Fractography

About: Fractography is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 5043 publications have been published within this topic receiving 86068 citations.

Deformation and fracture in martensitic carbon steels tempered at low temperatures

Abstract: This article reviews the strengthening and fracture mechanisms that operate in carbon and low-alloy carbon steels with martensitic microstructures tempered at low temperatures, between 150 °C and 200 °C. The carbon-dependent strength of low-temperature-tempered (LTT) martensite is shown to be a function of the dynamic strain hardening of the dislocation and transition carbide substructure of martensite crystals. In steels containing up to 0.5 mass pct carbon, fracture occurs by ductile mechanisms of microvoid formation at dispersions of second-phase particles in the matrix of the strain-hardened tempered martensite. Steels containing more than 0.5 mass pct carbon with LTT martensitic microstructures are highly susceptible to brittle intergranular fracture at prior austenite grain boundaries. The mechanisms of the intergranular fracture are discussed, and approaches that have evolved to minimize such fracture and to utilize the high strength of high-carbon hardened steels are described.

Fatigue behavior of high-Mn TWIP steels

Abstract: Fatigue behavior of three high-Mn TWIP steels with the grain sizes between 4.5 and 55 μm were investigated in reversed plane bending in the high-cycle regime. Crack initiation and propagation stages were examined by optical, scanning electron and atom force microscopy. It was found that the fatigue limit, which is the stress amplitude leading to fatigue life beyond 2 × 10 6 cycles, is quite high, about 400 MPa, for these steels. This value is between 0.42 and 0.48 of the tensile strengths, similarly as for austenitic stainless steels. Refining the grain size still increases the fatigue resistance. Neither martensite is formed nor mechanical twinning takes place in the course of cycling, but intense slip bands are created with extrusions and intrusions. Fatigue cracks tend to nucleate at an early stage of fatigue life, and preferentially on grain and twin boundaries, especially in the intersection sites of slip bands and boundaries, besides slip bands. However, the crack propagation takes place mainly transgranularly creating ductile striations and protrusions on fracture surfaces.

Effects of rare earth elements addition on microstructures, tensile properties and fractography of A357 alloy

Abstract: The effects of rare earth (RE) containing Ce and La elements addition on the microstructures characteristics, tensile properties and fracture behavior of A357 alloy under as-cast and T6 conditions were systematically investigated in this study. Obtained results showed that the addition of RE obviously reduced the sizes of the α-Al primary phase and eutectic silicon particles as well as SDAS value and improved the morphology of eutectic silicon particles. The optimum level of added RE content were 0.2 wt%, and the aspect ratio of eutectic silicon particles of the A357 modified alloy under as-cast and T6 conditions decreased 142% and 174%, respectively, compared with the unmodified alloy. In addition, the addition of RE greatly improved the tensile properties of A357 alloy as result of the significant improvement in microstructure, especially in elongation under T6 condition. The fracture surfaces of the A357 unmodified alloy tensile samples showed a clear brittle fracture nature, and its fracture path passed through the eutectic silicon particles and displayed a transgranular fracture mode, leading to poorer ductility. The fracture path of the A357 modified alloys passed through the eutectic phase along the grain boundaries of the α-Al primary phase, and the fracture generated by dimple rupture with cracked eutectic silicon particles, and it showed an intergranular fracture mode, resulting in superior ductility.