Fracture mechanisms in dual phase steels based on the acicular ferrite + martensite/austenite microstructure.

摘要

The fracture mechanisms of low carbon microalloyed plate steels based on the acicular ferrite + marten site/austenite microstructure (AF + M/A) are investigated. The final microstructure consists of a dispersed phase of submicron equi-axed martensite particles with a bainitic ferrite matrix. A series of plates with M/A volume fractions of 0.076--0.179 are studied.; Brittle fracture is investigated by Instrumented Charpy impact testing of samples at -196°C and subsequent metallography. The M/A particles are identified as the crack nucleation sites and the cleavage fracture stress calculated to be 2400 MPa in a complete AF microstrucuture. This value is significantly larger than in steels that contain significant proportions of conventional bainite.; Standard Charpy and Instrumented Charpy impact testing is conducted through a temperature range from -80 to + 22°C to study ductile fracture behaviour. The total absorbed energy is separated into energies of crack nucleation and of crack propagation. It is found that the energy of crack nucleation is weakly dependent on the volume fraction of M/A and completely independent of temperature over the range studied. The crack propagation energy varies significantly with both variables, decreasing with increased volume fraction of M/A and with decreasing temperature. The peak load in the instrumented Charpy data is used to calculate the dynamic fracture toughness, KId, which is found to be 105--120 MPa-m1/2.; The void nucleation and void growth stages of ductile fracture are studied by metallographic examination of tensile bars. The sites of void nucleation are identified as inclusions and M/A particles. Voids nucleate at the M/A particles by decohesion of the particle-matrix interface. A constant void nucleation strain of epsilon = 0.90 +/- 0.05 is measured for all of the samples independent of the volume fraction of M/A. A stress-based criterion is used to predict void nucleation and the interface strength is determined to be 2500--2700 MPa. The void growth strains are measured and an inverse relationship is observed with decreasing void growth strain with increasing volume fraction of M/A. The data is compared to several models of void growth available in the literature and found to be in good agreement.