Intergranular Cracking Research Articles

The Role of Extrusions and Intrusions in the Initiation and Intergranular Growth of Fatigue Cracks

The role of extrusions and intrusions in the initiation and growth of intergranular fatigue cracks is studied by performing strain‐controlled fatigue experiments on polycrystalline copper and by analyzing the development of intergranular crack initiation and resulting fracture surfaces. Fatigue cracks initiate either in the persistent slipbands within a grain or on the grain boundaries. The grain boundary initiation mechanism is due to the production of extrusions and intrusions on the grain boundaries that decrease the grain boundary cohesion forming submicroscopic crack nuclei. The alternating extrusions and intrusions are found also on the grain boundary facets of the fracture surface of a growing fatigue crack. Up to three slip systems are identified on the facets of cracked grain boundaries. Their form and height are found using scanning electron microscope observations and focused ion beam sectioning. A mechanism similar to intergranular grain boundary crack initiation is considered to explain the formation of grain boundary facets. A novel mechanism of intergranular fatigue crack growth is proposed based on the damaging effect of the extrusions and intrusions produced in the cyclic plastic zone of the growing fatigue crack.

Dynamic failure behavior of 7B52 laminated aluminum alloy subjected to deformable projectile impact

The ballistic response and failure mechanisms during the impact of a 304 steel-core projectile on a 7B52 laminated aluminum alloy plate were investigated. The impact resistance of the target plate was obtained through ballistic testing, and a detailed analysis of the fracture mechanism was conducted using microstructure characterization. Furthermore, an enhanced Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN) model was employed to simulate the ballistic impact process, as well as the initiation and propagation of fractures. The results revealed significant deformation following the impact of the 304 steel-core projectile on the 7B52-T6 laminated plate. The target plate exhibited spalling failure, shear failure, and ductile hole expansion, with spalling failure being caused by intergranular fracture mechanisms. In the high stress triaxiality regions of the 7A62 alloy, intergranular cracks are prone to occur, and shear stress influences the expansion of the cracks. Fragments following layer cracking adhere to the 7A52 layer, thereby increasing the ballistic resistance surface area. The 7A52 layer on the rear side of the target plate effectively absorbed the projectile's energy through bending and stretching deformation, thereby offering enhanced protection. Furthermore, the spall resistance of the 7B52 laminated plate eliminate secondary damage caused by spall fragments.

Research on Hydrogen-Induced Induced Cracking Sensitivity of X80 Pipeline Steel under Different Heat Treatments.

X80 pipeline steel has played a vital role in oil and gas transportation in recent years. However, hydrogen-related issues frequently lead to pipeline failures during service, resulting in significant losses of properties and lives. Three heat treatment processes (furnace cooling (FC), air cooling (AC), and water cooling (WC)) were carried out to investigate the effect of different microstructures on hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) susceptibility of X80 pipeline steel. The WC sample demonstrated the highest hydrogen embrittlement index, registering at 21.9%, while the AC and FC samples exhibited progressively lower values of 15.45% and 10.98%, respectively. Under equivalent hydrogen charging durations, crack dimensions with a maximum length exceeding 30 μm in the WC sample generally exceed those in the FC sample and AC sample. The variation is attributed to the difference in microstructures of the samples, predominantly lath bainite (LB) in water-cooled samples, granular bainite (GB) in air-cooled samples, and ferrite/pearlite (F/P) in FC samples. The research results demonstrate that the sensitivity of lath bainite (LB) to HIC is significantly higher than that of pearlite, ferrite, and granular bainite (GB). The presence of a large amount of martensite/austenite (M/A) constituents within bainite results in a multitude of hydrogen trap sites. HIC cracks in bainite generally propagate along the profiles of M/A constituents, showing both intergranular and transgranular cracking modes.

