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The length-scale dependence of fatigue crack growth is evaluated for a set of metallic materials, namely titanium Ti-6Al-4V, ductile iron EN-GJS-500-7 and tool steel AISI H13, by performing fatigue crack growth tests on geometrically similar compact C(T) specimens of different sizes. With references to length-scale-invariant variables, notably the crack growth rate normalised by the specimen width, it is demonstrated that fatigue crack growth is not a length-scale-invariant process for the tested conditions. In particular, the length-scale dependence is less significant for larger specimens and at longer crack lengths. The test results also contradict the hypothesis of similitude, i.e., that the growth rate is uniquely related to the stress-intensity-factor range, as smaller specimens manifest a higher growth rate when compared at the same stress-intensity-factor range. The observations are in line with presented fracture-mechanical demonstrations, which show that the Paris-Erdogan law depends on the length scale whenever fatigue crack growth is anticipated to be scale invariant., Funding Agencies|Swedish Fatigue Network (UTMIS) , Sweden; Advanced Functional Materials at Linkoeping University, Sweden [2009-00971]; Vinnova, Sweden; Swedish Energy Agency and Formas under the strategic innovation program Metallic Materials [2021 - 04007]

Hardening of carbon steel products by austenitization and immersion in a quenching medium is a widely used heat treatment to obtain a hard and strong martensitic structure. To avoid the undesired consequences, such as residual stresses or insufficient hardening depth, the cooling rates must be accurately measured and controlled. This can be achieved using the impinging water jet quenching technique. The aim of this work is to perform hardening of four low-alloyed 70 mm cylindrical carbon steel bars, using impinging water jet quenching technique with different jet flow rates, and to analyze its effect on thermal evolution and residual stresses. The temperature evolution during quenching experiments is recorded and used as input to a comprehensive quenching model to predict phase transformations, final hardness, and residual stresses of cylindrical bars. All four quenching experiments result in a fully hardened martensitic state. Furthermore, a decrease in jets’ flow rate, within a certain interval, results in different thermal histories and in lower compressive residual stresses on the surface. The results from quenching simulations show promising hardness, microstructure, and residual stress predictions that are validated by hardness measurements, optical microscopy, and residual stress analysis using X-Ray diffraction method.

Strain-controlled out-of-phase thermo-mechanical fatigue tests at 100–500 °C and various strain ranges were conducted on five cast iron grades, including one lamellar, three compacted and one spheroidal graphite iron. Investigations of graphite morphology and matrix characteristics were performed to associate parameters, such as geometrical features of graphite inclusions and the matrix microhardness, to the thermo-mechanical fatigue performance of each grade. From this, thermo-mechanical fatigue life as a function of maximum stress at half-life, is found to decrease consistently with increasing average graphite inclusion length irrespective of the graphite content. In contrast, no evident correlation between the fatigue life and the matrix microhardness is observed., Funding: Scania, Volvo; Swedish agency for Innovation SystemsVinnova [FFI-2017-05491]

A new accelerated creep assessment method to evaluate the creep performance of metals and alloys from high-temperature tensile tests, i.e. slow-strain-rate testing (SSRT), is proposed and evaluated. The method consists of decomposing the inelastic strain into a plastic and creep component by adopting general assumptions on the inelastic strain behaviour of materials, formulated using a state variable formalism and verified by tensile tests with intermediate dwell times at constant stress. Either, the plastic and creep strain components are considered non-interacting and additive, as observed in the stainless steel AISI 316L at 600 °C. Or, as in the case of the ductile cast iron EN-GJS-SiMo5-1 at 500 °C and the nickel-base superalloy Hastelloy X at 800 °C, the components are considered unified, meaning that the effect of inelastic straining is the same irrespective of whether it is caused through creep at constant stress or by plastic deformation due to an instantaneous stress increase. Based on these assumptions, the proposed method is used to assess the creep strain from SSRT in good agreement with conventional creep test results., Funding: Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation SystemsVinnova [2018-04302]; Sandvik Materials Technology

