Waldek Wladimir Bose Filho

Microstructural and Fractographic Characterization of a Thermally Embrittled Nuclear Grade Steel: Part I - Annealing

A nuclear reactor pressure vessel steel was submitted to different annealing heat treatments aimed at simulating neutron irradiation damage. The obtained microstructures were mechanically tested with subsequent metallographic and fractographic characterization. The relevant microstructural and fractographic aspects were employed in the interpretation of the mechanical behavior of the microstructures in both quasi-static (J-R curve) and dynamic (Charpy impact) loading regimes. A well defined relationship was determined between the elastic-plastic fracture toughness parameter J-integral and the Charpy impact energy for very most of the microstructures.

Microstructural and Fractographic Characterization of a Thermally Embrittled Nuclear Grade Steel: Part II - Quenching and Tempering

A nuclear reactor pressure vessel steel was submitted to different quenching and tempering heat treatments aimed at simulating neutron irradiation damage. The obtained microstructures were mechanically tested and submitted to metallographic and fractographic survey. The relevant microstructural and fractographic aspects were employed in the interpretation of the mechanical performance of the thermally embrittled microstructures. A well defined correlation was determined between the elastic-plastic fracture toughness parameter J-integral and the Charpy impact energy, which was achieved for some of the Q&T microstructures.

Environmentally-assisted Fatigue Crack Growth in AA7050-T73511 Al Alloy and AA2050-T84 Al-Cu-Li Alloy

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of low temperature and saline environment on the fatigue crack growth behavior of the AA7050-T7451 Al alloy and the recently developed AA2050-T Al-Cu-Li alloy. Fatigue at room and low temperature and corrosion-fatigue tests were carried out using an applied stress ratio (R) of 0.1, 15 Hz frequency (air at RT and –54 °C) and 1 Hz frequency (seawater fog) using a sinusoidal wave form. In the near-threshold region, in air and at RT it was found a ΔKth = 2.9 MPa.m1/2 for AA2050-T84, in saline environment this value increased to ΔKth = 4.9 MPa.m1/2, due to closure effect through wedge effect by the corrosion products. At the beginning of the Paris-Erdogan region, the crack closure effect was not present for the AA7050-T7451, but persisted for the AA2050 Al-li alloy. It was observed that both alloys were equally affected by temperature reduction. When the saline environment is considered it was observed that the AA7050-T7451 presents lower m value (2.6) than the one for AA2050-T84 (3.4), meaning a lower FCG rate variation with ΔK, however it presented the highest C value, as a consequence the worst FCG behavior.

Influence of phosphorus content and quenching/tempering temperatures on fracture toughness and fatigue life of SAE 5160 steel

This study investigates the influence of quenching/tempering temperatures on the fracture toughness and fatigue life of SAE 5160 steel, considering different phosphorus contents. Quenching and tempering treatments were applied to samples removed from different bars of commercial SAE 5160 steel with different P content. Three different austenitizing temperatures for quenching: 850, 900 and 1000 oC and a constant holding time of 15 minutes were used. The oil temperature for quenching was kept at 66 oC and the tempering conditions were 470, 500 and 530 oC with the necessary time for a final hardness of 45 ± 3 HRC. Therefore, the heat treatments cycles were applied to specimens containing low (0.012 wt. (%)), medium (0.017 wt. (%)) and high (above 0.025 wt. (%)) phosphorus contents, in order to observe the effects of this element on the susceptibility of these steels to enhance quench and tempering embrittlements. The Charpy tests results showed that the phosphorus content analyzed in this work has caused embrittlement, even in the bars with the lowest P content, leading to intergranular fracture. However, if the nucleation life is taken into consideration, this embrittlement has no effect on the nucleation fatigue life of the component.

From numerical calculations to materials testing homologation: a biaxial fatigue reliability prediction methodology for structural components

This article investigates a fatigue approach conducted from the design phase to testing approval. It considerers modern analytical and experimental tools for structural durability assessment over each development phase for two reference components aiming an early approval methodology validation for a new design. A Finite element analysis procedure was used to set critical spots for measurements minimizing the data acquisition efforts. Based on measured data, strain life calculation was done for two reference components in order to set the release goals for a new design submitted to this approach. An innovative fatigue experimental technique is proposed using component extracted specimens and an edited input cycle loads. Considering the random data from a standard test track and signal proportionality evaluation, while assuming the Brown Miller equation for bi-axial fatigue together with Ramberg-Osgood model, equivalent damage load blocks were edited and used as input for durability assessment on specimens representing the component material. The results for the three parts materials were plotted as Weibull diagram for B10 life estimation. Fatigue life results showed good correlation with the reference parts structural performance thus validating the method as well as approving the new design for production without additional on-vehicle durability testing. The methodology and the fatigue testing proposal is therefore recommended for future applications on similar developments.

Thermomechanical and Isothermal Fatigue Behavior of Gray Cast Iron for Automotive Brake Discs

At the end of the 19th century, in the wake of railway transportation and the beginning of automotive vehicle production, new technology-based materials became necessary for the manufacture of brake systems to provide safer and more effective braking of vehicles transporting heavy loads at higher speeds. These devices serve to decelerate vehicles by friction, transforming most of the kinetic energy into thermal energy, which is dissipated by the brake system during the braking process [IOMBRILLER, 2002]. Many parts contribute actively or passively to a vehicle’s satisfactory performance, but safety is closely linked to the efficiency of the brake system, which is subjected to relatively high thermal and mechanical stresses during regular braking action. Therefore, a crucial factor is the precision of the analysis and development of brake systems taking into account all the aspects involved in their thermal and dynamic behavior [MAZUR et al., 2005]. During severe deceleration by braking, the temperature of the brake system may reach up to 650oC and overheating of the brake discs may lead to serious consequences that reduce the vehicle’s safety [IOMBRILLER, 2002]. This temperature variation causes thermal shock and localized overheating points, changing the behavior of the metal involved due to metallurgical transformations, as well as crack nucleation in the disc in response to plastic flow of the surface metal and inducing stresses after cooling [MAZUR et al., 2005]. Even disregarding the presence of thermal shock, a few braking cycles with abrupt deceleration still suffice to produce small cracks in the usable part of brake discs. The study of the mechanical behavior and fracture mechanisms of these materials is essential to allow for the design and rational use of these components. Figure 1 illustrates the failure in front brake rotor in a disc submitted to penetrating liquid inspection to reveal cracks. The cyclic stresses resulting from the continuous use of vehicles can cause fatigue, propagate cracks and fracture of the brake component [IOMBRILLER, 2002]. This mechanism may cause crack nucleation and growth in the material when subjected to cyclic strain. As cyclic loading conditions in brake discs are induced mainly by temperature gradients, thus essentially strain-controlled tests were planned for this study. In this way, it