An analysis of inclusion morphology effects on void nucleation

In this work the onset of failure caused by particle-matrix debonding in aluminum alloy 2090-T3 and magnesium alloy AZ31 under either overall uniaxial plane strain tension or compression load is studied numerically using a unit cell model. Especially for magnesium AZ31, experiments show a significant difference in the tensile-compressive yield stresses, the so-called Strength-Differential-effect (SD-effect). This SD-effect cannot be captured by any isotropic yield function and only by recent anisotropic yield functions. To accurately model AA 2090-T3 and magnesium AZ31 the general yield function by Yoon et al. (2014) is adopted in addition to the isotropic von Mises plasticity yield function and the anisotropic yield function of Hill (1948). The numerically predicted strain at which void nucleation initiates is generally found to be larger for magnesium AZ31 than for AA 2090-T3. However, depending on the orientation of the principal axes of plastic anisotropy this void nucleation strain varies significantly. This holds true for both materials, but the void nucleation strain of AA 2090-T3 in compression is numerically predicted to be practically identical whether or not isotropic or anisotropic plasticity is considered. In tension the void nucleation strain of AA 2090-T3 based on anisotropic plasticity is found to be more than double the strain obtained by von Mises plasticity. The numerically predicted void nucleation strain of magnesium AZ31 is significantly affected by the yield function adopted. For the von Mises yield function the value of the void nucleation strain is in between the predictions based on the anisotropic yield functions. For both tension and compression, the yield function of Yoon et al. (2014) results in the largest void nucleation strain, whereas the yield function of Hill results in the smallest strain value. This holds true for all five orientations of the principal axes of plastic anisotropy investigated.

The ductile fracture of a spheroidized 1518 steel has been investigated using three types of tensile specimens — smooth tensile, notched tensile, and plane-strain tensile. It was found that void nucleation has two different modes (Type I and Type II) depending on local conditions, the most important of which are the size, shape, and distribution of the particles. By identifying the low-strain-range nucleation behavior (Type I), it was possible to determine the value of plastic strain, eN, after which void nucleation at average-sized carbide particles (Type II) begins; eN is 0.45 for the smooth tensile case, 0.30 for the notched, and 0.25 for the plane strain. The critical stress for Type II void nucleation, σc, is of the order of 1200 MPa. Void growth depends on the macroscopic stress-strain state: longitudinal growth is given by a linear function of applied plastic strain, ep, whereas lateral growth shows a linear dependence on the triaxial stress, σT. When the local value ofV f reaches a critical volume fraction of voids (V f cri = 5 ± 0.5 pct), void coalescence occurs in a catastrophic manner, leading to final separation within a highly localized zone. The stress concentration caused by the notched tensile specimen geometry and the localized mode of plastic flow caused by the constraint of the plane-strain state in a Clausing-type specimen were found to affect the substeps of void nucleation, growth, and coalescence.

Oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) steels are among the most promising candidate structural materials for fusion and Generation-IV (Gen-IV) fission reactors, but the ductility of ODS steels is inferior to its strength properties. Therefore, we investigate void nucleation, considered as the first step of ductile damage in metal, using molecular dynamics simulations. Given that the materials are subjected to extremely complex stress states within the reactor, we present the void nucleation process of 1–4 nm Y2O3 nanoclusters in bcc iron during uniaxial, biaxial, and triaxial tensile deformation. We find that the void nucleation process is divided into two stages depending on whether the dislocations are emitted. Void nucleation occurs at smaller strain in biaxial and triaxial tensile deformation in comparation to uniaxial tensile deformation. Increasing the size of clusters results in a smaller strain for void nucleation. The influence of 1 nm clusters on the process of void nucleation is slight, and the void nucleation process of 1 nm cluster cases is similar to that of pure iron. In addition, void nucleation is affected by both stress and strain concentration around the clusters, and the voids grow first in the areas of high stress triaxiality.

