Decoupling Dislocation-Based Plasticity and Transformation-Induced Plasticity Effects on Fatigue Crack Growth in a Martensitic-Austenitic Steel
摘要
Fatigue crack growth (FCG) in martensitic steels containing metastable austenite is usually retarded by the dual contribution of dislocation-based plasticity (DP) and deformation-activated transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP). Often these two phenomena occur simultaneously, and their individual contributions to FCG cannot be distinguished experimentally. In the current study, an analytical model quantifying the individual contributions of DP and TRIP is proposed and applied to predict FCG in a 0.4 pct carbon direct-quenched and partitioned (DQP) steel containing ~ 12 vol pct of finely divided retained austenite. Experimentally obtained fatigue crack growth results of 0.4 pct C DQP steel are utilized to validate the results predicted by the model. Such a predictive model for fatigue crack growth vis-à-vis the associated mechanisms can play an important role in alloy design for damage tolerance.