Papers by Author: Yoshiyuki Kondo

Abstract: Crack propagation of SCM440H low alloy steel under varying load is enhanced by absorbed hydrogen. Substantial acceleration of crack propagation rate up to 1000 times was observed compared with that of uncharged material. The role of factors affecting enhanced acceleration was investigated by changing hydrogen concentration absorbed in metal, specimen thickness and loading frequency. Results are as follows. (1) 0.2 mass ppm diffusible hydrogen in metal was enough to cause enhanced acceleration. The predominant fracture mode showing acceleration was quasi cleavage. (2) In the case of thin specimen thinner than 0.8mm, the tri-axiality of stress is weak, and the enhanced crack propagation did not appear. However, the introduction of side-groove to 0.8mm specimen in order to increase the tri-axiality resulted in enhanced acceleration. (3) Lower loading frequency resulted in higher crack propagation rate in cycle domain. The crack propagation rate in time domain was almost constant irrespective of loading frequency. Enough concentration of hydrogen, tri-axiality and low loading frequency resulted in enhanced acceleration of fatigue crack propagation.

Abstract: It has been recognized that the threshold stress intensity factor range Kth of a short crack is lower than that of a long crack. The short crack behavior in plain specimen has been studied by many researchers. However, the behavior of a short crack at the root of a long notch is not yet clear. The crack closure behavior is considered to be affected by the constraint at notch root and it is dependent on the length and the root radius of notch. In this study, fatigue tests on specimens with short pre-crack at long notch were done and the difference in crack closure behavior was studied. As a result, short crack effect appeared in any notch root radius. In a sharp notch, the crack opening point easily reached its stable condition after a small amount of crack extension. On the contrary in a dull notch, the opening point was lower than the stable condition and consequently short crack effect lasted in relatively wide range of crack extension. The small crack effect of notched specimen was discussed based on crack closure behavior.

Abstract: Asymmetric arrangements of stored crack-wake dislocations and low values of the size ratio SR, the plastic zone size / the characteristic microstructural distance, were found to be of basic importance for the shear misfit of crack flanks causing the roughness-induced crack closure in case of plain strain conditions. The crack wake dislocations produce also the plasticity induced crack closure as a result of a near-tip mismatch perpendicular to crack flanks. According to a recently published theoretical concept, an estimation of these extrinsic shielding effects in the threshold region of fatigue crack propagation was made for austenitic steel of Japan provenience. Related fatigue experiments were based on a standard load shedding technique associated with monitoring of the crack closure level. The surface roughness was analysed by means of the optical chromatography that enables a 3D reconstruction of fracture morphology. Calculated and measured effective threshold values of about 2.2 MPa.m1/2 are practically identical. Total levels of the extrinsic toughening induced by the austenitic microstructure are rather low when compared to those identified in ferritic- and ferritic-austenitic steels.

Abstract: Hydrogen is considered to be a possible energy source in the coming future. However, it has been recognized that hydrogen has a detrimental effect on the fatigue strength of metal. The fatigue crack growth characteristic is an important property for the integrity assessment of hydrogen utilization machine. In this report, the effect of hydrogen on the fatigue crack propagation characteristic was studied using low alloy steel, carbon steels and A286 alloy. Especially in this study, very short pre-cracked specimen as small as 0.03 mm deep was used and the near threshold fatigue crack behavior was studied. As a result, materials whose Vickers hardness was higher than 300 were found to be susceptible to absorbed hydrogen.

Abstract: Although fatigue limit diagram is defined in principle for constant stress amplitude condition, it is often considered that fatigue failure would not occur even in varying loading if applied stresses were kept within the fatigue limit diagram. However, it was shown in the case of small-notched specimen and fretting fatigue that fatigue failure occurred in some special case of variable amplitude loading condition even when all stress amplitudes were kept within the fatigue limit diagram. The cause of this phenomenon was examined using two-step and repeated two-step stress patterns in which the first step stress was with zero mean stress and the second step stress had a high mean stress. A non-propagating crack was formed by the first step stress. This crack functioned as a pre-crack for the second step stress with high mean stress. Consequently, fatigue failure occurred even when all stress amplitudes were kept within the fatigue limit diagram. It was an unexpected fracture caused by the interference effect of non-propagating crack and mean stress change.

Abstract: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of stress relief groove on fretting fatigue strength. Fretting fatigue tests and finite element analyses were done. The shape of groove was controlled by groove radius R and tangential angle θ. The depth of groove was specified by R and θ. Fretting fatigue strength was increased with an increase of θ and then it turned into a decrease. The decrease was caused by the transition of failure mode from fretting fatigue at the contact part to plain fatigue at the groove root. The transition was caused by an increase of stress concentration at the groove root with an increase of the groove depth. Therefore, the maximum improvement of fatigue strength was achieved by the largest θ limited by fatigue strength of the groove root. In the analysis, the groove generates high compressive stress field at the contact edge, where small cracks never propagate. Therefore, assumptions to relieve the contact pressure concentration at the contact edge were taken into the analysis model. The values of stress intensity factor ranges for small cracks introduced near the contact edge were almost the same between grooved and non-groove specimens.

Abstract: The threshold stress intensity factor (ΔKth) of small crack is affected by various factors, especially by material hardness, stress ratio and crack size. Test results showed that harder material had higher ΔKth and smaller crack had lower ΔKth. The crack closure measurement on a very small crack was done to make clear the root cause of those effects. Most of those effects could be explained by the peculiar behavior of crack closure for crack deeper than 100µm. However, everything could not be understood only by the crack closure behaviour. In addition to the difference in crack closure, (ΔKeff)th itself was also dependent on crack size when the crack depth was shallower than 100µm. Another remarkable phenomenon was experienced in this study. Unusual decrease in ΔKth was found in some case. The large decrease of ΔKth occurred under the conjunction of three factors, that is, extremely high stress ratio (R) higher than 0.8, small crack and hard material. This kind of large reduction in ΔKth in high R region is of much importance in turbo machinery that operates under high mean stress with small vibratory stress.

Abstract: The development of an ultrafine grained carbon steel during repetitive shear deformation of side extrusion and the properties after heat treatment were investigated. Side extrusions were carried out at room temperature and the used material was 0.50% carbon steel. The repetitive side extrusions with a constant lateral pressure were carried out up to 3 passes without rotation. The specimens of these steels after 3 passes were annealed at a constant temperature of 600°C changing the treatment time. After side extrusion and heat treatment, the fatigue property was better than that of the as-received material.