Correlative, ML-based and non-destructive 3D-analysis of intergranular fatigue cracking in SAC305-Bi solder balls

Reliable connections of electrical components embody a crucial topic in the microelectronics and power semiconductor industry. This study utilises 3D non-destructive X-ray tomography and specifically developed machine learning (ML-) algorithms to statistically investigate crack initiation and propagation in SAC305-Bi solder balls upon thermal cycling on board (TCoB). We quantitatively segment fatigue cracks and flux pores from 3D X-ray tomography data utilising a multi-level ML-workflow incorporating a 3D U-Net model. The data reveals that intergranular fatigue cracking is the predominant failure mechanism during TCoB and that dynamic recrystallisation precedes crack initiation. Moreover, we find that fatigue cracks are initiated at surface notches, flux pores and printed circuit board-metallisation intrusions. The work provides important insights regarding the underlying microstructural and mechanical mechanisms for recrystallisation and cracking, uniting the aspects of big-data analysis with ML-algorithms and in-depth understanding about the underlying materials science.

Dealloying of Monel 400 in acetate solutions: Predicting susceptibility using Thermo-Kinetic diagrams

Monel 400 steam generator tubes in CANDU® reactors are reported to be susceptible to dealloying corrosion, but the degradation mechanism and kinetics remain unclear. We construct the Thermo-Kinetic diagrams (TK diagrams) for Monel 400, and commercially pure nickel and copper alloys in 0.1 M sodium acetate solutions at 25 and 85 ℃ to predict the conditions of susceptibility to dealloying. Subsequently, coupons of Monel 400 were immersed at various pHs at both temperatures to validate the accuracy of the predictions. After 168 h, the coupons showed selective dissolution of nickel at pH=6 at 85 ℃, with a dealloying depth of ∼2.5 µm on the polished surfaces and a maximum depth of ∼60 µm on unpolished edges. The dissolution of nickel in the form of acetate complexes appears to trigger dealloying, followed by the formation of intergranular cracks. Dealloying resulted in a ligament-pore structure and nickel content of the alloy decreased from 66.5 to 17.6 wt% in the dealloyed layer. The results prove that TK diagrams are a powerful tool for predicting the corrosion mechanism of alloys under complex conditions.

Hydrogen blistering and cracking of high-strength pipeline steel welds produced by electrochemical hydrogen charging

Pipeline steel system always faces a challenge of hydrogen embrittlement (HE) not only due to corrosion environments but also because of cathodic protection strategy. Especially in welded joint, heterogeneous microstructures lead to the difference in intrinsic HE resistance for different subzones. However, this aspect was often neglected when external loading was applied during evaluation of the HE. To eliminate the effect of external loading, the hydrogen damage behaviors of X100 pipeline steel weld were investigated only based on electrochemical hydrogen charging and the intrinsic HE resistance of each subzone was explored. The results showed that the HE resistance of the main regions in weld was decreased in order of weld metal, heat affected zone (HAZ) and base metal (BM), with different surface damage modes: the BM had predominantly hydrogen blistering; while others displayed mainly hydrogen cracking. The corresponding features for cross-sectional cracking were intergranular propagation along the pancaked grain boundaries in the BM and trangranular propagation in HAZ. For transgranular cracking propagation, the path first trended to initiate on the {100} cleavage plane, then grew on the {110} slip planes. The intergranular cracking was mainly attributed to the lamellar-structural prior grain boundaries that inherited numerous deformation dislocations during hot rolling of the base metal.

Fractography of Stress Corrosion Cracking of 20% Cold Worked Type 304 H Stainless Steel Containing δ-Ferrite in Oxidizing Primary Water

Fractography of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of 20% cold worked Type 304 H stainless steel containing δ-ferrite was studied using a compact tension (CT) specimen in oxidizing primary water with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD). The stress corrosion crack propagated mostly in transgranular stress corrosion cracking (TGSCC) mode and sometimes in intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) mode. TGSCC paths were along the {111} plane with both high resolved shear stress and high resolved tensile stress. IGSCC preferentially propagated along the grain boundary perpendicular to the loading axis. The findings in this work suggest that TGSCC proceeds through formation of a weakening zone at the head of the crack tip by interaction of slip and corrosion and then cracking of the weakened zone by tensile stress.

