Fatigue crack propagation behavior of multiphase microstructure in a quenched and partitioned medium-carbon bainitic steel
Corresponding Author
Qiangguo Li
Failure Mechanics & Engineering Disaster Prevention Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065 China
Key Laboratory of Fluid and Power Machinery (Xihua University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 610039 China
Material Corrosion and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan province, Zigong, 643002 China
Correspondence
Qiangguo Li, Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Sichuan University, No. 24, South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, China.
Email: [email protected]
Yanan Zhang, School of Materials Engineering, Xi'an Aeronautical University, 259 West Second Ring Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710077, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Yanan Zhang
School of Materials Engineering, Xi'an Aeronautical University, Xi'an, 710077 China
Correspondence
Qiangguo Li, Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Sichuan University, No. 24, South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, China.
Email: [email protected]
Yanan Zhang, School of Materials Engineering, Xi'an Aeronautical University, 259 West Second Ring Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710077, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorHong Luo
Material Corrosion and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan province, Zigong, 643002 China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Qiangguo Li
Failure Mechanics & Engineering Disaster Prevention Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065 China
Key Laboratory of Fluid and Power Machinery (Xihua University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 610039 China
Material Corrosion and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan province, Zigong, 643002 China
Correspondence
Qiangguo Li, Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Sichuan University, No. 24, South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, China.
Email: [email protected]
Yanan Zhang, School of Materials Engineering, Xi'an Aeronautical University, 259 West Second Ring Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710077, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Yanan Zhang
School of Materials Engineering, Xi'an Aeronautical University, Xi'an, 710077 China
Correspondence
Qiangguo Li, Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Sichuan University, No. 24, South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, China.
Email: [email protected]
Yanan Zhang, School of Materials Engineering, Xi'an Aeronautical University, 259 West Second Ring Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710077, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorHong Luo
Material Corrosion and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan province, Zigong, 643002 China
Search for more papers by this authorQiangguo Li and Yanan Zhang are considered as co-first authors.
Funding information: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant/Award Number: 52003181; Sichuan Science and Technology Program, Grant/Award Number: 2021YJ0555; Natural Science Basis Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China, Grant/Award Number: 2021JQ-852; Open Research Subject of Key Laboratory of Fluid and Power Machinery (Xihua University), Ministry of Education, Grant/Award Number: LTDL2021-006; Opening Project of Material Corrosion and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Grant/Award Number: 2021CL16; Scientific Research Foundation of Xi'an Aeronautical University, Grant/Award Number: 2020KY0215
Abstract
A medium-carbon steel was treated by the bainitic isothermal transformation plus quenching and partitioning (B-QP) process to obtain bainite/martensite/retained austenite multiphase microstructure, and its fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behavior was evaluated in contrast with BAT (bainite austempering) sample with fully bainite microstructure. Results show that B-QP sample exhibits a lower FCP rate and higher fatigue threshold ΔKth (12.6 MPa·m1/2). Moreover, the FCP path of B-QP sample displays a strongly tortuosity and more crack branching due to more filmy retained austenite (7.2%) and higher percentage of high angle misoriented boundaries (68%). The larger crack tortuosity and the secondary cracks as result of crack branching are primarily responsible for the lower FCP rate of B-QP sample. In addition, the FCP rate curve of B-QP sample shows a pronounced small plateauing at the near-threshold zone, which can be ascribed to the mechanical twinning that occurred in the filmy retained austenite.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time as the data also form part of an ongoing study.
REFERENCES
- 1Aglan HA, Liu ZY, Hassan MF, Fateh A. Mechanical and fracture behavior of bainitic rail steel. J Mater Process Technol. 2004; 151(1–3): 268-274.
- 2Sawley K, Kristan J. Development of bainitic rail steels with potential resistance to rolling contact fatigue. Fatigue Fract Eng M. 2003; 26(10): 1019-1029.
