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Application of normalization method to fracture toughness testing of welds with pronounced strength heterogeneity : doctoral disertationPrimož Štefane, 2022, doktorska disertacija
Opis: This doctoral dissertation presents the results of an extensive fracture testing programme of
welds with pronounced strength heterogeneity. Purpose of this programme was to determine
fracture toughness of heterogeneous welds that contain a midplane crack. Application of
standardized fracture testing methods in heterogeneous welds might lead to overestimation or
underestimation of fracture toughness and consequentially to inaccurate assessment of
structural integrity. Reasons for that are variations in mechanical properties of different
material regions in the weld which have a significant impact on development of deformation at
the crack tip, and consequently on the crack driving force. Experimental procedures in scope
of this research include fabrication of weld sample plates, that were welded with MAG process.
The welds were fabricated using two different electrodes, one with higher and one with lower
mechanical properties, with respect to base material S690QL in order to replicate extreme
variations of mechanical properties in the weldment. Fabricated welds were then characterized
in detail using metallography, three-point bend impact testing, indentation hardness
measurements and tensile testing of flat miniature and round bar standard tensile specimens.
Resistance of welds to stable tearing was investigated by fracture testing of square surface
cracked SE(B) specimens containing a weld midplane notch. J-integral has been estimated from
plastic work, using the normalization data reduction method that is included in standard ASTM
E1820. The advantage of the normalization data reduction method is that no special equipment
or complex testing method is needed to measure ductile crack growth during fracture testing.
The ductile crack growth is determined directly from the load-displacement record, by applying
appropriate calibration function and physical lengths of initial and final cracks that were
measured post-mortem with the nine-point method. Several correction factors had to be
calibrated in order to successfully implement the normalization data reduction method to
fracture testing of welds with pronounced strength heterogeneity. For that reason, parametric
finite element analyses were conducted for several weld configurations. Finite element models
incorporated plane strain conditions in order to provide calibrated factors that comply with
plane strain equations included in ASTM E1820. Additionally, crack tip constraint has been
extensively analysed and correlated with the plastic deformation fields. This clarified altered
deformation behaviour of modelled welds in comparison with the base material and
corresponding effect on fracture toughness. Finally, calibrated factors were applied to
computation of J-integral from data that were measured during fracture testing. J-R resistance
curves were constructed for the tested heterogeneous welds and compared to the ones of the
base material. This directly showed the effect of variations of mechanical properties on the
weld fracture behaviour.
Ključne besede: weld, strength mismatch, fracture, normalization data reduction technique, plastic
correction factors, test fixture, SE(B) specimen, J-R resistance curve
Objavljeno v DKUM: 10.01.2023; Ogledov: 778; Prenosov: 192
Celotno besedilo (20,57 MB)