High Tensile Residual Stresses Research Articles

Failure analysis of stress corrosion cracking in welded structures of aluminum alloy metro body traction beam in service

A comprehensive failure analysis was carried out for a crack appearing in the welded structure of an aluminum alloy body traction beam in a service metro vehicle. The fracture composition analysis reveals the products remaining after the reaction between the external corrosive medium and the material. A three-dimensional finite element model of the welded area of the traction beam was further established to simulate the high residual tensile stress present in the welded area. Based on the dynamic stress testing, it was found that the external loads had little effect on their crack growth. A series of analyses based on material properties, microstructure, fracture morphology and residual stresses identified stress corrosion as the leading cause of crack growth failure. Finally, a new structural repair program is proposed, and the reliability of the new structure in service life is verified by comparison, avoiding catastrophic fracture accidents in the service structure.

Effects of carbon-fibre Z-pins on the through-thickness tensile strength of curved composite laminates under four-point bending

This study investigates the influence of discrete through-thickness reinforcement, i.e. Z-pins, on the through-thickness tensile strength (TTS) of curved laminates through four-point bending experiments. Three types of samples are considered: unpinned, and Z-pinned with 0.27 % and 0.54 % areal densities. HexPly® IM7/8552 carbon/epoxy unidirectional prepreg with 0/±45 layup and 0.28 mm diameter T300/BMI pins were employed to manufacture the specimens. The Z-pinned laminates have comparable TTS with the unpinned samples in terms of the first observable load-drop. However, the TTS corresponding to the ultimate load-drop for low-density and high-density Z-pinned samples are 29 % and 38 % lower than for the unpinned ones, respectively. Z-pinned samples show less scatter than unpinned ones in terms of the ultimate TTS values. All specimens failed suddenly, i.e. with no evident damage progression. This implies that Z-pins were not able to form a progressive bridging zone to dissipate mechanical energy. Through a detailed meso-scale finite element analysis (FEA), it was found that the high through-thickness tensile residual stress in the Z-pin neighbourhood generated from the cool-down stage of cure is an important factor in causing the reduction in TTS of Z-pinned laminates. CT scan images of tested Z-pinned specimens show that the carbon-fibre pins experience fracture inside the laminates.

Residual Stress Engineering for Wire Drawing of Austenitic Stainless Steel X5CrNi18-10 by Variation in Die Geometries-Effect of Drawing Speed and Process Temperature.

As a result of conventional wire-forming processes, the residual stress distribution in wires is frequently unfavorable for subsequent forming processes such as bending operations. High tensile residual stresses typically occur in the near-surface region of the wires and can limit further application and processability of the semi-finished products. This paper presents an approach for tailoring the residual stress distribution by modifying the forming process, especially with regard to the die geometry and the influence of the drawing velocity as well as the wire temperature. The aim is to mitigate the near-surface tensile residual stresses induced by the drawing process. Preliminary studies have shown that modifications in the forming zone of the dies have a significant impact on the plastic strain and deformation direction, and the approach can be applied to effectively reduce the process-induced near-surface residual stress distributions without affecting the diameter of the product geometry. In this first approach, the process variant using three different drawing die geometries was established for the metastable austenitic stainless steel X5CrNi18-10 (1.4301) using slow (20 mm/s) and fast (2000 mm/s) drawing velocities. The residual stress depth distributions were determined by means of incremental hole drilling. Complementary X-ray stress analysis was carried out to analyze the phase-specific residual stresses since strain-induced martensitic transformations occurred close to the surface as a consequence of the shear deformation and the frictional loading. This paper describes the setup of the drawing tools as well as the results of the experimental tests.

