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Damage Induced by a Spherical Indentation Test in Tool Steels Detected by Using Acoustic Emission Technique

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to monitor the subsurface damage mechanisms of commercial cold-work tool steel by observing acoustic emissions generated in a spherical indentation test. Monotonic loads are applied in the elastic and plastic ranges to damage the specimen. Two types of damage prior to the occurrence of cracking are found: carbide breakage and plastic deformation. The phenomena are confirmed by microscopic images and the good agreement between the estimated carbide fracture strength and previous results. The two types of damage gives rise to different acoustic emission signals: a burst-type, high-amplitude signal for the breakage of carbides and a continuous-type, low-amplitude signal for plastic deformation. It is thus possible to detect and differentiate the incipient damage mechanisms on the subsurface in real time in a spherical indentation test.

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Abbreviations

a :

Radius of contact between ball indenter and specimen surface

AE:

Acoustic emission

AR :

Aspect ratio

D max :

Maximum diameter

D min :

Minimum diameter

E :

Young’s modulus

E’ :

Young’s modulus indenter

ECD :

Equivalent diameter

p 0 :

Indentation stress

P :

Normal load

P c :

Critical normal load

P γ :

Yield load

r 0 :

Radius of spherical-indentation circular cracks

R :

Ball indenter radius

RMS:

Root mean square

SF :

Shape factor

σ n :

Principal normal stress n

σ RC :

Fracture strength of primary carbides

τ RC :

Fracture shear stress of primary carbides

ε :

Strain

υ :

Poisson’s ratio

υ′:

Poisson’s ratio of the indenter

Ψ :

Sphericity

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Acknowledgments

This work was conducted within the framework of the oPtiMa project and was partially support by the DPI2007-66688-CO2-01 project. The authors acknowledge funding received from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratori d’Enginyeria Acústica i Mecànica (LEAM), Departament d’Enginyeria Mecànica (DEM), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), EUETIB, Urgell 187, 08036, Barcelona, Spain

    E. Martinez-Gonzalez & J. Romeu

  2. Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, Av. Bases de Manresa 1, 08242, Manresa, Spain

    G. Ramirez & D. Casellas

Authors
  1. E. Martinez-Gonzalez
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  2. G. Ramirez
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  3. J. Romeu
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  4. D. Casellas
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Correspondence to E. Martinez-Gonzalez.

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Martinez-Gonzalez, E., Ramirez, G., Romeu, J. et al. Damage Induced by a Spherical Indentation Test in Tool Steels Detected by Using Acoustic Emission Technique. Exp Mech 55, 449–458 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-014-9959-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-014-9959-y

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