- 3Nishijima S, Kanazawa K. Stepwise S-N curve and fish-eye failure in gigacycle fatigue. Fatigue Fract Eng M. 1999; 22(7): 601-607.
- 4Yu Y, Gu JL, Bai BZ, Liu YB, Li SX. Very high cycle fatigue mechanism of carbide-free bainite/martensite steel micro-alloyed with Nb. Mat Sci Eng a-Struct. 2009; 527(1–2): 212-217.
- 5Li QG, Huang XF, Huang WG. Strain hardening behavior and deformation characteristics of multiphase microstructure. Mat Sci Eng a-Struct. 2017; 707: 199-206.
- 6Li QG, Huang XF, Huang WG. EBSD analysis of relationship between microstructural features and toughness of a medium-carbon quenching and partitioning Bainitic steel. J Mater Eng Perform. 2017; 26(12): 6149-6157.
- 7Li QG, Huang XF, Huang WG. Microstructure and mechanical properties of a medium-carbon bainitic steel by a novel quenching and dynamic partitioning (Q-DP) process. Mat Sci Eng a-Struct. 2016; 662: 129-135.
- 8Li QG, Huang XF, Huang WG. Fatigue property and microstructure deformation behavior of multiphase microstructure in a medium-carbon bainite steel under rolling contact condition. Int J Fatigue. 2019; 125: 381-393.
- 9Speer JG, Rizzo Assunção FC, Matlock DK, Edmonds DV. The “quenching and partitioning” process: background and recent progress. Mater Res. 2005; 8(4): 417-423.
- 10De Moor E, Lacroix S, Clarke AJ, Penning J, Speer JG. Effect of retained austenite stabilized via quench and partitioning on the strain hardening of martensitic steels. Metall Mater Trans A. 2008; 39A(11): 2586-2595.
- 11Liu EZ, Li QG, Naseem S, Huang XF, Huang WG. Effect of isothermal transformation times below Ms and tempering on strength and toughness of low-temperature bainite in 0.53 C bainitic steel. Materials. 2020; 13(10): 2418.
- 12Su CH, Li QG, Huang XF, Huang WG. Effect of bainite microstructure during two-step quenching and partitioning process on strength and toughness properties of a 0.3%C bainitic steel. J Iron Steel Res Int. 2018; 25(2): 235-242.
- 13Huang YY, Li QG, Huang XF, Huang WG. Effect of bainitic isothermal transformation plus Q & P process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 0.2C bainitic steel. Mat Sci Eng a-Struct. 2016; 678: 339-346.
- 14Guan MF, Yu H. Fatigue crack growth behaviors in hot-rolled low carbon steels: a comparison between ferrite-pearlite and ferrite-bainite microstructures. Mat Sci Eng a-Struct. 2013; 559: 875-881.
- 15Guan MF, Yu H. In-situ investigation on the fatigue crack propagation behavior in ferrite-pearlite and dual-phase ferrite-bainite low carbon steels. Sci China Technol Sc. 2013; 56(1): 71-79.
- 16Kumar A, Singh SB, Ray KK. Fatigue crack growth behaviour of ferrite-bainite dual phase steels. Mater Sci Technol. 2013; 29(12): 1507-1512.
- 17Li SC, Kang YL, Kuang S. Effects of microstructure on fatigue crack growth behavior in cold-rolled dual phase steels. Mat Sci Eng a-Struct. 2014; 612: 153-161.
- 18Perez-Velasquez C, Avendano-Rodriguez D, Narvaez-Tovar C, Roncery LM, Rodriguez-Baracaldo R. Fatigue crack growth and fracture toughness in a dual phase steel: effect of increasing martensite volume fraction. Int J Automo Mech E. 2020; 17(3): 8086-8095.
- 19Chen JZ, Zhang B, Zeng LR, Song ZM, She YY, Zhang GP. Optimal bainite contents for maximizing fatigue cracking resistance of bainite/martensite dual-phase EA4T steels. Steel Res Int. 2018; 89(7):1700562.
