Microstructure Design of Tempered Martensite by Atomistically Informed Full-Field Simulation: From Quenching to Fracture
E. Borukhovich, G. Du, M. Stratmann, M. Boeff, O. Shchyglo, A. Hartmaier, I. Steinbach,
Volume: 9. Pages: 673
DOI: 10.3390/ma9080673
Published: 2016
Abstract
Martensitic steels form a material class with a versatile range of
properties that can be selected by varying the processing chain.
In order to study and design the desired processing with the minimal
experimental effort, modeling tools are required. In this work, a
full processing cycle from quenching over tempering to mechanical
testing is simulated with a single modeling framework that combines
the features of the phase-field method and a coupled chemo-mechanical
approach. In order to perform the mechanical testing, the mechanical
part is extended to the large deformations case and coupled to crystal
plasticity and a linear damage model. The quenching process is governed
by the austenite-martensite transformation. In the tempering step,
carbon segregation to the grain boundaries and the resulting cementite
formation occur. During mechanical testing, the obtained material
sample undergoes a large deformation that leads to local failure.
The initial formation of the damage zones is observed to happen next
to the carbides, while the final damage morphology follows the martensite
microstructure. This multi-scale approach can be applied to design
optimal microstructures dependent on processing and materials composition.