Periodic oxide cracking on fe2.25Cr1 Mo produced by high-temperature fatigue tests with a compression hold

Abstract

Long, straight cracks perpendicular to the stress axis are seen on the oxidized surface of specimens of Fe2.25Cr1Mo cycled with a compressive hold at high temperatures. The cracks in the oxide are periodically spaced. They resemble cracks observed in a brittle film on a ductile substrate after a tension test of the substrate. They also resemble the parallel multiple fractures that occur in a brittle matrix of a composite with ductile fibers undergoing tension. We apply both the model of a brittle film on a ductile substrate and of the brittle matrix composite to explain the observed intercrack spacing. Cracks in the oxide film lead to localized oxidation of the metal in the region around their intersection with the oxide-metal interface. These cracks are seen to penetrate the metal. Stress concentrations from deep grooves that form during compression hold fatigue, together with crack initiation from the oxide, lead to a shortened cycle life.