Void nucleation in astroloy: theory and experiments

The effects of void nucleation occurring during the deformation history on forming limit curves are considered for both in-plane and punch stretching employing a constitutive model of a porous plastic solid. Both plastic strain controlled and stress controlled nucleation processes are simulated by a two parameter void nucleation criterion. For in-plane stretching, plastic strain controlled nucleation can have, in certain circumstances, a significantly destabilizing effect on the forming limit curve. However, within the framework of plane stress theory which neglects the enhancement of the hydrostatic stress due to necking, a stress controlled nucleation process is not found to be significantly destabilizing. In punch stretching a ductile rupture criterion, which limits the maximum volume fraction of voids, as well as the appearance of a well defined thickness trough, is adopted as a localized necking criterion. Only plastic strain controlled void nucleation is considered here in out-of-plane stretching. The resulting forming limit curves have the same shape as those obtained previously with void nucleation neglected.

Role of microstructural heterogeneities in damage formation and fracture of oligocrystalline Mg under tensile loading

An austenitic steel used as a structural material of a superconducting magnet shows creep deformation and stress relaxation even at medium and low temperatures. Small plastic and creep strains in eight austenitic steels and a low-alloy steel were measured in a temperature range from 4 to 573K. Every steel including the low-alloy steel showed logarithmic creep strain at temperatures when stress was high enough to produce plastic strain. Although the creep strain rate in SUS316L at 293K was proportional to about the 7th power of stress when it was around 0.2% plastic-offset stress, the order of power decreased to 1 under lower stresses. The ratio of creep strain at 105s and plastic strain was 1-3 at 293K and 0.5-2 at 77K for the steels, though precipitate-hardened steel SUH660 showed a lower value. When creep strain at 105s in the steels was 0.02% at 77K, the stress levels were from 0.7 to 0.85 of 0.2% plastic-offset stress. Because creep strains were small compared to plastic strains at lower and higher temperatures, the ratios of 0.02% proof stresses for 105s creep and plastic strains were as high as 1.5 both at 4 and 573K. They were steadily lower values, 0.9-1.0, between 77 and 450K. Creep deformation in a component can be prevented by pre-straining with a plastic pre-strain larger than an estimated inelastic (plastic+creep) strain during operation. The pre-straining effect holds even when operation and pre-straining temperatures are different.

The ultra-low cycle fatigue (ULCF) fracture initiation caused by cyclic large plastic strain in structural steels is often the governing limit state in steel structures when subjected to strong earthquake actions. Based on the author’s previous work, this paper presents the improved cyclic void growth model (CVGM) and degraded significant plastic strain (DSPS) model considering the dependence of cyclic damage degradation parameters on stress triaxiality. To this end, tests on circular notched specimens and coupon specimens made of Q345qC steel were conducted, and scanning electron microscopy studies were performed on fracture surfaces of specimens, analysis results of which show that the ULCF fracture of Q345qC steel exhibits the typical behaviour of “void nucleation, growth, and coalescence.” The cyclic damage degradation parameters of CVGM and DSPS model were calibrated at different stress triaxialities based on experimental results of specimens and complementary finite element analysis, and empirical formulas were subsequently established between cyclic damage degradation parameters and stress triaxiality. Finally, detailed finite element analysis results demonstrate that the improved CVGM and DSPS model can predict ULCF fracture behaviour with higher accuracy in comparison with original models.

By comparing the micromechanisms of ductile fracture of metallic materials (void nucleation, void growth and void coalescence) and the loading conditions in terms of local stresses and strains the fracture behaviour may be described in terms of local properties. Experiments on notched tensile specimens had been done to determine the plastic strain at crack initiation. FEM-calculations were used to calculate the parameters stress triaxiality and equivalent plastic strain during deformation at the point of void coalescence taking into regard the loading history. Strongly varying stress triaxiality during deformation was achieved by employing oneand two-step experiments with tensile bars of different notch radii. To find a criterion for void coalescence the following two models are applied: 7. Void growth model: By using this equation to the process a critical size to describe crack initiation by void coalescence ist sought. However, it is found that based on this void coalescence may be described by a twoparameter-criterion, which in this case is geometrical. 2. Damage work model: To find a one-parameter-criterion the damage work model is applied. It takes into regard the major influence of stress triaxiality on development and the stress-strain-curve of the material. Based on this crack initiation by void coalescence may be described by one parameter which in this case is an accumulated local energy. Transactions on Engineering Sciences vol 19, © 1998 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3533