Study of Mechanical Properties, Microstructure, and Residual Stresses of AISI 304/304L Stainless Steel Submerged Arc Weld for Spent Fuel Dry Storage Systems

The confinement boundaries of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) canisters are typically fusion welded. Welded microstructures, strain hardening, and residual stresses combined with a chemically aggressive, chloride-rich environment led to concerns that the welded canister may be susceptible to chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC). A comprehensive understanding of the modification of stainless steel (SS) metallurgical and mechanical properties by fusion welding could accelerate the predictive analysis of CISCC susceptibility. This paper describes a submerged arc welding (SAW) procedure that was developed and qualified on 12.7 mm (0.5 in.) thick AISI 304/304L SS to produce joints in a way similar to actual SNF canister manufacturing. This procedure has the potential to reduce the production cost and weld CISCC susceptibility by using fewer welding passes and lower heat input than current industrial applications. Global and local mechanical behaviors and properties, as well as residual stress distributions on the welded joint, were studied. The results indicate that hardness values in the fusion zone (FZ) and heat-affected zone (HAZ) are slightly higher than that of the base metal. Strain localization was presented in the HAZ before the tensile stress reached its maximum value, and then it shifted to the FZ. The specimen finally broke in the FZ. High tensile residual stresses exhibited in the FZ and the nearby HAZ suggest the highest CISCC-susceptible spots. The maximum tensile residual stresses were along the welding direction, indicating that if cracks occur, they would be perpendicular to the welding direction. This study involved developing and qualifying a SAW procedure for SNF canister production. The new procedure yielded cost savings (SAW working efficiency increased by about 80%), improved mechanical properties, and presented moderate residual stresses. Analysis revealed that the welded joint’s low-stress and high-stress damage assessments may be affected by shifts in the strain localization spot under loading.

Analysis of Residual Stresses in Curved Cutouts of Steel Box Girder Transverse Diaphragms

In order to analyze the characteristics of cutting residual stress distribution at the arc‐shaped cutout of steel box girder diaphragm and to study its fatigue cracking mechanism. Taking Xia Zhang Bridge as the engineering background, this paper proposes a systematic method for calculating the residual stress field at the arc‐shaped cutout of the diaphragm. First, a mathematical model of the cutting heat source was established for predicting the temperature field changes during the cutting process of the diaphragm. Then, a 3D thermoelastic‐plastic finite element model was established using Abaqus to parametrically analysis the residual stresses during the fabrication of the transverse spacer. The results show that the cutting heat source creates a “thermal stagnation” effect at the curved notch, which leads to the local metallurgical transformation of the metal surface layer, which is unfavorable to its fatigue performance. The residual stresses are mainly concentrated near the cutting line, and the transverse residual stresses are lower at the free edge of the cutting line, which is easy to crack, and higher in the middle of the arc section of the arc notch. Inside the transverse bulkhead, at 14.5 mm from the free edge of the cut, in addition to the existence of high longitudinal residual tensile stress, its transverse residual tensile stress is also high, with a peak value of 199.3 MPa. Thermal cutting produces high residual tensile stress at the free edge, and the tensile stress cycle formed under the combined effect of wheel load is one of the reasons for the formation of initial fatigue cracks.

Influence of shear cut holes on the fatigue performance of hot-rolled 800 MPa automotive steel grades

Experimental fatigue tests were carried out for two t = 3 mm 800 MPa hot-rolled (HR) high-strength steel grades. These steels have good formability, and it is possible to use shear cutting to enable high productivity. The test campaign included unnotched base metal specimens to evaluate the fatigue performance of HR surface and notched specimens with shear-punched and electrical discharge-machined circular holes to evaluate the effect of cutting process and geometrical shape on the fatigue strength capacity. In this context, the properties of the shear-cut affected zone (SAZ) and resulting high tensile residual stresses, and their effects on the fatigue performance, were evaluated. The fatigue test results were first evaluated based on the nominal stress approach, followed by the applications of local approaches. The mean fatigue strength of the specimens with shear cut holes in the nominal stress system was 125 MPa (with a slope parameter of m = 3, stress range at the net cross section), which is at the comparable level to laser cut holes. Fractography analysis, conducted with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), showed local crack-like defects at the SAZ, and the characterization of local defect feature was utilized in the fatigue strength assessment using a multiparametric notch stress method applying effective stresses obtained by the critical distance approach.

