Inclusion-controlled fatigue properties of 1800 MPA-class spring steels

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Inclusion-Controlled Fatigue Properties of 1800 MPA-ClassSpring Steels

Y. FURUYA, S. MATSUOKA, andT. ABEFatigue tests were conducted on a series of 1800 MPa-class spring steels whose fatigue properties wereinclusion controlled. The fatigue tests were conducted on billets and on hot-rolled bars, taking intoaccount the elongation of the oxide-type composite inclusions that were deformed during hot rolling,i.e., controlled inclusions. Anisotropy of the fatigue properties due to the slender shape of the elon-gated inclusions was also discussed. Fatigue tests were then conducted for both the rolling direction(RD) and transverse direction (TD) in the case of the billets. The fatigue test results in the RD showeda slight difference between billets and bars. The inclusions that were deformed during hot rollingwere sufficiently elongated, even for the billet specimens, and differences in the effective inclusionsizes between the billets and their hot-rolled bars for the RD were small. However, there were markeddifferences in fatigue strength between the RD and TD in the billet specimens: the fatigue strengthwas almost half in the TD due to the presence of fish-eye fractures originating in large and slenderMnS inclusions. In these fatigue tests, the two types of deformable inclusions revealed remarkablydifferent effects on fatigue strength: the deformable oxide-type inclusions never caused fish-eye frac-ture, although the MnS inclusions found in the billets were extremely detrimental to fatigue strengthwhenstress was applied in the TD.

I.INTRODUCTIONINCLUSIONScause fish-eye fracture in fatigue of high-

strength steels. The fish-eye fracture is an internally originatingtype of fatigue failure, which eliminates the fatigue limit of high-strength steels. Hence, inclusions decrease the fatigue strengthof high-strength steels and cause giga-cycle fatigue,[1–9]i.e.,fatigue failure in the long life region above 107cycles.The major types of inclusions decreasing fatigue strengthare oxides, nitrides, and sulfides. In most cases, the oxidesare Al2O3or Al2O3иCaO inclusions, the nitrides are TiN inclu-

sions, and the sulfides are MnS inclusions. The Al2O3orAl2O3иCaO inclusions are generally globular and the inclusion-

matrix interface is debonded at the initial stage of fatigue.[10]Therefore, the Al2O3or Al2O3иCaO inclusions are similar to

globular voids and only the size becomes the limiting factorin the fatigue strength of the steels. In contrast, the shapeand properties, as well as the size, affect the fatigue strengthin the case of the TiN inclusions, since the TiN inclusions areharmful in spite of the small size.[11]In early studies,[12,13]the main reason why the TiN inclusions were detrimental wasbelieved to be due to high stress concentration because oftheir cubic shape. Recent research,[14]however, has shownthat the elastic modulus of the TiN inclusions also plays animportant role. In the case of TiN inclusions, the inclusion-matrix interface is hardly debonded, and in most cases, theTiN inclusions are cracked themselves before they initiate afatigue crack. When the inclusions are tightly bonded to thematrix, the stress state around the inclusions depends on the

difference in the elastic modulus between the inclusion andthe matrix.[15]The MnS inclusions, which are deformed during hotrolling, are generally believed to be less harmful. This typeof inclusion becomes elongated during hot rolling and itseffective size is reduced in the rolling direction (RD). Evenelongated inclusions, however, cause fish-eye fractures ifstress is applied in the transverse direction (TD), since theinclusion size is still large in that direction. In fact, Toyamaet al.[16]have reported that elongated slender MnS inclusions

caused fish-eye fractures in repeated compression fatiguetests using ring-shaped specimens of bearing steel. In thecase of such deformable inclusions, anisotropy of fatiguestrength has to be taken into account.Based on the preceding context, minimizing the inclusionsizes is an effective strategy to improve the fatigue strength ofhigh-strength steels. To minimize the size of oxide-type inclu-sions, the application of an inclusion-control technique[17]could

be one solution. This technique was originally developed toprevent the breakage of steel wires used to reinforce automobiletires during the drawing process to 0.2 to 0.3 mm in diameter.[18]The oxide-type composite inclusions used in that technique aredeformed and elongated during hot rolling, as are MnS inclu-sions. The effective inclusion sizes are, therefore, minimizedin the RD and the fatigue strength could be improved.In this study, fatigue tests were conducted on a series ofspring steels whose fatigue properties were inclusion con-trolled. These steels contained oxide-type composite inclu-sions that were deformed during hot rolling. The importantpoints related to the fatigue properties of the steels containingsuch deformable inclusions were the effects of hot rollingand fatigue strength anisotropy. The fatigue tests, therefore,consisted of the following two parts: (1) comparison of fatigueproperties between billets and their hot-rolled round bars inthe rolling direction, and (2) comparison of fatigue propertiesbetween the RD and TD in billets.