Experimental investigation of thermomechanical fatigue behavior in directionally solidified Ni-based superalloy under in-phase and out-of-phase conditions

The fatigue behavior of a directionally solidified (DS) Ni-based superalloy was investigated under in-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP) thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) conditions. Specimens were tested under strain control with a temperature range of 450–850 °C. In some tests, an optional 5 min out-of-phase dwell (OPD) time was introduced. In the case of IP TMF, the primary damage manifestation was predominantly intergranular cracks, whereas in the OP tests, the damage was mainly transgranular cracks. The fatigue life of IP TMF was found to be significantly shorter than that of OP TMF. This indicated that the intergranular cracks propagated faster than the transgranular cracks. The dwell time did not influence the dominant damage form; however, it led to an increase in the density of the microcracks. This increase resulted in a reduced lifetime, leading to lower stress amplitudes and higher plastic strain amplitudes compared with the continuous cycle tests. In addition, cycle hardening became apparent during the initial stages of cyclic loading. The microstructures and damage evolution were examined to provide insights into the changes in fatigue life. A model for predicting the fatigue life of DS Ni-based superalloy under given test conditions has been assessed. The proposed fracture mechanics model, which outlines the failure mechanism of directionally solidified Ni-based superalloy under TMF conditions, has proven to be effective in predicting fatigue life.

Improving mechanical property and corrosion resistance of high electrical conductivity Al-Ce-Sc-Y and Al-Mg-Si-Ce-Sc-Y alloys by laser shock peening

The high electrical conductivity Al-Ce-Sc-Y and Al-Mg-Si-Ce-Sc-Y alloys were used to study the effects of laser shock peening on their mechanical property, pitting and intergranular corrosion resistance. The strength and elongation of the alloys were improved simultaneously at the expense of very low electrical conductivity after laser shock peening due to the gradient structure and residual compressive stress. After two side laser shock peening, the strength and elongation of Al-Ce-Sc-Y and Al-Mg-Si-Ce-Sc-Y alloys increased to 231 ± 3 MPa/16.2 ± 0.2 % and 359 ± 3 MPa/17.1 ± 0.3 %, respectively. The samples with two surface states were used to study the corrosion behaviors. The number and depth of corrosion pits can be significantly reduced by laser shock peening and the crystallographic corrosion morphology exists in the corrosion pits. After two side laser shock peening with polished surface, the intergranular corrosion depth of Al-Mg-Si-Ce-Sc-Y alloy can reach the minimum and the intergranular corrosion cracks are much finer at the same depth. The Al-Ce-Sc-Y alloy had no tendency of intergranular corrosion, but the unpolished surface was prone to form the deep corrosion pits rather than occurred uniform corrosion. According to the microstructure analysis, the corrosion mechanism of pitting and intergranular corrosion was revealed.

Physical simulation of the underclad heat affected zone in a reactor pressure vessel to study intergranular cracking

Underclad cracking in nuclear pressure vessels was of significant concern in the 1970s and 1980s before mitigating adjustments were made both to steel compositions and manufacturing practice. Unfortunately, the cracking mechanisms are still not well understood, and this can undermine confidence when changes to cladding operations are under consideration. In this work, Charpy-sized test coupons of 18MND5 steel were subject to a range of thermal cycles that can be experienced by the substrate immediately adjacent to the interface with the overlay. The Charpy test results are considered in combination with analysis of the samples through field emission gun (FEG) scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDXS). The findings suggest that the heat affected zone subject to the coarse grained plus intercritical thermal cycle, before post weld heat treatment, has a peculiar and potentially brittle microstructure. However, in a steel with no obvious macrosegregation, no clear evidence of intergranular cracking in the early stages of the post weld heat treatment could be found. The second part of the work focuses on the effects of segregation regions in large forgings, more specifically ghost lines, on the tendency for underclad cracking. Ghost line regions that subsequently form a coarse grained heat affected zone (CGHAZ), and are then heated to just under the A1 temperature, seem to be the most prone to intergranular cracking. Cracking susceptibility appears to be associated with elevated concentrations of alloying and impurity elements at grain boundaries.

