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Fatigue of cold-work tool steels: Effect of heat treatment and carbide morphology on fatigue crack formation, life, and fracture surface observations

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Abstract

The fatigue properties of two types of cold-work tool steels tempered at various temperatures were evaluated. The microstructure and fracture surface morphology were correlated to the fatigue behavior. Cold-work tool steels using this study were a conventional tool steel (JIS SKD11; 1.4C-11Cr-0.8Mo-0.2V) and its modified steel (M-SKD11; 0.8C-8Cr-2Mo-0.5V). The fatigue strength of the M-SKD11 steel increased 20 pct over that of the SKD11 steel for any number of cycles. This is attributed to the refinement of primary M7C3 carbides. These M7C3 carbides fractured during fatigue and were found at the sites of fatigue crack initiation. Change in crack initiation behavior was confirmed by acoustic emission testing. The S-N curves of the steels are similar to those of most structural steels. However, the subsurface fatigue crack initiation was dominant at lower alternating stresses. This study points to a general approach of carbide refinement that can be used for the enhancement of fatigue properties.

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Author notes

  1. Nobuhiro Tsujii (Research Engineer, Head)

    Present address: High Alloy Steel Group, Technical Administration Department, Sanyo Special Steel Co. Ltd., Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hemeji Institute of Technology, 671-22, Himeji, Japan

    Kenzo Fukaura (Professor) & Yoshihiko Yokoyama (Assistant Professor)

  2. the Research and Development Center, Sanyo Special Steel Co. Ltd., 672, Himeji, Japan

    Daien Yokoi (Research Engineer)

  3. the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, 90095, Los Angeles, CA

    Kanji Ono (Professor)

Authors
  1. Kenzo Fukaura
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  2. Yoshihiko Yokoyama
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  3. Daien Yokoi
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  4. Nobuhiro Tsujii
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  5. Kanji Ono
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Fukaura, K., Yokoyama, Y., Yokoi, D. et al. Fatigue of cold-work tool steels: Effect of heat treatment and carbide morphology on fatigue crack formation, life, and fracture surface observations. Metall Mater Trans A 35, 1289–1300 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-004-0303-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-004-0303-5

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