fatigue. Both the geometrical feature of the 3D crack front and the overall crack growth rate are well captured, confirming the predicative capability of the coupled model.