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Influence of Microstructure on Low-Cycle and Extremely-Low-Cycle Fatigue Resistance of Low-Carbon Steels

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Abstract

The goals of this study were to quantify and explain the effects of microstructure on the resistance of low-carbon steels to low-cycle fatigue and to extremely low-cycle fatigue (ELCF). Three different microstructures (ferrite–pearlite, ferrite–martensite, and ferrite–bainite–martensite) were tested, and their fatigue properties were analyzed using the strain-based Coffin–Manson model and an energy-based model. According to the Coffin–Manson model, ferrite–pearlite showed the best ELCF resistance, whereas in the energy-based model that considers the effect of tensile strength ferrite–bainite–martensite revealed the highest ELCF resistance. At similar tensile strength, ferrite–bainite–martensite had longer ELCF life than ferrite–martensite; the difference may be a result of the smaller strain incompatibility between bainite and ferrite than between ferrite and martensite. In all three microstructures, cracks initiated at the surface and propagated into the interior; this result indicates that fracture mode was not altered during cyclic loading at high strain amplitudes. Ferrite–martensite microstructure developed many sub-cracks surrounding a main crack; they could facilitate propagation of a main crack, and thereby degrade fatigue life at high strain amplitudes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by POSCO. The authors are thankful for the support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Institute of Ferrous Technology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea

    Kyungmin Noh, Seyed Amir Arsalan Shams, Wooyeol Kim, Jae Nam Kim & Chong Soo Lee

  2. Technical Research Laboratories, POSCO, Gwangyang, 57807, Republic of Korea

    Kyungmin Noh

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  1. Kyungmin Noh
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Noh, K., Shams, S.A.A., Kim, W. et al. Influence of Microstructure on Low-Cycle and Extremely-Low-Cycle Fatigue Resistance of Low-Carbon Steels. Met. Mater. Int. 27, 3862–3874 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12540-020-00819-1

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