INSIGHTS INTO VOID NUCLEATION AND GROWTH IN A DUAL PHASE STEEL BY SMALL SCALE MECHANICAL TESTING [Keynote]

Dual phase (DP) steels are comprised of a soft ferrite matrix and hard martensite islands. They are often used in automotive applications due to their advantageous combination of high strength and good ductility. During forming, DP steels can suffer from ductile damage, i.e. the formation and growth of voids, which typically occur by interface decohesion and martensite fracture [1]. As of now, the void content of a deformed part cannot precisely be predicted and, therefore, safety factors are used to assure the required mechanical properties and component lifetime. These safety factors are opposing sustainability and light-weight design. Consequently, the DFG-funded collaborative research center TRR188 aims at a quantitative characterization, prediction and control of ductile damage during forming.
In the talk, micromechanical experiments on the plasticity and fracture of single ferrite grains and martensite islands of two nominal identical steel grades will be presented. While one steel grade exhibits a low ferrite and a high martensite strength, the other shows a significantly stronger ferrite and lower strength martensite compared to the first steel grade [2]. This results in huge differences in the void nucleation and growth characteristics of the two steel grades.
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UNDERSTANDING OF TOUGHENING IN CEMENTED CARBIDES BY MEANS OF SMALL-SCALE MECHANICAL TESTING AND CHARACTERIZATION

Small-scale mechanical testing (massive nanoindentation, compression of micropillars and fracture of notched microcantilevers) and characterization (cross-section FIB-tomography and FESEM inspection) are proposed and validated as effective tools for studying fracture mechanics and toughening mechanisms governing stable crack growth in cemented carbides. Crack growth resistance behavior of cemented carbides and corresponding microstructural effects are sucessfully described and understood on the basis of ductile ligament reinforcement behind the crack tip as the key toughening mechanism for these materials.
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CHARACTERIZATION METHODOLOGY OF PIPELINE STEELS USING MINIATURE SPECIMENS

A possible solution to check the fitness-to-service of existing pipeline steels for hydrogen transport is to extract small coupons without interrupting supply operations. From these coupons, it is possible to machine sub-size specimens to characterize ductility and fracture toughness of the base and weld (weld metal and heat affected zone) materials in both air and pressurized hydrogen environments. Using sub-size requires specific facilities. This paper describes a new setup and the associated methodology developed to test sub-size specimens. The method is applied to tests under pressurized hydrogen gas.
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