Creep deformation of austenitic steels at medium and low temperatures

The stress triaxiality effect on the strain required for void nucleation by particle‐matrix debonding has been investigated by means of micromechanical modelling. A unit‐cell model considering an elastic spherical particle embedded in an elastic‐plastic matrix was developed to the purpose. Particle‐matrix decohesion was simulated through the progressive failure of a cohesive interface. It has been shown that the parameters of matrix‐particle cohesive interface are correlated with macroscopic material properties. Here, a simple relationship for the maximum cohesive opening at interface failure as a function of material fracture toughness and yield stress has been derived. Results seem to confirm that, increasing stress triaxiality, the strain at which void nucleation is predicted to occur decreases exponentially in a similar way as for fracture strain. This result has substantial implications in modelling of ductile damage because it indicates that if the stress triaxiality is high enough, ductile fracture can occur at plastic strain lower than that necessary to nucleate damage for moderate or low stress triaxiality regime.

The effect of tensile prestrain on the ductile fracture behavior of an interstitial-free (IF) steel has been studied using primarily (1) the analysis of void density by optical microscopy, (2) characterization of the size of dimples by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and image analyzer, and (3) estimation of strain hardening behavior of a series of prestrained tensile specimens, loaded until fracture. The variation of void density with local plastic strain around the necked region of the specimens indicated the existence of two types of void nucleation pertaining to inclusions and precipitate particles. The critical strain for void nucleation (e{inn}) for the precipitate particles initially increases and then decreases with the increase in percentage prestrain. This phenomenon has been explained using the strain hardening exponent and nature of dislocation-particle interaction. The nature of variation of the average size of the dimples and that of e{inn} with prestrain are found to be similar. The dimple size thus bears a proportional relationship with the void, nucleation strain e{inn} and hence the former can be used to predict (e{inn}) for IF steel.

Ductile damage is characterised by the nucleation, growth and coalescence of voids at initiating particles within the volume of high triaxial stresses and plastic strain ahead of a crack-tip or stress concentrator. To establish a more detailed understanding of the mechanism of ductile fracture in the A508 Class 3 ferritic RPV steels and to improve fracture models, the ductile damage was quantified below the fracture surface of tested compact test specimens using laboratory X-ray tomography imaging with sufficient resolution to image voids of approximately 10μm in diameter. The average distribution of void volume fraction as a function of distance below the fracture surface was quantified, and the initiating and coalescence mechanisms were characterised. The highest void volume fraction was observed at the fracture surface and this tends to decrease as a function of distance below the fracture surface. This decrease is periodically perturbed by large voids associated with inclusions which are distributed throughout the microstructure and act as further nucleating sites at low strains. This distribution of voids was correlated with the local variations in stress triaxiality and plastic strain derived from finite element analyses to provide a relationship between experimental observations and the Rice and Tracey model. These correlations aim to provide new data and understanding with which to calibrate mechanistically based models such as the Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN) model.

Observation by optical microscopy and EBSP have made it clear that the trigger for the grain coarsening phenomenon of austenite stainless steel BS304S31 may be the stacking faults concentrating selectively in a thin layer lying just beneath the grain boundary. When macroscopic plastic strain reached 6 percent, selective concentration of stacking faults was observed. When it reached 20 percent, the distribution of stacking faults became uniform in each grain. After these specimens were heated, concentration of stacking faults disappeared, and grain coarsening occurred at the point with 6 percent strain, but no grain coarsening occurred at the point with 20 percent strain. In order to investigate this concentration of stacking faults, an attempt was made to analyze the deformation in each crystal by using image‐based FEM. The result suggested that there is a possibility that plastic strain concentrates in the vicinity of the grain boundary when the macroscopic plastic strain is small.

WS1a8 - AN ANALYSIS ON DUCTILE FRACTURE OF AL ALLOYS