Experimental and numerical investigation on ductile fracture mechanism of aluminium alloy using new modified model

In the present paper, the ductile fracture of aluminium alloy 5052P-H34 is studied by experiments and simulations. Then, the extension of the damage growth model, which captures both tension as well as shear, was employed in the present paper, and a modified Rousselier model was proposed. A stress integration algorithm based on the general backward Euler return algorithm was developed and implemented into finite element (FE) models in the ABAQUS/Explicit platform. The shear coefficient was calibrated by a FE analysis based on an inverse calibration procedure combined with the physical experiments. The predictive capability of this model was studied by comparing the experiments with the simulations, and the validity of this model was verified. The results show that the modified Rousselier model can give more accurate results for both tension and shear failure.     

A model for the dynamic fracture toughness of ductile structural steel

We assume in this paper that the dynamic fracture toughness K_Id of ductile structural steels is dependent on void nucleation and void growth. The void nucleation-induced dynamic fracture toughness K_Id·n and the void growth-induced dynamic fracture toughness K_Id·g were obtained by modifying the void nucleation-induced and void growth-induced static fracture toughness models, respectively, considering the effect of strain rate and local temperature. By the relationship between the void nucleation-induced dynamic fracture toughness K_Id·n and the void growth-induced dynamic fracture toughness K_Id·g((K_Id)²=(K_Id·n)²+(K_Id·g)²) dynamic fracture toughness K_Id could be quantitatively evaluated. With this model the dynamic fracture toughness of two structural steels (X65 and SA440) was assessed, and the causes for the differences between the static and dynamic fracture toughness were also discussed.     

A model for the static fracture toughness of ductile structural steel

Fracture of ductile structural steels generally occurs after void initiation, void growth and void coalescence. In order for ductile fracture of structural steels to occur, energy must be spent to induce void initiation and void growth. Therefore, fracture toughness for ductile fracture should be contributed from void initiation and void growth. On the basis of this suggestion static fracture toughness (K_IC) of ductile structural steels is decomposed into two parts: void nucleation-induced fracture toughness (denoted as K_IC.n) and void growth-induced fracture toughness (K_IC.g). K_IC.n, defined as the stress intensity factor at which voids ahead of a crack begins to form, is calculated from crack tip strain distribution and void nucleation strain distribution. In contrast, K_IC.g is determined by the void growth from the beginning of void nucleation to void coalescence. Therefore, K_IC.g relates to the void sizes and void distribution. In this paper, the expression for K_IC.g is given from the void sizes directly from fracture surfaces. The relationship between K_IC.n, K_IC.g and K_IC is expressed in the form (K_IC)²=(K_IC.n)²+(K_IC.g)². The newly developed model was applied to the fracture toughness evaluation of three structural steels (SN490, X65 and SA440), and the theoretical calculation agrees with the experimental results.     

Experimental and numerical assessment of fracture toughness of dual-phase austempered ductile iron

The effects of the microstructure topology on the fracture toughness of dual-phase austempered ductile iron are studied in this paper by means of finite element modelling and experimental testing. To this end, specimens with matrix microstructures ranging from fully ferrite to fully ausferrite were studied and the preferential zones and phases for crack propagation were identified in every case. The effectiveness of the ausferrite phase as a reinforcement of the ferritic matrix via the encapsulation of the brittle and weak last-to-freeze (LTF) zones was confirmed. The toughening mechanism is consequence of the increment in the crack path longitude as it avoids the encapsulated LTF zones. Besides, the presence of small pools of allotriomorphic ferrite increase the crack propagation resistance of the ausferrite-ferrite matrices.     

A numerical investigation of ductile fracture initiation in a high-strength low-alloy steel

In this work, static and drop-weight impact experiments, which have been conducted using three-point bend fracture specimens of a high-strength low-alloy steel, are analysed by performing finite-element simulations. The Gurson constitutive model that accounts for the ductile failure mechanisms of microvoid nucleation, growth and coalescence is employed within the framework of a finite deformation plasticity theory. Two populations of second-phase particles are considered, including large inclusions which initiate voids at an early stage and small particles which require large strains to nucleate voids. The most important objective of the work is to assess quantitatively the effects of material inertia, strain rate sensitivity and local adiabatic temperature rise (due to conversion of plastic work into heat) on dynamic ductile crack initiation. This is accomplished by comparing the evolution histories of void volume fraction near the notch tip in the static analysis with the dynamic analyses. The results indicate that increased strain hardening caused by strain rate sensitivity, which becomes important under dynamic loading, plays a benign role in considerably slowing down the void growth rate near the notch tip. This is partially opposed by thermal softening caused by adiabatic heating near the notch tip.     