The crack driving mechanisms in a coarse grained nickel-base superalloy RR1000 when subjected to in- and out of phase thermo mechanical fatigue are investigated. It is found that the difference in fatigue crack growth rate between these two load conditions is accounted for by the different mechanical conditions at the crack tip region, rather than oxidation effects. This is based on digital image correlation and finite element analyses of the mechanical strain field at the crack tip, which demonstrate that in phase leads to larger crack tip deformation and crack opening. Notably, it is demonstrated that in- and out of phase crack growth rates coincide when correlated to the crack tip opening displacement., Funding agencies: European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and Joint Undertaking Clean Sky 2 [686600]

The current paper presents work on identification and evaluation of a range of factors influencing accuracy and comparability of data generated by three laboratories carrying out stress-controlled thermo-mechanical fatigue crack growth tests. It addresses crack length measurements, heating methods and temperature measurement techniques. It also provides guidance for pre-cracking and use of different specimen geometries as well as Digital Image Correlation imaging for crack monitoring. The majority of the tests have been carried out on a coarse grain polycrystalline nickel-base superalloy using two phase angles, Out-of-Phase and In-Phase cycles with a triangular waveform and a temperature range of 400-750 degrees C., Funding Agencies|European UnionEuropean Union (EU) [686600]

DevTMF

The development of fatigue life assessment models for vehicle components exposed to thermomechanical fatigue supports the establishing of adequate maintenance intervals that neither cause unnecessary vehicle downtime, nor jeopardize the function of the components. In modern automotive applications, braking is closely related to safety and is commonly performed with disc brakes. Failure here may result in structural damage or even breakdown and loss of lives. In the present work, the cyclic response of grey cast iron is analysed and the fatigue life of brake discs made from this material is studied by use of four different fatigue life assessment models: the Smith-Watson-Topper model, the Coffin-Manson model and two mechanism-based damage models. Results from isothermal and thermomechanical experiments on uniaxially loaded specimens are used for calibration of the models. Finally, the models are used to assess the life of a brake disc for a simulated brake dynamometer experiment. It is found that the fatigue model parameters that are calibrated using different sets of isothermal uniaxial test data show a substantial spread. A comparison with results from full-scale brake rig experiments shows that predictions by any of the models that have been calibrated using data from a well-designed thermomechanical test are in reasonable agreement with the estimated crack initiation phase for actual brake disc lives. It can be concluded that it is not sufficient to calibrate the studied fatigue life models using isothermal uniaxial tests for predictions of thermomechanical fatigue lives., Funding Agencies|government agency VINNOVA in the area Vehicle Development of the FFI Programme [2012-03662, 2012-03625]; Transport Area of Strength at Chalmers

Due to increasing demands on sustainability exerted by end-costumers and policy makers, heavyvehicle manufacturers are urged to increase the engine efficiency in order to reduce the exhaust gas emission. However, increasing the efficiency is also associated with an elevated fatigue rate of the materials constituting the engine parts, which consequently reduces the engine service life. The aim of the present thesis is therefore to confront the expected increase by studying the fatigue behaviour and damage mechanisms of the materials typically employed in heavy-vehicle diesel engines. With this knowledge, this work seeks to guide the development of new heavy-vehicle engine materials, as well as to develop improved life estimation methods designated to assist the mechanical design of durable heavy-vehicle engines. In essence, a large set of thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) and combined thermomechanical and high-cycle fatigue (TMF-HCF) tests is conducted at engine load conditions on laboratory specimens of lamellar, compacted and spheroidal graphite iron. In this way, the fatigue performance and associated damage mechanisms are investigated. In particular, a new fatigue property is identified, the TMF-HCF threshold, which quantifies how resistant a material is to superimposed high-cycle fatigue. The damage mechanism at low temperatures (≲500°C) is confirmed to consist of the initiation, propagation and coalescence of numerous microcracks. Based on this, a successful fatigue life estimation model is formulated, allowing accurate estimations of TMF and TMF-HCF tests on smooth specimens, and TMF tests on notched specimens. In the latter case, the microcrack growth behaviour in non-uniform cyclic stress fields and its implications for life estimation are clarified. At elevated temperatures (≳500°C), surface oxidation is shown to govern the fatigue performance of cast iron grades intended for exhaust manifolds. It is observed that oxide intrusions are induced, from which surf