Effects of W-doping on precursor growth of LiNi0.88Co0.09Mn0.03O2 and its electrochemical performance

W-doped LiNi0.88Co0.09Mn0.03O2 cathodes were fabricated by using W-doped precursors. X-ray diffraction indicates that W-doping suppresses the crystal growth of the precursor along the direction perpendicular to c-axis. Scanning electron microscopy results show that the primary particles of the cathode become finer with the increase of W-doping amount. Electrochemical measurements prove the merits of the W-doped cathodes. The one with 0.4 wt.% W-doping shows significantly improved electrochemical properties compared with the pristine one. After 100 charge–discharge cycles at a high rate of 10C, it exhibits capacity retentions of 94.68% and 89.63% at 25 and 45 °C, respectively. The intergranular cracks after cycles are also suppressed by W-doping. Hence, profiting from the synergistic effect of component regulation and microstructure engineering by W-doping, the Li+ diffusion kinetics is boosted, and the structural stability is enhanced.

Role of Crack Interaction on Shear Localization in Porous Granular Rocks Deformed in the Brittle and Ductile Fields

AbstractCrack interactions leading to shear localization were quantified using microstructural analysis for brittle faults and high‐temperature ductile faults formed during experiments on quartz sandstone. In both faulting regimes, the nucleation of macroscopic faults results from the interactions of microfractures at two length scales in ensemble. Brittle faults nucleate when the longest mesoscale shear fractures and transgranular tensile cracks critically interact. In contrast, ductile faults nucleate when the longest mesoscale shear fractures and multi‐grain scale intergranular shear cracks critically interact. For both faulting regimes, we conclude the interaction and coalescence of the longest mesoscale shear fractures is the fundamental process responsible for fault nucleation. Hence, mesoscale shear fractures, which accommodate the majority of axial strain prior to shear localization in both faulting regimes, also serve as the nucleus of macroscopic faults. Locally, the growth of the mesoscale shear fractures is promoted by the interaction and coalescence of the multi‐grain scale cracks in both faulting regimes. We hypothesize that attainment of a critical microstructure for shear localization (i.e., local clustering of the longest microfractures) requires a characteristic amount of plastic axial strain, which depends on deformation conditions. In brittle faulting, distributed microfracturing is confined within limited regions of the rock volume, which expedites crack clustering and fault nucleation at low characteristic strains. In ductile faulting, distributed microfracturing occurs more uniformly throughout the rock volume, delaying shear localization to high characteristic strains. Accurate prediction of shear localization requires models that describe crack interactions of the largest flaws that account for crack clustering.

Revealing the Nanoscopic Corrosive Degradation Mechanism of Nickel-Rich Layered Oxide Cathodes at Low State-of-Charge Levels: Corrosion Cracking and Pitting.

Ni-rich layered oxides have received significant attention as promising cathode materials for Li-ion batteries due to their high reversible capacity. However, intergranular and intragranular cracks form at high state-of-charge (SOC) levels exceeding 4.2 V (vs. Li/Li+), representing a prominent failure mechanism of Ni-rich layered oxides. The nanoscale crack formation at high SOC levels is attributed to a significant volume change resulting from a phase transition between the H2 and H3 phases. Herein, in contrast to the electrochemical crack formation at high SOC levels, another mechanism of chemical crack and pit formation on a nanoscale is directly evidenced in fully lithiated Ni-rich layered oxides (low SOC levels). This mechanism is associated with intergranular stress corrosion cracking, driven by chemical corrosion at elevated temperatures. The nanoscopic chemical corrosion behavior of Ni-rich layered oxides during aging at elevated temperatures is investigated using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, revealing that microcracks can develop through two distinct mechanisms: electrochemical cycling and chemical corrosion. Notably, chemical corrosion cracks can occur even in a fully discharged state (low SOC levels), whereas electrochemical cracks are observed only at high SOC levels. This finding provides a comprehensive understanding of the complex failure mechanisms of Ni-rich layered oxides and provides an opportunity to improve their electrochemical performance.