Effect of pre-strain on fracture toughness of ductile structural steels under static and dynamic loading

The ductile fracture process consists of void nucleation, growth and coalescence. The whole ductile process can be divided into two successive steps: (I) the initial state to void nucleation, followed by (II) void growth up to void coalescence. Based on this suggestion, resistance to ductile fracture could be divided into the resistance to stage I and stage II, and accordingly the whole fracture toughness could be regarded to be due to contributions from stages I and II. The fracture toughness contributed from the two steps is, respectively, denoted as void nucleation-contributed fracture toughness and void growth-contributed fracture toughness. The effect of plastic pre-strain on the fracture toughness of ductile structural steels under static and dynamic loading (4.9 m/s) within the ductile fracture range was evaluated by summing contributions due to void nucleation-contributed and void growth-contributed fracture toughness. The effect of strain rate on fracture toughness was also investigated by the same means. The results show that both plastic pre-strain and high-speed loading decrease the void nucleation-contributed fracture toughness while their effects on the void growth-contributed fracture toughness depend on the variations in strength and ductility. Moreover, fracture toughness of structural steels generally decreases with increasing strain rate.     

Large scale testing and statistical analysis of dynamic fracture toughness of ductile cast iron

The present paper deals with the experimental determination and statistical analysis of dynamic fracture toughness values of ductile cast iron. K_Id data from 140 mm thick single edge bend specimens of two dynamic fracture toughness test series on ductile cast iron from heavy-walled castings were analysed.At first, the statistical analysis of data at −40 °C was done based on ASME Code Case N-670 using a two-parameter Weibull distribution function. Weibull analyses of three samples covering different pearlite contents (?4%, ?9%, ?20%) were performed and characteristics of the distribution functions as well as two-sided confidence intervals were calculated. The calculated characteristics show that K_Id of ductile cast iron decreases with increasing pearlite content.In a second step, the applicability of the Master curve procedure according to ASTM E 1921 to ductile cast iron materials was investigated and it was formally used for statistical analysis of ductile cast iron dynamic fracture toughness data. Although the Master curve method was originally introduced for static fracture toughness data of ferritic steels, the successful individual analyses performed here support the engineering way taken to apply the method to ductile cast iron materials too. The results of both methods, the Master curve procedure and the ASME Code Case N-670, show acceptable congruity. At the same time, it is concluded from the present study that further investigations and experiments are required to improve precision and for verification before the results could be applied within component safety analyses.     

A finite element ductile failure simulation method using stress-modified fracture strain model

This paper proposes a new method to simulate ductile failure using finite element analysis based on the stress-modified fracture strain model. A procedure is given to determine the stress-modified fracture strain as a function of the stress triaxiality from smooth and notched bar tensile tests with FE analyses. For validation, simulated results using the proposed method are compared with experimental data for cracked bar (tensile and bend) tests, extracted from API X65 pipes, and for full-scale burst test of gouged pipes, showing overall good agreements. Advantages in the use of the proposed method for practical structural integrity assessment are discussed.     

An FEM study on crack tip blunting in ductile fracture initiation

Ductile fracture is initiated by void nucleation at a characteristic distance (I_c) from the crack tip and propagated by void growth followed by coalescence with the tip. The earlier concepts expressed I_c in terms of grain size or inter-particle distance because grain and particle boundaries form potential sites for void nucleation. However, Srinivas et al. (1994) observed nucleation of such voids even inside the crack tip grains in a nominally particle free Armco iron. In an attempt to achieve a unified understanding of these observations, typical crack-tip blunting prior to ductile fracture in a standard C(T) specimen (Mode I) was studied using a finite element method (FEM) supporting large elasto-plastic deformation and material rotation. Using a set of experimental data on Armco iron specimens of different grain sizes, it is shown that none of the locations of the maxima of the parameters stress, strain and strain energy density correspond to I_c. Nevertheless, the size of the zone of intense plastic deformation, as calculated from the strain energy density distribution ahead of the crack tip in the crack plane, compares well with the experimentally measured I_c. The integral of the strain energy density variation from the crack tip to the location of void nucleation is found to be linearly proportional to J_IC. Using this result, an expression is arrived at relating I_c to J_IC and further extended to CTOD_c.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of cracked chevron notched Brazilian disc specimen for fracture toughness testing of rock

The cracked chevron notched Brazilian disc (CCNBD) specimen has been suggested by the International Society for Rock Mechanics to quantify mode I fracture toughness (K_Ic) of rock, and it has also been applied to mode II fracture toughness (K_IIc) testing in some research on the basis of some assumptions about the crack growth process in the specimen. However, the K_Ic value measured using the CCNBD specimen is usually conservative, and the assumptions made in the mode II test are rarely assessed. In this study, both laboratory experiments and numerical modeling are performed to study the modes I and II CCNBD tests, and an acoustic emission technique is used to monitor the fracture processes of the specimens. A large fracture process zone and a length of subcritical crack growth are found to be key factors affecting the K_Ic measurement using the CCNBD specimen. For the mode II CCNBD test, the crack growth process is actually quite different from the assumptions often made for determining the fracture toughness. The experimental and numerical results call for more attention on the realistic crack growth processes in rock fracture toughness specimens.     