- 20Wei DY, Gu JL, Fang HS, Bai BZ, Yang ZG. Fatigue behavior of 1500 MPa bainite/martensite duplex-phase high strength steel. Int J Fatigue. 2004; 26(4): 437-442.
- 21de Diego-Calderon I, Rodriguez-Calvillo P, Lara A, et al. Effect of microstructure on fatigue behavior of advanced high strength steels produced by quenching and partitioning and the role of retained austenite. Mat Sci Eng a-Struct. 2015; 641: 215-224.
- 22Liu FG, Lin X, Yang HO, et al. Effect of microstructure on the fatigue crack growth behavior of laser solid formed 300M steel. Mat Sci Eng a-Struct. 2017; 695: 258-264.
- 23Abareshi M, Emadoddin E. Effect of retained austenite characteristics on fatigue behavior and tensile properties of transformation induced plasticity steel. Mater Des. 2011; 32(10): 5099-5105.
- 24Zhang Z, Koyama M, Wang MM, Tsuzaki K, Tasan CC, Noguchi H. Microstructural mechanisms of fatigue crack non-propagation in TRIP-maraging steels. Int J Fatigue. 2018; 113: 126-136.
- 25Hilditch T, Beladi H, Hodgson P, Stanford N. Role of microstructure in the low cycle fatigue of multi-phase steels. Mat Sci Eng a-Struct. 2012; 534: 288-296.
- 26Zhang Z, Koyama M, Wang MM, Tsuzaki K, Tasan CC, Noguchi H. Effects of lamella size and connectivity on fatigue crack resistance of TRIP-maraging steel. Int J Fatigue. 2017; 100: 176-186.
- 27Millán J, Sandlöbes S, al-Zubi A, et al. Designing Heusler nanoprecipitates by elastic misfit stabilization in Fe-Mn maraging steels. Acta Mater. 2014; 76: 94-105.
- 28Wang Q, Yan ZJ, Liu XS, Dong ZB, Fang HY. Understanding of fatigue crack growth behavior in welded joint of a new generation Ni-Cr-Mo-V high strength steel. Eng Fract Mech. 2018; 194: 224-239.
- 29Yang M, Zhong Y, Liang YL. Effect of hierarchical microstructures of lath martensite on the transitional behavior of fatigue crack growth rate. Met Mater Int. 2018; 24(5): 970-980.
- 30Nandana MS, Udaya Bhat K, Manjunatha CM. Improved fatigue crack growth resistance by retrogression and re-aging heat treatment in 7010 aluminum alloy. Fatigue Fract Eng M. 2019; 42(3): 719-731.
- 31Pippan R, Hohenwarter A. Fatigue crack closure: a review of the physical phenomena. Fatigue Fract Eng M. 2017; 40(4): 471-495.
- 32Kristin H, Martin F-XW, Bohuslav M, Thomas L. Mechanisms of fatigue crack propagation in a Q&P-processed steel. Mater Sci Eng A. 2019; 754: 18-28.
- 33Liu JP, Zhou QY, Zhang YH, et al. The formation of martensite during the propagation of fatigue cracks in pearlitic rail steel. Mater Sci Eng A. 2019; 747: 199-205.
- 34Suresh S. Fatigue of Materials. Cambridge University Press; 1998.
10.1017/CBO9780511806575 Google Scholar
- 35Bhadeshia HKDH. Bainite in Steels: Transformation, Microstructure and Properties. Second editioned. London: IOM Communications Ltd; 2001.
- 36Melado AC, Nishikawa AS, Goldenstein H, Giles MA, Reed PAS. Effect of microstructure on fatigue behaviour of advanced high strength ductile cast iron produced by quenching and partitioning process. Int J Fatigue. 2017; 104: 397-407.
- 37Padmanabhan KA, Sankaran S. Fatigue behavior of a multiphase medium carbon V-bearing microalloyed steel processed through two thermomechanical routes. J Mater Process Technol. 2008; 207(1–3): 293-300.