Synergistic anti-wear performance of zinc-rich epoxy coating on shot peening strengthened Q345 steel

The synergy of tribology design and surface engineering is vitally important for fulfilling the long-term anti-wear requirements of mechanical equipment. Here, Q345 steel was processed by shot peening (SP) for forming a volcano-like hardened layer (77.72 HV) with high surface roughness (3.77 μm) and low residual tensile stress (210.75 MPa). Then, a zinc-rich epoxy coating was painted on SP-strengthened Q345 steel to construct the double-layer protection. The double-layer system shows excellent tribological behaviors, especially wear resistance being reduced by 76.50% and 38.75%, respectively, with Q345 steel and that sprayed by epoxy coating as a comparison. Crucially, SP layer plays a role in mechanical support, while epoxy coating acts as a cushion to friction force, thus achieving the synergy for enhancing the anti-friction/wear abilities.

Impact of Plate Thickness and Joint Geometry on Residual Stresses in 347H Stainless Steel Welds

Weldments of 347H stainless steel are potentially susceptible to stress relaxation cracking at elevated service temperatures. Mitigation of stress relaxation cracking susceptibility within a multipass weld requires a good understanding of welding practices and manufacturing techniques to control high tensile residual stresses. In this work, the dependence of residual stress distribution in 347H stainless steel on base plate thickness, joint geometry design, and preheating condition was systematically investigated by using three-dimensional finite element models. The finite element models were validated through good agreement between neutron diffraction measurements and calculated elastic strains. The single-V-groove welds with and without a preheating step all produced similar peak von Mises residual stresses, above 450 MPa, within both the fusion zone and heat-affected zone (HAZ). In plates thicker than 0.5 in. (12.7 mm), high tensile residual stress could be observed in a relatively large area, from the middle of the plate thickness to underneath the top surface. A double-V groove shifted the high tensile stress area to the middle thickness of the weld. A single-J-groove weld was able to confine the residual stress to a very small region near the middle thickness within the fusion zone and suppressed the von Mises residual stress within the HAZ to below 400 MPa.

Printing Cu on a Cold-Sprayed Cu Plate via Selective Laser Melting—Hybrid Additive Manufacturing

The development of the additive manufacturing (AM) technology proffers challenging requirements for forming accuracy and efficiency. In this paper, a hybrid additive manufacturing technology combining fusion-based selective laser melting (SLM) and solid-state cold spraying (CS) was proposed in order to enable the fast production of near-net-shape metal parts. The idea is to fabricate a bulk deposit with a rough contour first via the “fast” CS process and then add fine structures and complex features through “slow” SLM. The experimental results show that it is feasible to deposit an SLM part onto a CS part with good interfacial bonding. However, the CS parts must be subject to heat treatment to improve their cohesion strength before being sending for SLM processing. Otherwise, the high tensile residual stress generated during the SLM process will cause fractures and cracks in the CS part. After heat treatment, pure copper deposited by CS undergoes grain growth and recrystallization, resulting in improved cohesive strength and the release of the residual stress in the CS parts. The tensile test on the SLM/CS interfacial region indicates that the bonding strength increased by 38% from 45 ± 7 MPa to 62 ± 1 MPa after the CS part is subject to heat treatment, and the SLM/CS interfacial bonding strength is higher than the CS parts. This study demonstrates that the proposed hybrid AM process is feasible and promising for manufacturing free-standing SLM-CS components.

Review on Laser Shock Peening Effect on Fatigue of Powder Bed Fusion Materials

The ability to manufacture parts with complex geometry by sending a model from CAD directly to the manufacturing machine has attracted much attention in the industry, driving the development of additive manufacturing technology. However, studies have shown that components manufactured using additive manufacturing technology have several problems, namely high tensile residual stresses, cracks, and voids, which are known to have a major impact on material performance (in service). Therefore, various post-treatment methods have been developed to address these drawbacks. Among the post-treatment techniques, laser shock peening (LSP) is currently considered one of the most efficient post-treatment technologies for improving the mechanical properties of materials. In practice, LSP is responsible for eliminating unfavorable tensile residual stresses and generating compressive residual stresses (CRS), which result in higher resistance to crack initiation and propagation, thus increasing component life. However, since CRS depends on many parameters, the optimization of LSP parameters remains a challenge. In this paper, a general overview of AM and LSP technology is first provided. It then describes which parameters have a greater influence during powder bed melting and LSP processing and how they affect the microstructure and mechanical properties of the material. Experimental, numerical, and analytical optimization approaches are also presented, and their results are discussed. Finally, a performance evaluation of the LSP technique in powder bed melting of metallic materials is presented. It is expected that the analysis presented in this review will stimulate further studies on the optimization of parameters via experimental, numerical, and perhaps analytical approaches that have not been well studied so far.

