In this research, we investigated the microstructure properties and its effects on the cyclic behavior of a rolled 304 stainless steel alloy. Fully reversed, strain control fatigue tests were conducted on specimens over a wide strain amplitude range to evaluate the fatigue properties of this alloy. Scanning electron and optical microscopy was employed to establish structure-property relations between microstructure and cyclic damage. The scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that fatigue cracks predominantly initiated at cracked intermetallic particles. It is important to note that heterogeneities found on the material microstructure correlate well with variations observed in total fatigue life. Finally, fatigue lives were predicted based on microstructure properties.
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