Size effect on deformation behavior and ductile fracture in microforming of pure copper sheets considering free surface roughening

In meso/micro-scaled plastic deformation, material deformation and ductile fracture are quite different from those in macro-scale. The roughness of the free surfaces of workpiece increases with deformation and the decrease of grain number in the sample thickness direction, leading to the nonuniformity of specimen thickness. The so-called size effect and free surface roughening may in turn affect the deformation behavior, ductility and fracture morphology of the samples. To explore the coupled effect of workpiece geometry and grain size on material flow behavior in meso/micro-scaled plastic deformation, uniaxial tensile test of pure copper sheets with different thicknesses and comparable microstructure was performed. The experimental results reveal that the material flow stress, fracture stress and strain, and the number of microvoids on fracture surface are getting smaller with the decreasing ratio of specimen thickness to grain size. In addition, the modified Swift’s equation and the corrected uniform strain are closer to the experimental ones considering the thickness nonuniform coefficient induced by the free surface roughening. Furthermore, the observation of fracture morphologies confirms that the local deformation caused by the free surface roughening leads to strain localization and a decreased fracture strain when there are only a few grains involved in plastic deformation.     

Z-pin增强复合材料层合板断裂韧性试验研究

针对Z-pin增强复合材料层合板, 开展了断裂韧性的试验研究。研究选取了3种Z-pin直径(0.28、 0.52、 0.80mm)且每种直径下分别以3种分布形式(5×5、 8×8、 10×10)排布Z---pin的增强方式, 为了确定比较基准, 试验中同时测试了不含Z-pin的复合材料层合板试样。通过Z-pin拔出试验测试了3种直径Z-pin从基体拔出过程中的载荷位移关系。利用双悬臂梁试验和端部开口弯曲试验分别测试了不含Z-pin和含Z-pin试样的Ⅰ型断裂应变能释放率G_ⅠC、 Ⅱ型断裂应变能释放率G_ⅡC。试验结果表明:? 与不含Z-pin的结构相比, Z-pin增强试样的Ⅰ型断裂应变能释放率G_ⅠC增大了83%~1110%, Ⅱ型断裂应变能释放率G_ⅡC增大了23%~438%; 在相同Z-pin体积含量下, 与增大Z-pin直径相比, 增大Z-pin分布密度能更有效地提高复合材料层合板的断裂韧性。      

On the characteristic distance and minimum fracture toughness for cleavage fracture in a C-Mn steel

This study makes a further investigation on the characteristic distance, minimum fracture toughness and its temperature dependence for cleavage fracture in a C-Mn steel by the detailed finite element analysis combined with experimental observation and measurement. Results show that there is a minimum active zone for cleavage initiation, and the minimum fracture toughness of steel results from the minimum active zone necessary. Corresponding to the minimum fracture toughness, the cleavage fracture ahead of a crack tip can only initiate in a distance range from the minimum distance X_fmin determined by the lower boundary of the active zone to the maximum distance X_fmax determined by its upper boundary. The reason for the occurrence of the minimum active zone and the factors influencing it are analyzed. The temperature dependence of the characteristic distance and minimum fracture toughness and its mechanism are also discussed.     

Experimental and numerical study on dynamic fracture behaviour of AISI 1045 steel for compressor crankshaft

Dynamic fracture behaviour of AISI 1045 steel for compressor crankshaft was studied by experimental and numerical methods. True stress–strain relations of the material under different strain rates were measured, and dynamic constitutive model with consideration to strain‐hardening and strain‐rate hardening was proposed. Dynamic fracture tests loaded by Hopkinson pressure bar were carried out, and fracture toughness was determined using a finite element method with the combination of ABAQUS and Zencrack software. Loading states of the specimen and determination methods of the dynamic fracture toughness were discussed. By comparing the fracture behaviours under quasi‐static and dynamic conditions, it was found that the fracture modes exhibited a transition from ductile to brittle fracture with the increasing loading rate, and the dynamic fracture toughness value was less than the quasi‐static one.     