Characteristics of residual stress distribution in wire-arc additive manufactured layers of low transformation temperature material

High heat input in wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) tends to result in high tensile residual stress, which adversely affects performance and service reliability. However, low-transformation-temperature (LTT) materials are susceptible to compressive residual stresses due to their low phase-transformation point. Here, the LTT material 10Cr10Ni was used as the deposited material to fabricate a pipe structure, and the contour method was applied to measure the residual stress distribution in the cross-section. A thermomechanical coupling analysis model was developed to investigate the residual stress generation mechanism in 10Cr-10Ni(LTT) during the WAAM process. The simulated deformation and residual stress distributions agree well with the measurements. Through simulation analysis of the deposition of different layers, we found the key to the generation of compressive residual stresses in the LTT layers lies in whether there is a transformation from austenite to martensite during the final thermal cycle. When the deposition height exceeded 5.405 mm (approximately four layers), compressive residual stresses were only generated in the last four LTT layers and transformed into tensile residual stresses in the other layers. This results in a concept called the effective region, which can be used as a guide for reducing stress in WAAM using LTT materials.

Wear and residual stress in high-feed milling of AISI H13 tool steel

Abstract With the new manufacturing technologies, it has been possible to machine hard metals efficiently. During high-speed machining (HSM) of high-strength steel, the poor surface integrity of the workpiece affects the performance of the process. Surface roughness, microstructure, microhardness and residual stress are key performance indices for surface integrity directly controlled by tool wear and cutting parameters. In this study, high-feed milling (HFM) of a pocket on test samples made of DIN 1.2344 ESR mould steel with 55 HRc hardness was carried out on the CNC vertical milling machine. Three different cutting speeds and five different feed rates were used. At the end of the machining, tool wear was measured using a microscope. Subsequently, X-ray diffraction and hole drilling procedures were used to quantify residual stresses on machined test specimens. The results showed that under cutting conditions, the highest tensile residual stress was attained at f z = 0.78 mm·tooth−1, v = 127.58 m·min−1, and the highest compressive residual stress at f z = 0.5 mm·tooth−1, v = 127.58 m·min−1, on the workpiece surface. The most suitable cutting parameters were reported as f z = 0.63 mm·tooth−1 and v = 70 m·min−1 cutting speed when tool wear and residual stresses are considered together.

Failure analysis of corroded heat exchanger CuNi tubes from a geothermal plant

This study examined the premature failure of cupronickel (CuNi10Fe) tubes in a shell-and-tube heat exchanger after five months of service. An investigation to identify the root cause of the tube burst was carried out using macroscopic and microscopic inspection, chemical analysis, and mechanical analysis. The optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluation revealed crack propagation characterized by pits and inclusions at the tube surface. This was due to the diffusion of hydrogen ions into the material from the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) rich geothermal environment. Furthermore, high tensile residual stresses of 172 MPa were recorded in the failed tube, leading to stress cracking in hydrogen-containing material. Additionally, the high sulfide content in corroded water and condensate samples suggests that the leading cause of tube rupture was through hydrogen embrittlement and sulfide stress cracking mechanism in the presence of hydrogen sulfide. Therefore, the use of laser cladding to protect tubes using functionally graded materials is recommended to mitigate degradation in aggressive environments, through careful material selection and additional water treatment to eliminate the contaminants.

