Characterization technics in fracture mechanics

including
K1c test, J1c test and da/dN-K curve measurement

Jianqiang Chen
jchen.map@gmail.com
1

Safety factor and damage tolerance design

Conventional turbine runner design
approach: max < YS or UTS

Fracture mechanics damage

tolerance approach: K < K1c, af < ac

[ALSTOM HYDRO]

Fracture toughness K1c and fatigue crack growth rates da/dN-K should be known.

Fracture toughness K1c test (ASTM E399)

CT specimen
(compact tension)

B = 0.5W
In general

2
2
3
3
4
4
P (2 + a w) ( 0.886 + 4.64 a w 13.32 a w + 14.72 a w 5.6 a w )
K=
3/ 2
BW1/ 2
(1 a w )

K=f() est fonction du stress P et une caracteristique du defaut (B ou a ou W)

3

Fatigue pre-cracking (ASTM E399)

Fatigue pre-cracking is often used to obtain a sharp crack with small plastic
deformation;
Chevron notch is necessary to initiate a straight crack;

Crack mouth opening displacement

Load

PQ

(c)

CMOD
Crack Mouth Opening Displacement

KQ =

PQ
B W

f (a / W )
5

KQ = K1c ?
Small scale yielding and plane strain conditions:

2
KQ
KQ
and B 2.5

a 0 2.5
YS
YS

If not, increase specimen thickness B () or fatigue pre-cracking length a0 ()

KQ = K1c ?
Even the two previous conditions are met, the recording of force-displacment
curve could include some non-linarity for two reasons:
plasticity near the crack tip;
beginning of stable crack extension.
if Pmax/PQ < 1.10 and the two previous conditions are met, then KQ = K1C

Material studied CA6NM steel

Chemical composition of the tested material CA6NM (wt. %)

CA6NM

Mn

Si

Cr

Ni

Mo

0.03

0.57

0.37

0.02

0.02

12.68

4.03

0.67

Tensile properties of the tested material

CA6NM

E (GPa)

YS (MPa)

UTS (MPa)

A (%)

207

763

837

27.0

Fracture toughness

K1c testing - small scale plasticity and plane strain condition

2
2
K1c
K1c
et B 2.5

a 2.5
YS
YS

a = initial crack length

B = specimen thickness
a, B 258 mm !, if a/W = 0.5, W= 516 mm !!
K1c test is not appropriate for CA6NM steel

The Rices J Integral Going back to Griffith ?

u
J = wdy T
dS

crack

with

w = ij d ij

K2
J =G =
(1 v 2 )
E
(plan strain)

K=

EJ
(1 2 )

[Rice, J Appl Mech 35, p.379, 1968]

9

Going back to Griffith ?

Stress singularity near a crack tip
S

K
ij =
f() + o(r1/2 )
2 r
K = Y a (MPa m )

K-controlled zone

o(r1/2) is higher order stress terms

x
a

Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM)

S
Small-scale yielding

K
ij =
f()
2 r
10

Elastic-Plastic Fracture Mechanics (EPFM)

Generalisation of the approach with the
HRR field near a crack tip
S
J-controlled zone

Ramberg-Osgood

=
+

y y
y

Hutchinson + Rice & Rosengren

1/(n +1)

ij =
I r
y y n
a

f ij ( )

J represents the elastic-plastic stress

fields intensity near a crack tip

As fo K and Kc, when J reaches a critical

value Jc, the crack will propagate stably

Large Scale Yielding

[Hutchinson, J Mech Phys Solids 16, p.13, 1968]

[Rice & Rosengren, J Mech Phys Solids 16, p.1, 1968]

11

Fracture toughness J1c test (ASTM E1820)

Measure of J at begining of a R-curve (initiation of crack extension)

Test on SENB and CT specimens;
W= 2 inch and B= 1 inch usually; B can be reduced to 0.25 W;
Modified geometry for that the extensometer can measure the loadline displacement (work)

12

Multi-specimen method
Procedure:

Fatigue pre-cracking of n specimens (n5) to the same a0

Stop the tests at different af
Marking of final crack length
Break the specimen
Measurement of af
Fitting of J-a curve
JQ = (BL)(J-a)
P-v curve

Long and expensive

J-a curve

13

Single-specimen method
Procedure:
Fatigue precracking of one specimen,
Ductile tearing of specimen with partial unloading to get the elastic compliance,
After the final unloading, heat tinting to measure a0 and af , and break the
specimen,
Results analysis.
P-v curve

45

J-a curve

700

40

600

35
500
25

J (kJ/m )

