Effect of loading rate on the mode II dynamic fracture characteristics of 40Cr steel

Abstract

40Cr high strength steel is often used in aerospace and national defense fields due to its excellent mechanical properties. Therefore, the research on the mode Ⅱ dynamic fracture characteristics and failure mechanism of 40Cr high strength steel under high-speed impact has important scientific significance and engineering value. Experiments and numerical simulations were carried out to study the mode Ⅱ dynamic fracture properties of 40Cr material under high loading rates. Based on the newly designed specimen and the novel test technique for mode Ⅱ dynamic fracture, the experimental-numerical method was used to determine the dynamic stress intensity factor curve of the crack tip during the loading process. The crack initiation time of the specimen was obtained by the strain gauge pasted on the specimen, and the mode Ⅱ dynamic fracture toughness of 40Cr was finally determined. The effect of loading rate and the failure mechanism of the material were also studied. The results show that within the present loading rate range of this work (1.08−5.53 TPa·m1/2/s), the mode Ⅱ dynamic fracture toughness of 40Cr presents a positive correlation with the loading rate. Through the analysis of the fracture morphology of the recovered specimen, it is found that there exists a transition from tensile failure mode to adiabatic shear failure mode with the increase of loading rate, and the critical loading rate is about 2.92 TPa·m1/2/s. When KⅡd≤1.70 TPa·m1/2/s, the 40Cr steel mainly exhibits brittle fracture; when KⅡd is in the range of 2.12−2.92 TPa·m1/2/s, the fracture mainly presents the morphological characteristics of ductile fracture; when KⅡd ≥ 3.19 TPa·m1/2/s, the material failure is mainly caused by adiabatic shear bands. Brittle fracture is dominated by strain rate hardening mechanism, ductile fracture is dominated by strain/strain rate hardening and thermal softening mechanisms, and adiabatic shear fracture is dominated by thermal softening mechanism.