Determination of Loading and Residual Stresses on Offshore Jacket Structures by X-ray Diffraction

As basements of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) in deep water (>50 m), jacket structures are an economic alternative to monopiles. For this reason, the structural durability of jackets has become more important. In such structures, welded tubular joints are weak points for fatigue design. The harmful effect of tensile residual stresses in welding joints is well known. For these reasons, the residual stresses and the loading stresses of offshore jacket structures were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) using a mobile diffractometer. This allows us to directly determine the load stress at the fatigue-critical locations, namely at the weld toe at the testing rig. High tensile residual stresses up to 250 MPa were determined in a welded (and unloaded) condition. At a loaded structure (10,000 load cycles), a lower residual stress level was determined. During loading, a local increase in the stress at the welded joint that is between 1.4 and 4 times higher than the applied nominal stress was determined. Furthermore, it is shown that additional treatment (grinding and clean blasting) influences the local stress state significantly.

New displacement-based finite element analysis method for predicting the surface residual stress generated by ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification

Peening techniques can be applied to relieve high tensile residual stress, which is one of the main causes of primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). Ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM) is a peening technique that generates a high compressive residual stress on the surface of a structure. Finite element (FE) analysis can be utilized for quantitative surface stress prediction according to the UNSM in various materials and loading conditions. In this paper, a new method to predict the surface residual stress generated by UNSM process through FE analysis is proposed. In order to accurately simulate the UNSM process through FE analysis, it is necessary to define an equivalent displacement calculation method that can replace the complex load states of UNSM. For this, we proposed the new equivalent displacement calculation method based on the contact mechanics theory and the energy conservation law. The new equivalent displacement calculation method was validated by comparing the indentation depth obtained by single-path UNSM FE analyses and experiments under various loading conditions. The actual UNSM process is carried out in multiple paths over a large area of the structure. By applying the new equivalent displacement calculation method, the compressive residual stresses were calculated through multi-path UNSM FE analyses and compared with the results obtained from the multi-path UNSM experiments. The surface residual stress results of the experiments and analyses showed good agreement, and it was confirmed that the UNSM process can be simulated well if the new equivalent displacement calculation method is used for the FE analysis.

High temperature thermo-mechanical responses mediated by interfacial microstructure regulation in tungsten heavy alloy/superalloy brazed joints

The plasma-facing components of future fusion reactor applications, where tungsten heavy alloy (WHA) and superalloy dual-metallic structures are promising structural and functional materials, will be fabricated by vacuum brazing techniques. Herein, the mechanistic correlation between multi-interfacial structures from meso-scale to atomic-scale and high temperature thermo-mechanical responses was revealed. Fatigue defect propagation mechanisms induced by thermal cycling load were analyzed, and the orientation relationship of β-Ti/Fe2Ti coherent interface combined with high residual tensile stress in brittle Ni3Ti illustrated the underlying cause of fatigue cracks and intragranular voids. This work provides insight into the critical engineering challenges of WHA dissimilar joining systems and guides future anti-thermal fatigue designs.

Experimental and numerical investigation of residual stresses in proximity girth welds

International fabrication codes and standards provide minimum distance criteria for proximity welds, although rigorous justification is lacking. These distances are either based on practical experience or mutual agreement and are often left to the engineering judgment of contractors, inspection engineers, etc., especially in cases of repair welds fabricated in proximity to existing welds. Previous studies have shown high tensile residual stresses and altered mechanical and microstructural properties between proximity welds. This article focuses on numerical and experimental quantification of residual stresses in the proximity region by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and finite element method (FEM) thermo-mechanical models. Specimens were machine welded, then repair welded at distances of 5–15 mm. A fair agreement in results was achieved between FEM and XRD. The most detrimental effect was observed at the weld root toe for the repair weld at 5 mm proximity, likely due to the high constraint and multiaxial stress state. These findings enable practitioners to propose technical justification and corrective actions while specifying minimum distance criteria for proximity welds.