Capacity fading and inter/intra-granular fracture of polycrystalline cathode particle induced by charge/discharge cycles: A numerical study

The capacity fading of Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) containing polycrystalline cathode materials can be attributed to the degradation of secondary particles caused by inter- and intra-granular fractures occurring during charging and discharging cycles. In this work, a diffusion-induced stress (DIS) analysis method based on the finite-discrete element method (FDEM) is developed for studying the fracture behaviors of polycrystalline cathodes. The analysis of lithiation and delithiation processes shows that C-rate and interfacial fracture toughness have significant effects on inter-granular crack morphologies. Our method enables precise analysis of the competition between intra- and inter-granular cracks and the effect of crack-impeded diffusion on crack morphologies. We compared numerical simulation results for scenarios where fracture toughness changes with the number of cycles, and demonstrated that the decreasing fracture toughness with cycle number is an important factor contributing to the slow crack growth. Additionally, we established the relationship between crack length and capacity loss, which agreed well with experimental results.

Creep behavior and creep-oxidation interaction of selective electron beam melted Ti–48Al–2Cr–2Nb alloy at different temperatures

In this work, creep behavior and creep-oxidation interaction behavior of Ti–48Al–2Cr–2Nb alloy fabricated by selective electron beam melting at different temperatures were investigated in detail. This alloy exhibits a near-γ microstructure composed of coarse/fine mixed equiaxed grains. Creep test results show that creep behavior of this alloy is sensitive to temperature. This is mainly manifested in that creep life reduces significantly by 84.8 % as temperature increases from 800 °C to 850 °C. During creep, discontinuous dynamic recrystallization characterized by grain nucleation and growth and continuous dynamic recrystallization characterized by strain gradient and orientation accumulation occur simultaneously. The formation of mechanical twins plays an important role in stimulating dynamic recrystallization. Meanwhile, creep deformation and fracture mechanisms of this alloy at different temperatures were also discussed. On the other hand, oxidation test results reveal that the applied tensile stress has a positive effect on the oxidation behavior of this alloy: the growth of TiO2 oxide is inhibited and the oxidation rate is slowed down. However, under creep-oxidation interaction, the intergranular cracking of the oxide film occurs along with the necking of the alloy matrix during creep.

New insights into stress corrosion cracking mechanism of Alloy 600 in boiling water reactor (BWR) environment

Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of Alloy 600 in BWR, but slip-dissolution at grain boundaries remains the most recognized cause. However, it is still uncertain whether the above degradation is accompanied by selective internal oxidation (SIO) as a precursor. Following new insights into the creviced bent beam (CBB) test, relevant evidence was discovered. Additionally, the results of First Principle Calculation indicate interstitial O actively competes for chromium in IG carbides to form chromium oxides during the SIO process, instead of passively waiting for the oxidation/decomposition of carbides to provide a chromium source.

Effect of the triangular prism dent on stress corrosion cracking behavior of alloy 690TT heat transfer tube in a lead-containing alkaline solution

In this paper, the microstructural changes and mechanical characteristics of alloy 690TT heat transfer tube with a triangular prism dent are investigated by combining experimental and simulation methods, and subsequently examines their influence on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior. The results indicate that the deformation mechanism caused by impact dent is slip and twinning. The structural transformation of high-density dislocations, as well as Copper and Brass deformation textures, are formed at dent bottom, resulting in stress concentration through work hardening, which greatly increases SCC sensitivity. Oxidation preferentially occurs along grain boundaries and dislocations, and the corrosion products are formed, which exhibit a semi-coherent orientation relationship with the matrix. Oxidation is essentially a de-alloying process in which oxygen diffuses inward and Cr migrates towards the oxidation zone. The wedge force generated by corrosion products provides another driving force for initiation and propagation of SCC cracks, in addition to external loads and residual stress. SCC cracks propagate in the form of intergranular stress corrosion cracking and transgranular stress corrosion cracking in a high temperature lead-containing alkaline solution.