Load (kN)

30

1/C

20
15

400
300

data points
regression line

J0.2
200

10
100

5
0
0.0

0,2mm offset line

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

0
0.0

0.5

Load line displacement (mm)

Load-unload slope compliance crack length a

Plastic area under P-v curve + elastic part J integral

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

crack extension - a (mm)

14

Calculation of J and a
Calculation of J
Force

J = J el + J pl
Apl

Load-line displacement

K2
J el =
(1 2 )
E
J pl =

A pl
B n (W a 0 )

depends on specimens geometry

Calculation of a

a= ai -a0

ai / W = 1.000196 - 4.06319u + 11.242u 2 - 106.335u 3 + 464.355u 4 650.677u 5

]
15

J-a curve and validation

For the candidate JQ value is a valid measurement of J1c, several conditions

should be met, including:
B and W-a0 > 10 JQ/Y
Straightness of a0 et af, a - aavg < 0.05B
a (marking) - a (predicted) < 15%
e.g. CA6NM steel, K1c = 245 MPa

, YS = 763 MPa, UTS =837 MPa

B 3.31 mm !

16

Initial procedure 12.7 mm thick smooth CT specimen

Specimen

Fracture surface

10 mm
2 mm
crack extension direction

Problems :
Significant lateral contraction is observed.
There are nearly no crack growth at the side surfaces of the specimen while the crack
front at the center advanced by more than 2 mm.
KJ1c measured = 452MPa
!!! (valid test, K1c = 245 MPa
).

17

New procedure 12.7 mm thick side-grooved CT specimen

BN = 0.8 B

Fracture surface

2 mm

crack extension direction

The crack tunneling is less pronounced by the introduction of side-grooves.

The crack still grows faster at the center of the specimen compared to the side surfaces.
The test is not valid according to ASTM E1820 (straightness of af).
18

Side-grooves effect
12.7 mm smooth specimen

12.7 mm side-grooved specimen

10 mm

10 mm

Smooth specimen: invalid test KJ1c = 452 MPa

!!!
Side-grooved specimen: invalid test K1c = 241 MPa

.
19

New procedure 25.4 mm thick side-grooved CT specimen

BN = 0.8 B

Fracture surface

5 mm
crack propagation direction

The crack extension front is nearly straight, the specimen is in plane strain condition
(little lateral contraction).
The test is valid according to ASTM E1820.
20

Thickness effect 12.7 mm vs 25.4 mm

J-a curve
700

600

Measured values

400

thickness
(mm)

J0.2
(kJ/m2)

300

12.7

256

241

215

25.4

266

245

128

J (kJ/m )

500

B = 0.5 inch
B = 1.0 inch

200

KJIc
(MPa

dJ/da
(MPa)

100

0.2 mm offset line

0
0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

crack extension - a (mm)

Similar fracture initiation toughness J0.2 values can be obtained on both thin and thick
specimens even though the test done on thin specimen was not valid according to ASTM
standard E1820.
The tearing modulus dJ/da is much higher for thin specimens than thick specimens.
21

Thickness effect 12.7 mm vs. 25.4 mm

12.7 mm thick specimen

25.4 mm thick specimen

crack propagation direction

5 mm

5 mm

J1c 12.7 mm: significant crack front curvature and lateral contraction.
J1c 25.4 mm: straight crack extension front and little lateral contraction
However, the measured fracture initiation toughness J0.2 values are approximately
equal.
22

Microscopic fracture surface SEM observation

fatigue
precracking

stable crack extension

intergranular
fracture

transgranular
fracture

500 m

50 m

dimple ductile
fracture surface

23

Fracture mechanism in ductile material

Stage 1: Void nucleation

Growing crack in a ductile material1

Stage 2: Void growth

Stage 3: Void coalescence

For the stage 2: Rice and Tracey2 established the following law:

dR 1
3
= exp d
R 2
2
where, R: current void radius, and stress triaxiality

1[Gullerud

et al., Eng Fract Mech 66, p.65, 2000]

2[Rice

H
VM

& Tracey., J Mech Phys Solids 17, p.201, 1969]

24

FEM model

12.7 mm thick smooth specimen

Mesh of CT specimen

quarter of specimen: 41599 nodes, 22940 elements

(20-node elements + 10-node elements)

12.7 mm thick side-grooved specimen

Voce nonlinear isotropic hardening law:

eq = YS + R0 p + Q[1 exp(b p )]
where, R0, Q, b, material constants,
p, accumulated plastic strain

