Cyclic behaviour and plastic strain memory effect of 55NiCrMoV7 steel under low cycle fatigue

Abstract

Cyclic plastic behaviour of tempered martensitic tool steel 55NiCrMoV7 with four different initial hardness levels was studied under tensile-compress low cycle fatigue (LCF) in the temperature range from room temperature up to 873 K. Cyclic behavior tests and strain memory effect tests were performed in symmetrical tensile-compression strain loading with a triangular waveform. The results show that steel represents cyclic softening behaviour. The cyclic stress response generally shows an initial exponential softening for the first few cycles, followed by a gradual softening without saturation. Cyclic stress response depends on strain rate. The steel represents cyclic viscoplasticity. The steel shows the plastic strain memory effects at each test temperature, the cyclic stress and cumulated plastic strain depends on the history of cyclic loading. If strain amplitude increases after a previous linear softening is achieved, a new rapid non-linear cyclic softening appears. In the opposite, if strain amplitude decreases from higher one to lower, softening remains linear, and moreover σ-p curve goes along the previous way at the previous same strain loading level. It was discussed that the influences of initial hardness, fatigue temperature, strain rate and cyclic strain amplitude on cyclic plasticity of the steel.