EFFECT OF STRENGTH MISMATCH AND DYNAMIC LOADING ON THE DUCTILE CRACK INITIATION FROM NOTCH ROOT

It has been well known that ductile fracture of steels is accelerated by triaxial stresses. The characteristics of ductile crack initiation in steels are evaluated quantitatively using two-parameters criterion based on equivalent plastic strain and stress triaxiality. It has been demonstrated by authors using round-bar specimens with circumferential notch in single tension that the critical strain to initiate ductile crack from specimen center depends considerably on stress triaxiality, but surface cracking of notch root is in accordance with constant strain condition. In order to evaluate the stress/strain state in the specimens, especially under dynamic loading, a thermal, elastic-plastic, dynamic finite element (FE) analysis considering the temperature rise due to plastic deformation has been carried out. This study provides the fundamental clarification of the effect of strength mismatching, which can elevate plastic constraint due to heterogeneous plastic straining, loading mode and loading rate on critical condition to initiate ductile crack from notch root using equivalent plastic strain and stress triaxiality based on the two-parameter criterion obtained on homogeneous specimens under static tension. The critical condition to initiate ductile crack from notch root for strength mismatched bend specimens under both static and dynamic loading would be almost the same as that for homogeneous tensile specimens with circumferential sharp notch under static loading.