CA6NM: YS = 763 MPa, R0 = 2665 MPa,

Q = 42.7 MPa, b = 3000
25

FEM Results
Variation of plastic strain across the
specimen thickness

Variation of stress triaxiality across

the specimen thickness

0.015

Plastic strain in thickness direction (Z)

2.0

Stress triaxiality ()

1.5

1.0

0.5

12.7 mm thick smooth specimen

12.7 mm thick side-grooved specimen
25.4 mm thick side-grooved specimen

0.0
-0.50

-0.25

0.00

0.25

Normalized distance to midsection (Z/B)

0.50

12.7 mm smooth specimen

12.7 mm side-grooved specimen
25.4 mm side-grooved specimen

0.010

0.005

0.000
-0.50

-0.25

0.00

0.25

0.50

Normalized distance to midsection (Z/B)

For 12.7 mm thick smooth specimen, the stress triaxiality falls rapidly for |Z/B| >
0.25.
For 25.4 mm thick side-grooved specimen, the plane strain condition is maintained
over the entire specimen thickness.
26

Main differences between K1c and J1c tests

K1c

J1c

Concept

Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics

(LEFM)

Elastic-Plastic Fracture Mechanics

(EPFM)

Loading condition

Small-Scale Yielding
(Elastic)

Large-Scale Yielding
(Elasto-Plastic)

Extensometers poistion
(CT specimen)

Crack Mouth

Load-Line

Testing Procedure

P-v curve KQ K1C

P-v curve J-a curve JQ J1C

Application field

Brittle materials
(high strength & low toughness)

Ductile materials
(low strength & high toughness)

27

Charpy test

ASTM E23: Standard test methods for notched bar impact testing of metallic materials
28

Charpy test on Titanics steel

Titanics steel at 0oC

Actual A36 steel at 0oC

Energy absorbed as function of temperature

Can we estimate fracture toughness K1c from Charpy test ?

Rolfe-Novak-Barsom correlation: K1c = 5

YS
YS

YS

CVN

20

29

Fatigue crack growth da/dN - K curve

[Paris et al. The Trend in Engineering 13, p.9-14, 1961]

30

Fatigue crack growth rates measurement (ASTM E647)

Measure of da/dN-K curve

Test on CT and MT specimens;
W= 2 inch and B= 0.5 inch usually; B can be reduced to 0.05 W;
Modified geometry for that a longer ligament can be used for crack
growth measurement
2
2
3
3
4
4
P (2 + a w) ( 0.886 + 4.64 a w 13.32 a w + 14.72 a w 5.6 a w )
K=
3/ 2
BW1/ 2
(1 a w )

31

da/dN K curve

Where to start the measurement (test) ?

32

da/dN K test

end of test

start of test

K increases

K decreases
until the threshold

33

 Monotonic and cyclic plastic zones

K decreasing phase

ry , m

1K
= max
YS

ry ,c

1 K
=
2 YS

(Monotonic)

(Cyclic)

K-gradient limit (ASTM E647)

1 dK
1
C =
> 0.08mm
K da

34

K decreasing at R = 0.1 and R = 0.7

[Bui-Quoc T. et al. Final report of project CDT P3768, 2009]

35

da/dN-K curve of CA6NM steel at R = 0.1 and R = 0.7

[Bui-Quoc T. et al. Final report of project CDT P3768, 2009]

36

Main fatigue crack closure mechanisms in metals

(a) Plasticity-induced closure
(b) Roughness-induced crack closure
(c) Oxide-induced closure
(d)Closure induced by a viscous fluid
(e) Phase transformation-induced closure

[Suresh & Ritchie, Int metall Rev 29, p.445, 1984]

37

Fatigue crack closure measurement

Load

P-v curve

P-v curve

v ' = v P

v
=
P
compliance of
opening crack

v
Effective stress intensity range keff :

K eff = K max K op

v
Pariss equation:

da
m
= C (K eff )
dN
38

Master curve

[Trudel A. et al. Int J Fatigue 66, p. 39-46, 2014]

39

Thank you for your attention!

Questions ?

40

Relation entre G et K
-Dplacement impos
-plaque dpaisseur unitaire
-Contrainte plane

La propagation de la fissure de a a+ se
traduit par une dcroissance de lnergie
lastique: dU= - G
On peut retourner ltat initial en refermant
la fissure avec les forces qui agissaient entre a
et a+ . Lnergie G est gale au travail de
ces forces de fermeture :

G I =
0

1 KI 8
x
K 2I
KI
dx d 'o : G I =
2 2x E
2
E
G I = (1 2 )

K 2I
E

en dformation plane