The complete fatigue process involving the growth of microstructurally small fatigue cracks prior to macrocrack initiation and the subsequent large crack propagation in notched compacted graphite iron, EN-GJV-400, specimens subjected to thermo-mechanical fatigue has been investigated. It is shown that microcracks are initiated at graphite tips within an extended volume at the notch which eventually leads to an abrupt microcrack coalescence event. As a macrocrack is generated in this way, the crack growth switches to conventional characteristics which is assessed in terms of elasto-plastic fracture mechanics parameters. Consequently, two important implications regarding lifetime assessment are identified; possible underestimation due to (i) how the stress is evaluated in view of the spacial distribution of microcracking and (ii) the crack retardation effect associated with the crack growth transition.

The damage mechanisms active in silicon-molybdenum cast irons, namely EN-GJS-SiMo5-1 and SiMo1000, under thermo-mechanical fatigue and combined thermo-mechanical and high-cycle fatigue conditions have been investigated. The studied load conditions are those experienced at critical locations in exhaust manifolds of heavy-vehicle diesel engines, namely a temperature cycle of 300–750 °C with varied total mechanical and high-cycle fatigue strain ranges. It is established that oxide intrusions are formed in the early life from which macroscopic fatigue cracks are initiated close to the end-of-life. However, when high-cycle fatigue loading is superimposed, small cracks are preferentially initiated at graphite nodules within the bulk. In addition, it is found that both the oxidation growth rate and casting defects located near the surface affect the intrusion growth., Funding agencies: Scania CV AB; Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems [FFI-2012-03625]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research [SM12-0014]; Strategic Faculty Grant AFM (SFO-MAT-LiU) at Linkoping University [2009-00971]

The eect of superimposing a high-cycle fatigue strain load on an out-ofphase thermo-mechanical fatigue test of a lamellar, compacted and spheroidal graphite iron, has been investigated. In particular, dierent total mechanical strain ranges, maximum temperatures and high-cycle fatigue strain ranges have been studied. From this, a new property has been identied, measured and compared, namely the thermo-mechanical and high-cycle fatigue threshold, dened as the high-cycle fatigue strain range at which the life is reduced to half. Using a model developed earlier, the lifetimes and the threshold have been successfully estimated for the lamellar and compacted graphite iron, however underestimated for the spheroidal graphite iron. Nevertheless, an expression of the threshold was deduced from the model, which possibly can estimate its value in other cast irons and its high-cycle fatigue frequency dependence., Funding agencies: Scania CV AB; Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems [FFI - 2012 - 03625]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research [SM12 - 0014]; Linkoping University [2009 - 00971]Vid tiden för disputation förelåg publikationen endast som manuskript

Thermomechanical fatigue properties of a compacted graphite iron in an out of phase configuration are investigated for different maximum temperatures and mechanical strain ranges. Furthermore, the stressï¿œstrain hysteresis loops are analysed, and, in particular, the unloading modulus, i.e. the elastic modulus measured during specimen unloading, is obtained from each cycle. This material parameter has earlier been explicitly related to the amount of microcracking in cast irons. The results show that the unloading modulus linearly declines with the numbers of cycles in all tests performed. In addition, the rate of change of the unloading modulus is closely related to the number of cycles to failure. Accordingly, it is concluded that microcracks are independently propagated by fatigue until a point of rapid crack linking resulting in ultimate failure. This is supported by microstructural analyses consisting of optical microscope images taken at different stages throughout the life of a specimen., Funding agencies: Scania CV AB; Strategic Faculty Grant AFM (SFO-MAT-LiU) at Linkoping University [2009-00971]

The effect of adding a superimposed high-frequent strain load, denoted as a high-cycle fatigue strain component, upon a strain-controlled thermo-mechanical fatigue test has been studied on a compacted graphite iron EN-GJV-400 for different thermo-mechanical fatigue cycles and high-cycle fatigue strain ranges. It is demonstrated that the successive application of an high-cycle fatigue load has a consistent effect on the fatigue life, namely the existence of a constant high-cycle fatigue strain range threshold below which the fatigue life is unaffected but severely reduced when above. This effect on the fatigue life is predicted assuming that microstructurally small cracks are propagated and accelerated according to a Paris law incorporating an experimentally estimated crack opening level.