Papers by Author: M. Sarwar

Abstract: Fatigue crack growth near-threshold stress intensity factor is affected by the microstructure of the material. A large portion of microstructural influence is due to the change in grain size of the material. Grain size in the dual phase steel was varied and found that the near-threshold stress intensity factor (rK_th) increased as the grain size increased. Influence of load ratio nearthreshold fatigue crack propagation was also studied. It was observed that the near-threshold stress intensity range, rK_th for fatigue growth decreased with increasing load ratio.

Abstract: A low alloy steel containing 0.2%C was heat treated with three cycles of heat treatments with the aim to acquire different morphologies of martensite in dual phase microstructure. Microscopic examination revealed that the morphologies consisting of grain boundary growth, scattered laths and bulk form of martensite were obtained. These morphologies have their distinct patterns of distribution in the matrix (ferrite). In tensile properties observations the dual phase steel with bulk morphology of martensite showed minimum of ductility but high tensile strength as compared to other two morphologies. This may be due to poor alignments of bulk martensite particles along tensile axes during deformation. Tempering was employed with various holding times at 550°C to induce ductility in the heat treated material. The tempering progressively increased the ductility by increasing holding time. However, tempering response to strengths and ductilities was different to all three morphologies of martensite.

Abstract: Wedge open loaded (WOL) specimens of age hardened Zeron 100 duplex stainless steel were tested in 3.5 wt % NaCl solution with cathodic polarizes applied at-900mV/SCE to investigate stress corrosion cracking mechanism in duplex stainless steel. The interaction between microstructure and mechanism of stress corrosion cracking was studied. Fracture mechanism was studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The material was found cracked by ferrite cleavage, austenite tearing and austenite dissolution by environment. The ferrite cleavage took place along {100} planes and {112} twin habit planes. The austenite grains appear to act as crack bridging & crack arrester and failed by tearing & stress corrosion cracking.

Abstract: Shrinkage cavity/piping at the end of the solidified ingot of steels is one of the most common casting problem in 316L austenitic stainless steel ingot, when consumable electrode is melted and cast in a water-cooled copper mould by vacuum arc re-melting furnace. In present study an effort has been made to reduce the size of shrinkage cavity/ piping by establishing the optimum value of hot topping process parameters at the end of the melting process. It is concluded that the shrinkage cavity/piping at the top of the solidified ingot can be reduced to minimum by adjusting the process parameters particularly the melting current density.