Effect of laser spot offset on microstructure and properties of laser welded joint of medium Mn/DP980 dissimilar steel

During laser welding of medium Mn (M−Mn) steel, the existence of Mn element at the grain boundaries (GBs) lead to the embrittlement of the joint. In this paper, a new strategy of dissimilar high strength steel welding and laser spot offset is introduced in the laser welding of M−Mn steel. This paper focuses on the influence of laser spot offset on the brittleness of laser welded joints of M−Mn/dual-phase 980 (DP980) dissimilar steel, and compares the differences in microstructure, element distribution and properties of joints under different processes. Compared with the welded joints of M−Mn/M−Mn steel and M−Mn/DP980 steel, the content of Mn element and Mn23C6 carbide in the GBs of the new welded joint was reduced, which greatly slowed down the propagation of intergranular cracks in the fusion zone (FZ). Finally, the plasticity of the welded specimen is greatly improved.

Improved interfacial contact and electrochemical performance of highly Ni-rich LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (x>90%) cathode in all-solid-state lithium battery

Single-crystal LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (SC-NCM) cathodes design is an effective solution for enhancing electrochemical performance of all-solid-state lithium battery (ASSLBs). For highly Ni-rich SC cathode (Ni>90 %), the accumulation of local stress caused by anisotropic lattice shrinkage at deeply charging state is more destructive, and even SC-NCM design can not prevent the structure damage and interfacial contact failure between cathode and solid electrolyte (SE). In this work, small-size single-crystal design and Al-doping strategy are firstly combined to synthesize LiNi0.91Co0.04Mn0.04Al0.01O2 (S-SC-NCMA) cathode. Electrochemistry test, CP-SEM, GITT and in-situ EIS techniques are combined to reveal the interfacial evolution of cathode/SE. The kinetic limitation caused by local contact failure of cathode/SE and the formation of intergranular crack under high voltage are the main reason for capacity loss of ASSLBs. Small-size single-crystal design can reduce the volumetric strain effect and Al-doping strategy can further inhibit lattice shrinkage to improve contact. This work provides an effective cathode modification strategy for highly Ni-rich NCM (Ni>90 %) cathode to improve high-voltage performance of sulfide-based ASSLBs.

Cause of bending fracture in high-strength fasteners and heredity of surface recarburization in high carbon steel

In this work, the cause of bending fracture in high-strength fasteners after electroplating was investigated and the heredity of surface recarburization from continuously cast high carbon steel blooms to the final fastener products was explored. The fracture surface of the fasteners displayed intergranular cracking and numerous intergranular facets accompanied by ductile tearing. Hydrogen-induced stepwise cracks were identified near fracture zones, indicative of hydrogen embrittlement. The surface decarburized layer on the fasteners featured a significant number of fine partial decarburization grains and a high carbon content, resulting in low electrical conductivity. The observed dense coating, possibly induced by the poor conductivity of the decarburized layer, could elevate the hydrogen content in the substrate, ultimately resulting in hydrogen embrittlement. Additionally, the surface carbon pick-up at the corners of the blooms could be inherited by the rolled billet. The extensive deformation experienced during the hot rolling process resulted in the uniform distribution of recarburization on the surface of both the wire rod and spheroidized wire rod. Consequently, this recarburization contributed to a low degree of decarburization on the surface of the fasteners. Simulation results obtained through DICTRA also indicated that the recarburization on the surfaces of various samples could not be eliminated during the heat treatment process.