Evaluation of interfacial fracture toughness of a flip-chip package and a bimaterial system by a combined experimental and numerical method

In this paper, the interfacial fracture toughness of a flip-chip package subjected to a constant concentrated line load and a bimaterial system under thermal loading condition were evaluated using a unique six-axis submicron tester, a thermal vacuum chamber and FEM modeling coupled with a high density laser moiré interferometry. The six-axis submicron tester was used to provide a constant concentrated line load, whereas the moiré interferometry technique was used to monitor the crack length during the test. In addition, a finite element technique was simultaneously used to determine the near crack tip displacement fields of the specimens. The interfacial fracture toughness and phase angle were computed by using these near tip displacement variables through the analytical energy release rate and phase angle expressions derived by authors. The interfacial fracture toughness and the phase angle of the flip-chip package considered at the interface where the passivated silicon chip meets the underfill are 35 J/m² and −65°, respectively, while the interfacial fracture toughness and the phase angle of the tested bimaterial specimen at the interface of the molding compound/silicon with the crack length of 3.3 mm under the temperature rise thermal load from room temperature (20°C) to 138°C are 20.02 J/m² and −54.8°, respectively.     

基于材料全程本构关系对延性断裂韧性的数值模拟方法与应用

利用ANSYS APDL编程语言,采用FAT (Finite-element-analysis Aided Testing)方法获取26NiCrMoV11-5汽轮机转子材料、A508-III压力容器钢和304不锈钢材料全程单轴拉伸本构关系曲线。借助ABAQUS软件中GTN (Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman)损伤模型,采用有限元逆向法对3种材料漏斗试样单轴拉伸试验过程进行数值仿真,标定相应的GTN模型参数,获得了较好的结果。在此基础上将3种材料GTN模型参数用以模拟紧凑拉伸(Compact Tension,CT)试样的准静态裂纹扩展,基于载荷分离法实现了对26NiCrMoV11-5、A508-III和304不锈钢3种材料J阻力曲线的良好预测。     

A study on an effect of geometric singularities on ductile fracture

This paper describes the appearance of fractures in the vicinity of geometric singularities in cold upsetting of three series of slightly different samples between flat and spherical dies. The main goal of the research is to understand an effect of geometric singularities on ductile fracture. To this end, the series of tests are designed such that the site of fracture initiation moves to the geometric singularity, as compared to conventional tests, independently of its effect on the ductile fracture process. The paper concerns with a qualitative effect of geometric singularities on ductile fracture initiation rather than with quantitative values of parameters controlling the ductile fracture process.     

锌漆薄膜/钢基底系统界面断裂韧性的试验与模拟

以锌漆薄膜与304不锈钢基底之间的界面裂纹为研究对象,采用声发射与显微镜实时检测技术与三点弯曲试验相结合的方法,测量了锌漆涂层的界面断裂韧性。同时将界面裂纹长度的有限元模拟结果和实验结果相比较,结果较为吻合。通过ABAQUS有限元模拟发现,界面断裂韧性与多种影响因素有关,界面裂纹扩展长度随薄膜厚度和外荷载的增加而增加,随界面断裂韧性和薄膜弹性模量的增大而减小,而泊松比对其影响不大。     

Experimental T33-stress formulation of test specimen thickness effect on fracture toughness in the transition temperature region

This paper describes a study of the test specimen thickness effect on fracture toughness of a material, in the transition temperature region, for CT specimens. In addition we studied the specimen thickness effect on the T₃₃-stress (the out-of-plane non-singular term in the series of elastic crack-tip stress fields), expecting that T₃₃-stress affected the crack-tip triaxiality and thus constraint in the out-of-plane direction. Finally, an experimental expression for the thickness effect on the fracture toughness using T₃₃-stress is proposed for 0.55% carbon steel S55C. In addition to the fact that T₃₃ (which was negative) seemed to show an upper bound for large B/W, these results indicate the possibility of improving the existing methods for correlating fracture toughness obtained by test specimen with the toughness of actual cracks found in the structure, using T₃₃-stress.     

Numerical study on the effect of prestrain history on ductile fracture resistance by using the complete Gurson model

During installation and operation, pipeline steels may suffer from plastic pre-deformation (prestrain) due to accidental loading, cold bending or ground movement. The plastic prestrain history not only modifies steels’ yield and flow properties but also influences their fracture performance. This paper focuses on the effect of plastic prestrain history on ductile fracture resistance. Single edge notched tension (SENT) specimens have been selected for the numerical study and the crack is assumed to exist before a prestrain history was applied. The complete Gurson model has been applied to simulate the ductile fracture behaviour. The results show that prestrain history can reduce the fracture resistance significantly and neither the history-independent resistance model nor material-memory resistance model existing in the literature can be used to describe the prestrain history effect. Based on the numerical results an approximate history-dependent resistance model is proposed. The results also suggest that it is important to take the prestrain effect into consideration in future structural integrity assessment procedure for pipelines.