Crescimento de trinca de fadiga no aço SAE 4140 sujeito à vibração forçada

Abstract

Fatigue is a common cause of failures in mechanical components and metal structures when subjected to dynamic loads, caused by the growth of a crack, with the so-called Paris’ law the main model for crack propagation. This work aimed to generate and evaluate the process of fatigue for the AISI 4140 steel in different microstructures, obtained by distinct heat treatments. Dynamic loads, necessary for the generation of fatigue in the material, were obtained by forced vibration, also serving as the crack length control through natural resonance frequency, previously calculated in finite elements (FEM) with experimental verification for different crack lengths. Three different heat treatments were performed, as well as different levels of loadings, to evaluate the number of cycles and the fatigue crack growth rate. Experiments were done with samples in normalized condition, quenched and tempered at 600°C and quenched and tempered at 500°C. With the use of vibration it was possible to apply two different methods of loading: constant displacement and constant force. With the displacement loading was obtained better results when compared to the other approach, since the propagation of the crack occurs, the stresses developed at a lower intensity. The quenched and tempered at 500°C sample had superior durability in comparison with the other heat treatments, regardless of the loading method. With the constant strain loading it was possible to evaluate the Paris’ law constants, m and C. For the normalized sample, the values were 4,44 e 1,51 x 10-13 (mm⁄cycles (MPa√m) m) for m and C, respectively. With the quenched and tempered at 600°C material it were obtained 2,61 e 2,20 x 10-10 ( mm⁄cycles (MPa√m) m), whereas for quenched and tempered at 500°C the results were 2,50 e 2,10 x 10-10 ( mm⁄cycles (MPa√m) m).