- 38Song RB, Cai CH, Liu S, Feng YF, Pei ZZ. Stacking fault energy and compression deformation behavior of ultra-high manganese steel. Int Conf Technol Plasticity, Ictp. 2017; 2017(207): 1821-1826.
- 39Lee YK, Choi CS. Driving force for gamma ->epsilon martensitic transformation and stacking fault energy of gamma in Fe-Mn binary system. Metall Mater Trans A. 2000; 31(2): 355-360.
- 40Wu B, Qian B, Wen Y. Effects of Cr on stacking-fault energy and damping capacity of FeMn. Mater Sci Technol. 2017; 33(8): 1019-1025.
- 41Inden G. The role of magnetism in the calculation of phase-diagrams. Physica B & C. 1981; 103(1): 82-100.
- 42Saeed-Akbari A, Imlau J, Prahl U, Bleck W. Derivation and variation in composition-dependent stacking fault energy maps based on subregular solution model in high-manganese steels. Metall Mater Trans A. 2009; 40a(13): 3076-3090.
- 43Curtze S, Kuokkala VT, Oikari A, Talonen J, Hanninen H. Thermodynamic modeling of the stacking fault energy of austenitic steels. Acta Mater. 2011; 59(3): 1068-1076.
- 44Curtze S, Kuokkala VT, Hänninen H. Thermodynamic modeling of the stacking fault energy of austenitic steels. Acta Mater. 2011; 59(3): 1068-1076.
- 45Ribamar GG, Andrade TC, De Miranda HC, De Abreu HFG. Thermodynamic stacking fault energy, chemical composition, and microstructure relationship in high-manganese steels. Metall Mater Trans A. 2020; 51(9): 4812-4825.
- 46Dumay A, Chateau JP, Bouaziz O. Influence of addition elements on the stacking-fault energy and mechanical properties of an austenitic Fe–Mn–C steel. Mater Sci Eng A. 2008; 483-484: 184-187.
- 47Li X, Chen L, Zhao Y. Influence of manganese content on ε-/α'-martensitic transformation and tensile properties of low-C high-Mn TRIP steels. Mater Des. 2018; 142: 190-202.
- 48Wu B, Qian B, Wen Y. Effects of Cr on stacking-fault energy and damping capacity of FeMn. Mater Sci Technol. 2016; 33(8): 1019-1025.
- 49Xiong R, Peng H, Wen Y. Thermodynamic calculation of stacking fault energy of the Fe–Mn–Si–C high manganese steels. Mater Sci Eng A. 2014; 598: 376-386.
- 50Xiong XC, Chen B, Huang MX, Wang JF, Wang L. The effect of morphology on the stability of retained austenite in a quenched and partitioned steel. Scr Mater. 2013; 68(5): 321-324.
- 51Cullity BD. Elements of X-ray diffraction. New York: Addison-Wesley; 1978.
- 52Morales-Rivas L, Archie F, Zaefferer S, et al. Crystallographic examination of the interaction between texture evolution, mechanically induced martensitic transformation and twinning in nanostructured bainite. J Alloys Compd. 2018; 752: 505-519.
- 53Ueno H, Kakihata K, Kaneko Y, Hashimoto S, Vinogradov A. Enhanced fatigue properties of nanostructured austenitic SUS 316L stainless steel. Acta Mater. 2011; 59(18): 7060-7069.
- 54Sangid MD, Pataky GJ, Sehitoglu H, Rateick RG, Niendorf T, Maier HJ. Superior fatigue crack growth resistance, irreversibility, and fatigue crack growth-microstructure relationship of nanocrystalline alloys. Acta Mater. 2011; 59(19): 7340-7355.
- 55Kim SW, Kim JH. In-situ observations of deformation twins and crack propagation in a CoCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloy. Mat Sci Eng a-Struct. 2018; 718: 321-325.