Modeling of welding residual stress in a dissimilar metal butt-welded joint between P92 ferritic steel and SUS304 austenitic stainless steel

In this study, a butt-welded joint between P92 ferritic steel and SUS304 austenitic stainless steel was fabricated with a nickel-based filler material. Based on Sysweld software, three-dimensional thermal-metallurgical-mechanical coupled finite element analyses were performed to investigate the hardness and welding residual stress in the welded joint. In the material behavior model, various factors influencing the formation and distribution of hardness and welding residual stress were carefully considered, including the austenitic transformation, martensitic transformation, and the tempering of martensite in P92 steel; the isotropic strain hardening, annealing effect, and melting effect of all materials; and the differential thermal expansion between dissimilar metals. The neutron diffraction method and hole-drilling strain gauge method were applied to measure the profiles of residual stress of the welded joint, respectively. Hardness mapping was performed on a weld cross-section specimen. The predicted results of welding residual stress and hardness are in good agreement with the measurements, respectively. The peak residual stresses in longitudinal and transverse directions are above 600 MPa in P92 steel. There are high tensile residual stress and significant cold work near the weld root in SUS304 stainless steel. The solid-state phase transformation induces compressive longitudinal residual stress in the heat-affected zone, high tensile transverse residual stress near the weld toe in P92 steel, and a significant stress gradient. The tempering effect can reduce the hardness and tensile residual stress in the heat-affected zone of P92 steel. The formation mechanism of welding-induced residual stress was illustrated based on the Satoh test. The effects of peak temperature, internal restraint, and differential thermal expansion are found to be decisive for the formation of residual stress. Large tensile residual stress can be generated with internal restraints, which promote the stress increase and lead to material yielding. A restraint factor was proposed for the quantitative assessment of stress evolution.

M2 coating prepared by ultra-high speed laser cladding: Microstructure and interfacial residual stress

The coating of M2 high speed steel was prepared on 42CrMo steel substrate using ultra-high speed laser cladding technique (EHLA in German). Our results show that the M2 cladded coating formed a dentate metallurgical bonding with 42CrMo steel substrate. The morphology of the M2 coating involved from the “corn” shape structure at the interface, to “column” shape in the middle zone, and final a “basket” shape near the surface. The near-surface zone of the M2 coating is composed of residual austenite + lamellar twinning martensite + network carbides, and the latter being composed of unstable V4C3 and unstable Cr3(W10C3)2, in accordance with the parallel phase relationship of [5̅15̅3]V4C3[110]Cr3W10C32and (015)V4C3(1̅15)Cr3W10C32. The residual stress was measured using nanoindentation with the assistance of atomic force microscope (AFM) for direction measurement of residual indents to account for pile-up. An analysis method was proposed by combining the AFM measurement and contact mechanics calculation. Our results show high tensile residual stress existing across the whole M2 coating and even extended over 100 µm deep into the heat affected zone in the substrate; the peak value of about 311 MPa was found near the interface area and then dropped sharply. Good agreement was found in results obtained using our method and Oliver & Giannakopoulos (G&S) method, hence validating the G&S method for future application in this material system without the need to use AFM for evaluation of pile-up.

Microstructure-electrochemical behavior relationship in post processed AISI316L stainless steel parts fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

AISI316L stainless steel components produced via additive manufacturing techniques have quickly found new applications across several industrial sectors. However, parts manufactured through this method generally exhibit poor surface quality and performance in the as-built state. This work addresses the influence of laser polishing and water jet assisted recirculating shot peening on the surface quality, microstructure and electrochemical properties of AISI316L samples produced by the laser powder bed fusion method. To do so, surface roughness analysis, residual stress measurement, scanning electron microscope and electron backscatter diffraction analysis were employed along with electrochemical tests, including cyclic potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky analysis. Laser polished samples exhibited a smooth surface with high tensile residual stress on the surface, which led to the reduction of pitting potential and formation of passive layers, including more crystal defects. Microscopical analysis evidenced that the higher density of lattice defects and local microstrain on the surface of the shot peened samples promoted surface hardness and induced compressive residual stress. Therfore, the shot peened samples exhibited a wider passive range in cyclic potentiodynamic polarization measurements, higher polarization resistance in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, and less defective passive film in Mott-Schottky analysis. Moreover, it was calculated that the passive film thickness of the shot peened sample was slightly larger than the other samples. Low surface roughness, high crystal defect density, and compressive residual stresses enhanced the passive layer's resistance to defect transport, lowered the point defect concentration in the passive film, and improved the pitting resistance of the samples.